Arriving into Napoli was a bit of a hustle. Our bus squeezed its way through the overly crowded city streets, maneuvering past people and cars double-parked on both sides. My mind was fixated on finding the best Sfogliatelle, and I did, quite a few. For dinner we ate some of the most flavorful pizza I have ever tasted, and it happened to be right next door to a pasticceria (I will tell you about the pizza in a minute). Of course I had to go in and see that yes, they did have Sfogliatelle, which they were pulling straight from the oven per order. I also noticed they had two different types; Sfogliatelle Frolle and Sfogliatelle Ricci. The Sfogliatelle Frolle has the same filling as the Ricci- semolina, ricotta, sugar, and candied orange peel. The Frolle has a cookie-like exterior as opposed to the mille feuille, layer packed exterior of the Ricci, which is the one we are accustomed to eating. Baba rum (with French influence) is another pastry that is very popular here and seen all throughout the streets of the city. This pastry is like a sweet brioche soaked in rum simple syrup. Italy is also common to see the baba rum packed in jars full of syrup or limoncello.
Now, let me tell you about the mouth-watering pizza, from Antica Pizzeria da Gaetano. It was called “Pizza DOC” (controlled Designation of Origin) because of how and where the pizza was made. It had fresh buffalo mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, fragrant basil, and the most elastic crust; the texture was perfect. I also noticed that Italians like to use a fork and knife to eat their pizza. I guess I have been eating it the wrong way!
On day two, we left Napoli on an excursion to see the island of Capri. It was gorgeous, like nothing I have ever experienced before and I knew from pictures it would be this good. Pulling away from the port in Napoli and crossing the blue waters to Capri, we witnessed Mt. Vesuvius peeking through the fog in the distance. I had never had a fascination with science or volcanoes, but Mt. Vesuvius put me in awe. I could almost see the crater from which the still active Mt. Vesuvius has erupted and preserved the city of Pompeii centuries ago.
Once on the island of Capri, we hiked up the side of a mountain and found ourselves in what seemed to be the center of town, where everyone was walking around, sipping cappuccinos, and shopping for limoncello. Yes, there was limoncello and lemon flavored candies everywhere you turned. The island, and much of southern Italy for that matter, is currently sprouting citrus fruit in the season of its harvest. As we strolled, I focused on a road cut into the top of the mountain and thought how frightening it would be to ride in a car up that high and so close to the cliff’s edge. And before I could think twice about it, I was on a very crowded bus, standing subway style, on that very road, headed to the other side of the island. The amazing views were a welcome distraction from the frightening ride. Vespas and cars whipped around tight curves with the backdrop of sparkling blue waters, stucco buildings and a speckling of boats. This is a highly recommended place to explore.
