How do you like them Napol(i)s...our day was ruined at Pompeii!!

When my friend and I got off the train in Napoli, all of the "be careful"'s and "stay safe"'s came rushing through our minds as we witnessed first hand the very sketchy outskirts of this well-known city.

Even though we were scared at first, the hotel was around the corner and we were able to walk there with absolutely no problems. We were starving; our first stop- dinner! What else do you get in Naples but pizza!?

Getting a pizza here is as easy as reciting the ABCs. It's legitimately everywhere, but we had a very specific destination in mind. If you can recognize the following quote, you can make a very educated guess:

"I'm going for it. I have no interest in being obese, I’m just through with the guilt. So, here’s what we're going to do: we're going to finish this pizza, and tomorrow, we're going to buy ourselves some bigger jeans."

If you guessed Julia Roberts as Liz in "Eat Pray Love", you were correct! She ate at the "birthplace of pizza" or L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele. It was INCREDIBILE. I'm talking perfect everything in a pizza. Soft and thin crust, light and sweet sauce, fresh and melted cheese made an amazing combination. I finished the whole thing - shamelessly.

Just a warning to those interested in traveling into this lovely city- it doesn't appear very safe. We had absolutely no issues but we saw bashed car windows more than once and even our hotel recommended taxis when it got dark out. Needless to say, watch out!

The next morning, we headed off to Pompeii to cross off another adventure from the bucket list! The subway was just across the street and luckily for us Pompeii has a subway station directly across the street from the excavation site. After an attentive ride, we entered an ancient sin city.

The ruins were unlike any other archeological site I have seen, and I've been to quite a few in my time here. Pompeii was a destination for those wealthy Roman citizens anxious to have a little fun away from their important lives in more major cities. You can really see how they lived thanks to the amazing preservation, mostly due to the layers of ash left behind from the explosion of Vesuvius in 79 CE. We noted several signs and machines indicating the excavating is ongoing! I was quite amazed by the Terme or baths, Basilica or courthouse/public works center, and the Ampiteatro or amphitheater. Although, I really did appreciate the location itself- particularly the amazing view of Vesuvio.

The way back to the hotel wound up being a whole new adventure rather than the end to the day. All the locals started singing a tech other. That's right- SINGING. They were going insane - they started JUMPING during certain parts. I was super scared but that sensation wound up being ephemeral. As soon as all them got off my friend and I started laughing hysterically.

A craving for something sweet overwhelmed us, and what better treat to buy then some sfogliatelle while in Napoli!? They tasted like the epitome of perfection. These sweets ended our adventurous day perfectly. 

Voglio vedere più di questa città- tornerò presto!