Day 6 of our Italian Excursion: Napoli

Two months later, and I'm finally getting to post day six of our trip to Italy. Whew, life has picked up here on base in Del Rio, and life is by no means boring, but it hasn't left much time for editing pictures. The good news is, I'm almost completely finished with them, and ready to make a book. I'm so excited to see the finished product!!

After our Journey out to the Island of Capri from Sorrento, we packed up our luggage, and got back on the train to Rome, making a pit stop halfway through in Naples. The original plan was to stay a night in Naples, but after visiting, I'm rather glad we hadn't, as the city itself has deteriorated greatly in the recent global economic downturn. Unfortunately, in recent years, this great metropolis of grand cuisine, art, and culture has been overrun by the crime, and the economy only continues to decline. Ornate buildings stand like ancient dinosaurs, and exquisite restaurants and museums are tucked away like hidden treasure amidst streets cluttered with trash and overrun by gang violence and shady dealings in narrow alleyways. 

Though I was rather content not staying the night in this chaotic city, I was so glad we stopped to check it out. Naples has so much culture, it's like a whirlwind of sites, smells, and tastes that hit you in the face and knock you over the second you step foot in it's bustling streets. Every nook and cranny had a new experience tucked into it, and I really do wish I could have at least spent another day visiting some of the famous museums here, such as the museum that contains a bulk of the artifacts found during the excavations at Pompeii. 

Our one mission, and our absolute favorite part of visiting Naples was the pizza. If you want to find the best pizza in Italy... or the best pizza in the world for that matter, you will find it here. We opened up our travel guide, and read about this place known as the "Home of Pizza". Apparently this restaurant is where the Margherita Pizza started. I can't even express to you the explosion of flavors in my mouth. Stephen and I took our first bite (with a knife and fork, as it's too thin and saucy to eat with hands), and we immediately looked at one another with the biggest smiles on our faces! What makes a Napoli Margherita Pizza is the wood fired oven it's cooked in, the dough that remains paper thin, soft and stretchy even after it's cooked, sweet tomatoes crushed into a fresh and juicy sauce, globs of fresh mozzerella, and finally topped with fresh basil leaves. The flavors just light up every sensation in my mouth, and are incomparable to any pizza I've tasted anywhere else I've visited in Itally, let alone anything in the states. Buonissimo!

The pizza we had at the "Home of Pizza" in Napoli. It was so dark inside, it was hard to get a picture!

This little hole in the wall restaurant was very rustic to say the least! It was so busy, I have to say the service wasn't the greatest. Order all the wine you want up front, because chances are they are not coming back! Might as well just order a pitcher, because the wine was cheap, and they served it in cups rather than wine glasses, which we thought to be so interesting. In fact, the wine was cheaper than the water!! However, it didn't taste like cheap wine, and one bite of the pizza and you will definitely forgive the service!! After all, you can only do your best as a waiter when the people are literally causing the place to burst at the seams because of it's popularity!

More pizza just lining the streets in hole-in-the-wall eateries all over.

Handmade Pasta hung from rustic walls on almost every corner

Fresh tomatoes practically lined the streets

I had to somehow capture the busyness of the city, the chaotic manner of crossing the dangerous streets, with fast cars intertwined with lots of people, and a serious lack of organization!

Our Italian Excursion, Day 5: The Island of Capri

View from the dock when we first pulled into Capri

Waking up from a deep slumber caused by a combination of dramamine and the gentle rocking of our boat to Capri, we were welcomed to the Island with bright sun, ocean breeze, and sparkling waters. Capri is an Island off of the Amalfi Coast in Italy that I had only seen or even heard of through breathtaking pictures on Pinterest. It was then decided a trip to this whimsical harbor village was a must during our trip to the Amalfi Coast. The ferry ride was just a 20 minute journey from our seaside hotel in Sorrento, and I highly recommend the journey to anyone else taking a trip to the Amalfi Coast area. If I were to do it again, I would go sometime not smack in the middle of the summer travel season, but September or October when the Blue Grotto will be open for tours. The Blue Grotto is an enchanting tunnel of caves you can take boats through atop bright cyan waters, and we unfortunately missed out because in December they are often closed down due to unsafe water conditions. One day we will be back though, because Anacapri, one of the little towns on the outskirts of the main tourist attraction of Capri, ended up being my absolute favorite spot.

Upon arriving on the Island, we sought out a map, and began the steady trek uphill to the main town area. This was good for us, as we are not usually stoked about hiking, but all the main cafe's for lunch were a good way up the hill, forcing us to prepare our bellies for some more exquisite Italian grub.

The view from the main shopping area in Capri

Loved the Cappuccinos here! Tip: drink your coffee at the bar, because it costs much extra to sit at a table.

Lots More Lemoncello!!

Besides gelato and cappuccinos, we love a good canolli

There were many high-end shops here, but in classically rustic Italian buildings

This picture above was the first one I took as we reached the little village Anacapri just outside of Capri. Anacapri was my favorite, because there were so many quaint, rustic Italian buildings, bright colors, hand painted signs, and narrow walkways lined with whitewashed boutiques, markets, restaurants, and houses all mixed in. It was such a fairytale seaside village that I would love to spend more time at one day.

I' m so glad I took this picture inside the restaurant we decided on. You can see a classic Italian wood fired oven where they cook pizzas :).

Though we would have loved to order a pizza again, Capri is known for it's Seafood, and of course Capri is where the Caprese Salad gets it's name :). This Seafood Risotto and Caprese Salad were by far the best I've had! It's rather tough getting a risotto just right, and it was cooked perfectly al dente!

Our Italian Excursion: Day 3 & 4 in Positano

Colorful buildings rolled down the cliffs like spilt paint in Positano, a quaint little vacation town along the Amalfi Coast. This little town became a popular place for posh celebrities and famous writers to get away and enjoy a fantasy world of serene, turquoise water, and lots of charm. We were so glad we took two different day trips out here, because there is so much to see, and the first day we came out when it was pouring rain. Day two was just gorgeous. The rain had cleared up, and the skies were clear, the air was crisp, and the light was just gorgeous for pictures. This one above was taken on day two at about 9am when the sun wasn't quite harsh yet. We rolled into town at the perfect time, because just an hour later the sun was very bright. I hear during the Summer this place can be very hot and bustling with tourists, so I suggest if you ever make it out, come during the off season, even if it's rainy, as it was incredibly serene when we were there.

Little lemoncello shops, boutiques, cafe's, and restaurants dotted the narrow windy walkways. I loved the bright colors and yummy smells.

We thought this was a museum or public castle, it ended up being a private house. How amazing would it be to live here!!

We were getting hungry hiking up and down the cliffs along the water, so we went on yelp to find a good place to eat, and discovered not many restaurants around here were on yelp. We chanced this little place called the Dark Wine Bar, because one of the ladies we met there recommended it.  We were so glad we did! There were only about 4 tables inside, and the owner was incredibly personable. He was so friendly and attentive to us, and I can't tell you how heavenly the food was. Stephen and I learned while we were there that meatballs and spaghetti is not a traditional dish in Southern Italy, that it's mostly just something Americans do. However this man happened to have it on the menu, and let me tell you, it was the best spaghetti and meatballs we've ever had. He did an incredible job even though it's not a traditional dish for that particular area. We should have ordered what they normally do best in hindsight, because if this was good, I can't imagine how good everything else was on that menu. 

This dish below was a Fettuccini with carmalized onions and a balsamic and red wine reduction. The tip of my tongue just danced from the sweetness of the onions and red wine when I ate it. Not too oily, and the noodles were cooked perfectly al dente, which I know from experience is so hard to get just right every time. I asked to get his picture to put on my blog, but he did not want it. He doesn't want any fame or recognition, as we loves keeping his place quaint and personable. You can tell he is so passionate about his craft, and loves what he does. Such a wonderful concept; doing what we love without becoming money or face hungry.