Pompei to Naples

September 22, 2015

We were up early and had a so-so breakfast at the hotel. In all honesty, the last great meal I had was lunch in Amalfi. The touristy spots are just not up to snuff and can't compare with the local food we had coming through the mountains. So last night, I was determined to upscale and get a decent meal. And I think we succeeded when we chose Love Brace. I cannot name these dishes, but they were delicious.

My appetizer. On the left, some type of cheese-infused potato mixture. On the right, grilled steak with a tomato-based sauce.

Very tender strips of steak (from an area up north known for beef, per my waiter) on top of more potatoes with some cheese (not the same mixture as above). I possibly should have been more careful about all the potatoes, but it was all good!

Typically large plates and seemingly small portions mean a big check, but that was not the case here. And it restored my faith in Italian cooking. We had to really look hard for this place, as the piazzas are mostly filled with bars and pizza joints. We had to wander away a bit to find a true restaurant. However, Mark is keen on having pizza in Napoli, which is where at least one style was invented, so I have charged him with finding the best pizza for tonight!

While breakfast was passable (actually, it was pretty bad), the room was delightful with double doors that opened up towards the east and the morning sun. The weather was perfect, and we kept the doors open all night. And the bugs that would have bothered us in Sorrento did not make an appearance in Pompei.

So we pushed off at about 10:00 AM with only 19 miles to put us into Naples. This was again planned so that we could tour the Naples Archaeological Museum in the afternoon. The museum holds many of the artifacts recovered from Pompeii (including the "secret" stuff) and would complement our tour of the site yesterday.

Today's ride to Naples

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So there is not a whole lot to say about today's ride. It started on cobblestones and ended on cobblestones, and there were a lot of cobblestones in between. Hence our poor average speed today! That, and the crazy traffic. And believe me, I am not easily intimidated by traffic and wasn't really intimidated today, but the Italians are a bit crazy when behind the wheel. They seem to know what they are doing, and there were no near misses that I could see, but goodness, you need to stay on your toes.

One thing I surmised in all of this. They will generally yield to pedestrians just about anywhere, unlike Americans. And they seemed to be more cognizant of cyclists . . . maybe because they are more used to seeing them or maybe because they are on the lookout for the prolific number of scooters and motorcycles that are far more common here than in the States. Regardless, at no time did I feel purposely threatened. But you did need to stay alert!

So back to the cobblestones. Our route out of Pompei was paved with them. And they were large too. And uneven. Fine if you're in a car with a suspension system, but on an aluminum bike (which is less flexible and more rigid than a steel frame), you feel every bump and wiggle. But it lasted at most maybe six-tenths of a mile, and then we were back on the asphalt.

But only as far as the next town. Which came pretty quick, being we were on our way to a major urban center surrounded by suburbs! So it became a bit of a torturous routine. Cobblestones, then asphalt, then back to cobblestones.

I'm not sure there would have been any escaping this without moving to busier roads, not that these weren't busy enough! There were cars, motorcycles, and trucks everywhere, all trying to get someplace.

But after a while, we made it to the coast and turned north. I tried to route us as close as possible to the shoreline and through the local villages, not knowing what lurked in the pavement! But our first encounter was pleasant enough, and we biked along the promenade for a good distance and enjoyed the views of the bay and Naples in the distance.

Mark posing on the promenade in front of Mt. Vesuvius. We talked about climbing it. Maybe one day!

But all good things must come to an end, and eventually we were back on cobblestones and in some real remote villages close to the shore and the train tracks!

Waiting for the train. Note the cobblestones. These were the other, smaller type.

That was an incredibly long wait for the train to clear. So long I gave glancing thoughts to ducking under the gate. But I know better. Note the new cobblestones. There were two varieties, large and small. Both uncomfortable.

When we cleared the railroad, we gave up on the secondary roads near the coast and their cobblestone roads. We slipped back onto the mainline, hoping that the closer to Naples we got, the more asphalt we would see. Unfortunately, that was not the case! We had asphalt for a while, but as we approached Naples and its denser parts, it unexpectedly went back to cobblestones! C'est la vie!

Our entry into Naples: cobblestones and traffic. The traffic was a cakewalk. Seriously, by now we knew what we were doing! The cobblestones we just had to get used to!

So on we pedaled into downtown Naples and made one last climb, literally from the port up to the neighborhood that houses the Archaeological Museum, all on cobblestones! We had picked a B&B near the Archaeological Museum so we could get quick access for the afternoon's tour. The B&B was delightful, had a wonderful host, a lift to our third-floor suite, and a rooftop terrace where we were shortly served cappuccino and cookies.

On the rooftop terrace with our hostess. She and her husband were the sweetest couple!

After cleaning up, we headed to the museum only to find it closed on Tuesdays! This actually had crossed my mind, but I never checked! Stupid me. That's OK, we will tour it tomorrow morning. We took the afternoon to just visit Naples and some of the more prominent piazzas and the harbor. Along the way, we spent time in the Galleria d'Italia of Napoli, which showcases Neapolitan art and has Caravaggio's last painting, finished only several months before his death. The museum is also located in quite a palace. Although it's a small collection, it is well worth the five euro admission.

To top off the night, we went to one of the better pizza places in Naples. They have a branch in New York as well. Interesting to say the least. I'm sure they had some help getting it set up! Anyway, it was delicious.

Fried pasta (spaghetti carbonara) at Pizzeria Starita a Materdei. Who would imagine?

Today's ride: 19 miles (31 km)
Total: 363 miles (584 km)

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