The glorious city of Pompeii

When Sue and I drove down from Rome last spring we were struck by the beauty of the Bay of Naples. The sea appeared a translucent blue, the likes of which I had not seen elsewhere in Italy. The word ‘Naples’ is derived from the Greek ‘Neapolis’, which directly translates to mean ‘new city’. Driving through its winding narrow lanes we got stuck in innumerable traffic snarls and we were happy to abandon our vehicle near the Garibaldi station vowing to catch public transport instead. We walked across to one of the luxury hotels in city, Una Hotel where we’d made reservations over the net. I believe that’s the best way to go since one can avail of good discounts and promotional packages. Although located in the hub of the city, in the midst of a big and bustling piazza the rooms are sound-proofed and very tidy.

Both Sue and I wanted to explore the city of Pompeii so the hotel arranged a Pompeii night tour which was absolutely mind-blowing thanks to moving multi-media images rendering the show live, interactive and fun. It was great to watch history come alive amidst sound, light and shadows.

The next day saw us at Piazza Municipio beside a medieval fortress locally known as Maschio Angioino or the Angevin Keep. I loved the Santa Barbara Chapel, better known as the Palatine Chapel representative of the Gothic art of the period.

Making our way into the city center we walked into Santa Chiara with both Baroque and Gothic elements. Sue was bowled over by the rustic benches and garden. I, on my part, loved the emblematic columns.

The next day Sue and I booked a boat to the island of Megarides to view the Castel dell’Ovo better known as the ‘Egg Castle’. It was first colonized and settled by ancient Greeks from a place called Cumae. On the islet stands tall and proud the oldest castle of Naples. The word ‘ovo’ in Italian means ‘egg’ and it is widely believed that the poet Virgil hid an egg there which, if broken, can destroy both the castle and the city.

Our last night in Naples was spent at the pizzeria Leon d’Oro which served us some great pasta. We were sorry that our Naples trip was over so soon.