LAST OF NAPLES

Kris and I attended a HempFest and got hemp pizza. (Only effect was that it was crunchier)

I kept seeing so many English phrases on decorations or clothing around Italy and none of them made any goddamn sense. 

THINGS I'LL MISS ABOUT NAPLES: pizza, ultra-colorful metro stations, Nocciola flavored everything, cheap fruits and veggies, the family that owns the fruit and veggie shop that scream at each other in Italian while I shop and have no idea what they're saying, gelato, the hills of the city, Kris playing John Mayer songs on piano while I bartend, ordering DELIVERY coffee (you call and 5 minutes later an Italian kid shows up at your door with a cappuccino and it's only 1.30 Euro! Why has this not caught on globally?), over groomed Italian men who kind of look like drag queens, ferry access to gorgeous islands, Matias' impression of this, the thrill of just crossing the street, walking by a volcano every day and buffala mozzarella. 

Next stop: Berlin (!)

LA CONTRORA HOSTEL

During my month in Naples, I did a workaway gig at La Controra Hostel to sleep/eat/drink for free and save money for my travels. La Controra was an oasis (high ceilings, garden courtyard) in the middle of the madness that is Naples, Italy and (bias aside) it's easily the best hostel I've ever stayed at. 

La Controra is actually a converted monastery, so when you turn to enter your first view is of this eery old cathedral.

My job was to bartend, lead social activities and cook the Happy Hour Pasta. My culinary repertoire which was limited to stir-fry, omelettes and roasted veggies vastly expanded during my time there... so it now includes: stir-fry, omelettes, roasted veggies and about 15 different kinds of pasta dishes. PRO-TIP: cover everything in cheese.

An enthusiastic and international (Mexican, German, Canadian and Argentinian) group at reception. 

La Controra had an ideal central location, was comfortable for lounging about (this can be rare with hostels) and the built-in bar that was frequented by local Italians and travelers alike always proved to be a good time. Below are a few photos from our Halloween party where we had drink specials ("gin and bubonic" + "sex on a haunted beach"), "blood-and-guts veggie pasta" and I bought a hat and therefore, was a pirate. 

Alessandro: the receptionist, local Neapolitan and my toughest pasta critic ("mmm. Not al dente.")

This guy (1/2 of a pair of American twins) fell asleep STANDING at the bar. He was not allowed any more Nastro Azzuro's. 

If you ever find yourself in Naples, get over to La Controra Hostel for a nice stay or at least for a pint of Peroni. 

HIKING ON THE AMALFI COAST

Kris and I headed to the Amalfi Coast to do the Path of the Gods hike, but refusing such practical things as maps or directions we found ourselves on a "more difficult and far less civilized" (according to one English tourist we ran into after) path that went UP the mountain rather than along it. 5 hours later, it ended up being a great workout with some killer views. 

We made it to the coastal town of Amalfi for dinner and gelato...

...and just in time for sunset. 

MORE AROUND NAPLES

Naples has a decaying kind of beauty to it and it's current look seems to reveal the eruptions, earthquakes, bombings, rebellions and conquests it's endured. 

Nowadays, Naples has an energy to it that's reminiscent of when you first step off the train at Penn Station in Manhattan. It's (loud) buzz is made up of the whirring engines of scooters, little cars honking and Neapolitans yelling in (what I've learned to actually be is) the most affectionate way possible.

Watching Italians interact with each other on the street (eyes wide, voices raised, hands flying) I keep expecting fist fights to break out but every time it ends with double cheek kisses and it's clear that they were just discussing their favorite type of bufala mozzarella or something. 

The other day I was sitting outside a cafe giggling at this book (Amazon Prime is just as awesome while abroad) when the whole city actually ROARED when a goal was scored in a Naples vs. Rome. I wasn't sitting within a block of a television but I swear the ground vibrated with cheers from miles around. These people truly express themselves.  

This kind of energy also makes for lively nights out, specifically in Piazza Bellini where everyone congregates just about every night of the week. There's a few cute bars surrounding it but everyone mostly buys 2 Euro beers and takes over the square with live music and loud conversation. With crowds blocking the street I'm floored that it's never broken up by the police because it's absolutely packed. It looks a protest or a riot or like Southie on St. Patrick's Day but it's just another night Napoli. 

AROUND NAPLES

Baristas at Cafe Mexico. Which is understood to be (oddly enough) the best coffee in Italy. 

Kris and I at the highest peak in Naples, dubbed "the secret garden" which you have to hop a 15 foot fence to reach. This was minutes before we got kicked out and yelled at. Kris is a fellow workawayer at the hostel. He appears to be your typical American broseph at first but he's super smart, inquisitive and full of surprises... like when you learn he plays the mandolin, is planning on studying neuroscience and says things like "you know, sometimes Macy Gray just really hits the spot". He's only 18 and I blew his mind when I told him John Mayer had an album before Room For Squares because he was only 3 YEARS OLD when it come out. I didn't think kids born in 1996 were eating solid foods at this point, but apparently they're traveling around Europe. 

Clotheslines are EVERYWHERE in Naples. 

Apparently it's a bit of faux pas to order a cappuccino past 10 AM in Italy. This hasn't deterred me in any way, especially because I try not to be awake before 10 AM. 

Vesuvius (!) over the Mediterranean. Last erupted in 1944. Still a bit too recent. 

One funny thing about Naples is that while the streets are rather dirty, the subways are SPOTLESS. Many of the stations have been designed by artists and are absolutely immaculate. This is at Toledo station, which is filled with blue tile sculptures, ocean scenes and a tunnel that lets the sun shine through.  

Matias and Marcos, Argentinian workawayers at the hostel who are also DJ's under the name Rebel Pandaff. One night they played at a local club so we all went and danced til 5 AM. I won't lie, I don't fully understand what "Deep House" music is quite yet but this song starting at the 24:10 mark is my jaaaaaam. 

NAPLES, ITALY

Naples is (gratifying) chaos. 

Naples has all the elements of a city I would normally hate: crowded, dirty, filled with bad graffiti and loud people... but for some reason, it's completely thrilling and charming. And thank god, because I'm here for a whole month (2.5 weeks-in at the moment... a bit behind on blog posts!). 

I haven't properly captured the insanity of Naples through photos yet but trust me when I say it's there. The thousands of scooters carrying whole families (babies and dogs included) and loud Italians yelling and gesticulating from cars, windows and shops are a couple of cinematic stereotypes proved to be very true. 

I'm reading An Italian in Italy right now which explains that "...in Italy rules are not obeyed as they are elsewhere. We think it's an insult to our intelligence to comply with a regulation. Obedience is boring. We want to think about it. We want to decide whether a particular law applies to our specific case. In that place, at that time". I admire the sentiment but this Italian attitude towards traffic laws ensures that I feel like I've cheated death every time I've successfully crossed the street. 

Vesuvius, looming in the background. 

Despite being the perfect package for a tourist spot (warm weather, rich history, on the coast, amazing food-- the pizza is here is OUT OF CONTROL), Naples has failed to take advantage of the tourist industry. This means (outside of the hostel) I rarely see another non-Italian and it's made the last few weeks here feel really authentic.

My 2 years of Italian at BC has proved completely useless (not that I retained much at the time) as Neapolitan Italian is a whole other vernacular away from standard Italian. The few phrases that I do know must be said with an accent that feels like I'm mocking Mario and/or Luigi in order for anyone to understand what I'm saying, so usually I get by with a lot of smiling and nodding. Although doing that, I did agree to a dinner date with a butcher when I thought he was just talking about the pancetta I ordered. So now I have to find a new neighborhood butcher. 

It's been a genuine Italian adventure so far.

More soon. Expect a lot of photos of pizza.