We begin in Campania

Buongiorno! 

This year’s Italy adventure is underway! To start our month long journey, we flew to Napoli last Saturday and spent five wonderful days in this capital city of the Campania region of southern Italy. There are several descriptors that come to mind when thinking about our time in Napoli…charming, chaotic, beautiful, noisy, energetic, gritty, authentic, raw, invigorating, and exhausting.

Despite its rough edges, there is a beauty in Napoli’s resilience. It seems to be a city that embraces its imperfections and is intensely proud of its history, culture, and cuisine (pizza!). Napoli is a city where life is lived passionately and at full throttle.

As you might expect, we booked a walking food tour in Napoli. A favorite food tour company, Culinary Backstreets, provides tours that focus on experiencing food like the locals do which typically involves stopping at places we would probably never otherwise think to enter. (Remember the Barcelona Tripe and Trotters post?) We started the day with classic Italian pastries and coffee followed by a stop at at tiny shop where we sampled bacalhau (dried cod) re-hydrated and served raw (think ceviche) with delicious local olives. The proprietor’s grandfather started the business and he is proudly continuing the family tradition.

STREET MARKET

A walk through the old city brought us to a huge street market. Before taking on all the market had to offer, we stopped for what our guide claimed to be something good for our digestion. A man working at a small kiosk made each of us a unique drink that consisted of freshly squeezed Amalfi Coast lemons (they’re very sweet and huge), sulfur water (it had a strong sulfur smell and taste) and a teaspoon of baking soda. Once the baking soda is added, an eruption occurs making it necessary to move quickly, spread your legs, bend over, and hold the cup away from your body as you take the first swallow. The name of this traditional Neopolitan digestivo is “limonata a cosce aperte” which translates to “open legs lemonade.” Ed wasn’t a fan because the sulfur taste was too much for him. I kinda liked it.

Our first stop in the street market was a cheese and meat shop. After ordering, we stood in the road outside the shop and enjoyed a wonderful sampling of local cheeses and salami. Ed’s favorite was the Fior di Latte which it turns out is the cheese one puts on the classic Margarita pizza. It’s a fresh cow’s milk mozzarella and is a bit different than the more well known (to us) buffalo milk mozzarella. Details are important. 

The next stop was a bakery where seven generations of the same family have made a special Neopolitan bread called friselle. It’s a sourdough bread dough and the shop owner/head of the family explained that the current starter they are using was begun after WW II when the Allies liberated the city. After baking, the bread is dried (think hard as a rock) which allows it to be stored for up to 3 months without spoiling. When it’s time to eat, the bread is dipped in water before being topped with chopped tomatoes or caponata. During Easter, there is traditional mussel soup recipe that uses this bread as a base. Neopolitan sailors used this bread for nourishment while at sea. They simply dipped it in sea water to soften it. 

NAPOLI TEA

Another there’s no way I’d ever stop here spot was a small cart on a busy street from which octopus broth was served. This definitely falls into street food category. The broth is made by cooking octopus in water with a little black pepper. When an order is placed, pieces of chopped octopus are placed in a large cup and broth is ladled over it. A squeeze of lemon and a squirt of hot sauce are options. Delicious! 

Our final food tour stop was lunch (I know, this is just too much food!). Before pizza, we sampled fried pasta balls, potato croquettes, and fried pizza. We didn’t eat again that day. 

A HIGHLIGHT

One of the highlights of our stay in Napoli was a tour of Pompeii. Pompeii is a mesmerizing archaeological site frozen in time, offering a glimpse into the complexity and sophistication of the ancient Roman civilization. Walking through its streets, we were transported back to 79 AD when the city was buried under layers of ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. We were well prepared for this part of our trip. Before leaving Valencia, we had watched a “Great Courses” lecture series on Pompeii and we were fortunate to have an extremely knowledgeable guide who did a nice job of curating the representative highlights for what would have been overwhelming otherwise. We had also spent the previous day in the Naples Archaeological Museum where most of the art treasures from Pompeii and the other sites along the bay can be viewed. With all this help and background, walking the streets brought this Roman city alive for us. It was a wonderful experience.

A BIT OF CULTURE

Our last night in Naples was spent at the opera. When we were in Vienna last year, we had tickets to an opera and were unable to attend because I wasn’t feeling well. I tried to convince Ed to go without me but he refused and this resulted in a debt I’ve been hoping to retire for some time now. Naples provided that opportunity. 

We hadn’t planned nor packed for a fancy night out, so some shopping was required. Ed bought a very cheap suit that he refers to as his plastic suit (aka polyester) and I found a dress sort of thing that I could wear over black pants along with my 10€ (plastic) dress shoes with rhinestone strap. A stop for a scotch in the hotel bar and off we went to see Norma, an early 19th century opera by Bellini. We were able to fit our new evening wear into our suitcases so we’re all set for another big night out should the occasion arise. And I’m quite relieved to have retired my debt. 

Our time in Campania provided insights into this fascinating region of Italy. Despite its attributes, Campania faces many challenges such as environmental degradation, organized crime, and economic disparities. However, its natural beauty, cultural richness, and warm hospitality were enchanting.

Next stop: Umbria.