Weather: I don't think it rained today, in fact it was probably the first day of sunshine during our stay in Italy! :) But we didn't know that, so we brought an umbrella (just in case)!
It had taken us a while to get over the jet lag. For my sister it took at good week, as I recall she slept in the first week of our trip. I don't think we really ever got an "early start" - ha ha. What a joke. So, we didn't make it to Naples before noon... more like 1 or 2 p.m. I think. After getting out of bed (for the second or third time), we ate and walked to the Circumvesuvania station (5 minutes), and waited for the train to Napoli (opposite direction of Sorrento of where we were staying).
Secret Room - Gabinetto Segreto (National Archaeological Museum)
From Sant'Agnello, which is about 1-2 train stops from Sorrento, it took a good hour to Naples (which is located north of Sant'Agnello and Sorrento). We didn't really know what to expect of Naples - because of what you read, hear, etc. I mean, I know I am a pretty good traveler and have been to many locales that are pretty worse than Naples and we could have stayed in Naples, but we chose not to (more for convenience - transport, location, etc.). I think next time, I would actually like to stay there, because there was some nightlife that appeared exciting, although parts of the city did smell and were more polluted than other Italian cities I have been to.
That being said, Naples was a feast of the senses. Most definitely. I keep telling my friends that during the time I was in southern Italy in general I couldn't understand what most Italians were saying to me, even though I can speak some Italian. Didn't matter if I asked them to repeat. (Once I got to central Italy and the north I had no problems.) The food - ahhh, so damn amazing in Naples and Campania!
I could write infinite posts on the food alone. Our favorite, Da Michele Pizzeria in Naples. It was crazy, just the trek alone to find it. We didn't have the famous fried pastry (sfogliata riccia) but they did look good. I can't remember which bakery it was, but the line was packed with locals. I'm sorry I didn't write the name down! It was near the church where local school boys were playing soccer. This was after we had visited the National Archaeological Museum and were on the way to find the Cappella Sansevero.
National Archeological Museum
My sister and I really liked both museums. You can take photos at the National Archaelogical Museum (NAM), but not the Cappella Sansevero. I think the NAM has longer hours, so you may want to visit the smaller chapel first, it's really small. When we visited the NAM, several of the exhibits were closed, but really and we thought about not visiting it. But, we paid for it - or did we use the ArteCard (?), I forget now... and it didn't really matter because there is so much to see.
Some people recommend visiting the NAM before Pompeii, and others believe you should visit Pompeii first. I don't think it really matters. As long as you go to both places and see the whole picture, as the NAM now houses a lot of Pompeii, Hercalaneum, and other Italian ancient towns' artefacts and findings. In fact, we discovered that many of the artefacts at Pompeii are replicas -- pretty damn good ones. We would also HIGHLY recoommend making reservations, once you enter the NAM, to see the Secret Room (Gabinetto Segreto).
I won't tell you what it's all about, because that will ruin the surprise! Enjoy your travels to Naples! I thought that Neapolitans, and Southern Italians in general were friendlier (than Northerners) -- my opinion.
Sculpture Garden
Other Websites of Interest
List of Neapolitan Eateries
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