Naples is busy, dirty, noisy, and has graffiti everywhere. And I can’t recommend it enough.
OK, so it was Tanya and me and inexpensive (R10500 return pp) Turkish Airways tickets into Napoli and out of Ljubljana, 23 April to 29 May.
Outbound we had what I consider the best seats in the plane, right at the back, 42J and K (42A/B is maybe better).
However… if there’s a thunderstorm so rough that the pilot has to divert around it… it gets a bit bouncy in the back. Also, you get your food last, which meant we got what was left after they ran out of chicken and beef (the vegetarian option, pasta with eggplant and zucchini, and not bad at all).
“Breakfast” was an omelette with potato and again, quite good for airport food. This was served at just after 01:00 SA time, because we were pulling into Istanbul, where we had to walk a mile, clear securty, walk another mile, and get on the short-hop plane, where they fed us again (it’s a 2 1/2 hour flight to Naples).
Anyway, Naples. I had found cheap (well, affordable, four nights for under R4000, or €60 a night) accommodation right in the middle of Spaccanapoli. What I didn’t know was that this was Liberation Day weekend. It was loud, and busy, and crazy.
Insane.
Pizza. Naples is known for its pizza. This is the queue outside L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, which has been open since 1870. They have two pizzas on the menu — Margherita and Marinara (They also list Cosacca which is not available and Marita which is 50/50 Margherita and Marinara). There is a ticketing system. Pizzas cost €5, takeaway. They take only cash.
Pricewise, they are probably the best pizzeria in town. But if you can only get to one Naples pizzeria, rather go to Gino Sorbilo. The pizzas are more expensive and there’s a Copperto (cover charge), but you get to sit down and relax and have some wine rather than standing in a queue for take-aways.
A Rudolfo (€10.50), a Diavolo (€8.50), two glasses of wine at €3.50 each, and a €2 Copperto per person for a total of €30.
Ragù. Naples is also known for its Ragù. The place to be, they tell me, is Tandem Ragu. I went a little apeshit, had both the lasagna and the polpette. Tanya had spaghetti ragù. That, with half a litre of white (Falanghina) and 3/4 of a liter of red (Aglianico) and two x 5€ Copperto set us back €60.50. Yowch. But when in Napoli…
Sfogliatelli. I’m pretty sure I took a photograph but I can’t find it. Sfogliatelli are a filled pastry, and you get them from Attanasio.
Some more pics:
