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Naples is a town that you can do in a day, but there is a lot to see, and I wished I would have spent a second day to take a day trip to Pompeii. I do not know what I was thinking! I was in Naples, I knew that it was close to Vesuvius and Pompeii, perhaps the most famous volcanic eruption in history, and I did not make the time to go and see the incredible sight; when will I get the opportunity next?! Oh well, I did get to see a lot of Naples, from the Duomo, to the many baroque style stone pillars that accent many piazzas, to the birthplace of the pizza, to the birthplace of the indoor mall, to the birthplace of nativity scenes, and so on. The Veiled Christ was an incredible sight to behold, and a masterpiece of a sculpture which depicts Christ dead after the crucifixion with a thin cloth covering him; you can still see his facial expression, and the crucifixion wounds. It was amazing. I spent a solid hour at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, which was described by many commentators online to be one of the most important museums in the world of Ancient Rome. Many of the statutes from Pompeii were transferred here for their ongoing preservation. The museum was great, and many of the statutes were very well preserved, since they were covered by ash so many years ago, only to be discovered thousands of years later.
Naples, of course, like all of Italy, was very hot and humid, so I did my best to stay out of the sun. The historic district of Naples, the Spaccanapoli, was very much like Venice and Barcelona, with tiny little streets that twist and turn; it was easy to get lost, but my iPhone was much more accurate in tracking where I was. This district was originally laid out by the Greeks in the 5th century BC, and is the oldest quarter of the city.
I picked the absolute worst time to visit. Not only was everyone away on vacation, and everyone was glued to a TV, but it was also a Sunday, which is the least busy day; I did not get the REAL view of Naples, because it is usually a very busy, and bustling city that is bursting at the seams. What I saw was a very relaxed ocean town, with a slow pace, and uncrowded streets. Not the real Naples.
The pizza was fantastic, as it should be. This is where pizza was invented, and literally in every restaurant, even a bar, you can get freshly made pizza. Frozen pizza does not exist here. The Margherita, which was the original pizza, is fantastic; it is only tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil. The crust is thin, and it is very light, and the flavors burst into your mouth.
I have now tasted the best pizza in the world, along with the best gelato in the world (Rome). Not a bad trip at all.
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