Exotic Vacation: Naples, Italy
Cerulean seawater caresses golden grains of sand while you observe breathtakingly beautiful mountain scenery. The sun radiates a rush of adrenaline on your skin as you take in a breath of fresh, clean beach air. There is no one around to disturb this moment for you. It’s siesta time. Sound like a dream? It doesn’t have to be. A much-earned vacation to Naples, Italy may just be what the doctor ordered.
The third largest city in Italy, Naples is located just 117 miles south of Rome in the region of Campania. Hanging on the northern hook of the Bay of Naples it offers excellent food, wonderful entertainment and a heavy dose of Italian culture. Who wouldn’t want to indulge in the vast cultural blast that this seaside paradise can provide?
Of course, you have heard of pizza but did you know that it originated in Naples, Italy? Traditional Neapolitan pizza (Margherita Pizza) consists of just mozzarella cheese, tomato slices, a splash of olive oil and a simple basil leaf or two. Margherita pizza was created with patriotic intentions and was named for Queen Margherita when she came to visit Naples in the late 1800s and favored the Neapolitan treat. The pizza later caught on with working class Italians. Quick to prepare and filling this was the perfect on-the-go food for hard working men in Naples.
After lunch you can indulge in Italian ice cream called gelato. There are an infinite number of gelato flavors ranging from vanilla (of course) to chocolate and even pistachio. Gelato is a much richer and creamier version of its American counterpart. You won’t find yourself disappointed.
Naples is also home to Mount Vesuvius, the famous volcano that was the destruction of Pompeii in 79 A.D. Vesuvio, as it’s locally called, stands tall at a whopping 4,000 feet. Showing off its curvaceous m-shaped top, Mount Vesuvius doesn’t seem to pose too much of a threat even though it is still considered to be an active volcano. Many locals find comfort in the slopes of this rumbling giant while building their homes on its slopes.
As mystical as exploring Naples on your own sounds it would be a good idea to invest in a guided tour. With excellent food and strikingly alluring scenery even the most grounded tourist might find themselves wishing they had take the bus instead of trying to drive “Talladega” style along with the locals. Driving conditions is the biggest culture shock that any tourist will have to overcome.
Tours start at around $1,700.00 for a nine-day trip. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and treat yourself to a guided tour through Naples, Italy. You don’t have to be a honeymooner, foreign exchange student or even join the military. You just have to have a hunger for learning about exciting new cultures and maybe a bowl of spaghetti.
