In February we went to Naples as you may know by now because of the posts about Pompeii and Capri. Most of the week we were in Naples … walking Naples.
The impressive horse’s head is part of an equestrian statue, Il Statue di Fernando I di Borbone, in front of the royal palace. We first went there on a Sunday morning, but long queues of visitors made us looking for a bar where to have some coffee and relax while watching all the turmoil on the vast piazza leading into Via Toledo, Naples’ shopping paradise. Of course we returned to the royal palace on a weekday when there was no queue of visitors at all.
However, now let’s get an overview of Naples’ bay and the Vesuvius. We made a visit to Castel Sant’Elmo using one of the funiculars lifting us up to the fortress high above Naples. When arriving at the entrance to the site you’ll need to climb inside the fortress from floor to floor to another floor before you may enjoy this great view.
Turning around on top of the castle you’ll get an impressive impression of urban Naples.
It’s like a maze of buildings and streets … sometimes orientation falls … Well, I think somewhere amid this mess there was our hotel … Nevertheless we always found our way back home into Centro Storico.
Walking Naples means being overwhelmed with urban life. There are broad avenues busy with traffic … cars, vans and innumerable motos … lined with elaborate buildings used for administration, business or just living – and of course churches. Also to the right, to the left of these through roads there are alleyways, narrow cobblestone roads, wide enough for a car … where urban life is vital … with balconies … (I don’t think that there is a residential building without any small balcony!)
In these neighborhoods, especially in Centro Storico, alleyways suddenly lead you onto a Piazza where you may sit down, habe an espresso … later having some wine an dinner …
My better half & I liked to get lost in this urban jungle and then … just to discover that around the next corner there was a small passage onto the street in front of Il Duomo di Napoli.
Let’s have another example of Naples’ immense supply of statues and stately fronts …
In the morning after breakfast my better half & I started to some highlight of sightseeing … and then on the way we found lots of architectural and artful pieces … everywhere all over the city. I had far too many photos stored after just one day of walking Naples …
Coming back to the royal palace with a view of the Piazza …
We really enjoyed our week in Naples – it was so relaxing and full of interring details. Of course I think that the time of the year – winter – was responsible for the lack of big tourist crowds. However, the weather was fine, blue sky and sunshine – only one day with light rain on and off.
… and finally another part of the statue with the horse and its dynamic drive!
