Trip 3… Naples Day 2
"Exploring new horizons, one destination at a time."
When heading to a new destination, you can often tell right from the start whether you’ll connect with the city or not. Sometimes, it’s a place you instantly vibe with, and other times, it’s a place you never want to visit again. Today was that day when I would get my answer about the city center where we were staying.
After a nice lay-in and getting ready, we headed up to the restaurant for our first breakfast buffet in Naples. My goodness, the view was impeccable! Seeing Mount Vesuvius, the sun’s rays reflecting off the water below, and looking out over the city from above was breathtaking. I could never get tired of that view, but the heat... well, that’s another story.
It was time to head to the buffet for my three rounds of breakfast:
Cereal (x2): Coco Mega Pops
Full English Breakfast: Bacon, scrambled eggs, sausages, toast, and a small portion of mushrooms
Pastries: Chocolate-filled mini croissants
Alongside all of this, I tried their blood orange juice to quench my thirst—amazing!
Rating: 9/10. Great variety, and the view to match. I could definitely enjoy breakfast like this every morning—minus the excruciating heat coming through the windows.
After a nice lay-in to adjust to the time change, we had breakfast—a fresh buffet with a beautiful view. We decided to take the tram, but it was shut down, so we opted for a taxi to the shopping district (the famous long road). We explored the shops, visited a lovely church, and stood in line for a water fountain. For lunch, we had chips and bruschetta with tomatoes from a local corner café.
I picked up a small gift for Mum and a bracelet for myself (I’d return another day for a gift for me). After that, we took a long, hour-long walk to a high-end shopping area. It was fine, but I didn’t know about the 200-meter high-elevation climb—we felt like we were walking to the top of the world! The hill was so steep it felt like death. Every time we turned a corner (thinking it was the end), the hill just kept going. Near the top, we started to hear people, cars, and shops again. Scraping the last bits of energy, we raced to the stairs at the top and made it! We’d conquered what felt like a mountain. Time to re-align the map in our heads and head to a shop for replenishments. Water and sugary snacks later, we arrived at the shopping district, which was a mix of local shops and well-known brands like LEGO, Zara, and H&M. We walked through the shops to pick up a few bits, and when I got to the till to buy a little vest top, I received an email about my WSET Level 2 Spirits course—I passed with flying colors! I was ecstatic! After six weeks of learning about spirits and preparing for the test, it was time to celebrate!
We headed to a local restaurant to celebrate and have dinner. We found a nice shaded spot at a place called "Canova Scarlatti." Eating outside, in the shade with fans around us to keep us cool, felt like bliss after the manic day we’d had. We all decided to go for comfort food. Club sandwiches were the way to go—club sandwich, chips on the side, and some apple juice. This was heaven! The customer service was excellent; the staff took care of everyone outside, nice and efficiently. I would highly recommend it—10/10.
After satisfying our hunger, it was time to head back to the hotel. Booking a taxi through FREENOW was the best thing I ever discovered! It was a bit of a nightmare with public transport at the time—the heat had melted the train lines, causing them to shut down, and there were no buses nearby where we were. Taxis were the next best thing! Once we got back to the air-conditioned hotel to unwind and clean ourselves up, we relaxed with the family, played cards, enjoyed our snacks from the corner shop, and unwound, preparing our bodies and minds for Pompeii in the morning.
Ciao for now!
E x
