A sampling of Naples

A vibrant city steeped in history and culinary traditions

Founded by Greeks around the 8th century BCE, Naples as we know it was called “Neapolis” or new city. The Greeks gave way to the Romans, and it became a Roman city, where culture and trade flourished. In the Middle Ages, Naples became important in the Kingdom of Sicily. From there it evolved into the Kingdom of Naples, when art, architecture, and knowledge rose under the Angevins and Aragonese rulers. The Bourbon dynasty emerged in the 18th century, and the city prospered even more. Finally, in the 19th century, Naples played a role in the unification of Italy.

Walking down its streets today, you can sense and see much of its history as you move. This is what makes Naples so captivating despite its faded grandeur. It is a city one can visit over and over again and still find something magnificent and new.

I was there with Gianluca and Francesca, sampling the city, knowing that I would be back again but that it would change.

Dinner in Naples

I landed in Naples in time for dinner. The restaurant Mimì alla Ferrovia was bustling with people and waiters dashing back and forth with plates. Gianluca recommended it for its traditional Neapolitan cuisine. The food—tender octopus and light and airy eggplant parmigiana—was sublime. It's no surprise it's been in the same spot since 1943. It's located by the railway, which is, of course, what "alla Ferrovia" means.

The city

The Excelsior Hotel is an excellent base for exploring Naples. It offers incredible views of the bay, including landmarks like Mount Vesuvius, the Castel dell'Ovo, and Capri. Their buffet breakfast is a colorful spread of fruits, vegetables, meats (including thick salmon), and various breads, cereals, and cakes. I took the smallest piece of cake because it was too tempting to pass up entirely.

Cafes are another temptation in Naples. The Gambrinus in Naples is the city’s most famous café, offering decadent desserts, towering fruit sundaes, salads, and more. Located in a prime spot on Via Chiaia, near Piazza del Plebiscito, the Gambrinus has been there since 1860.

You can sit, have a coffee and dessert, and people-watch there. That reminded me of the bar in the front of the Grand Hotel Quisisana in Capri, another island not far from Naples. There, you can have potato chips, nuts, and olives from a three-bowl snack dish, sip wine, and watch everyone go by. This was one of the many memorable moments from my honeymoon during the heat wave of 2003.

The sounds of the music starting up in the Gambrinus jolted me back to the present. A man dressed in white, wearing a straw hat, played an Ovation guitar. The sound was unique, and he stopped at various tables, including ours. Soon, he moved on, and it was time for me to find something small on the menu. I was trying to stick with my limited sugar rule, but here, well, that went right out the window.

I usually stick to a decaf cappuccino, but this time, I ordered Coppa Principessa Sissi, a violet ice cream and milk cream sundae topped with a cookie stamped with “Gambrinus.”

This dessert was named after Elisabeth, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. She had fascinated me during my travels through Eastern Europe to write a book. I blushed at the sundae’s size, wondering how I’d finish it—me, who rarely eats dessert. But violet ice cream is easy to eat, so I tried to control myself. What I did have was outstanding, worthy of a special category of decadence extraordinaire.

Pizza

You cannot visit Naples without having pizza.

Before Italy, pizza began to take on new meaning as I started making it at home. The crust is simple— flour, water, salt, and olive oil. Let it rise, and you're set. The sauce can be store-bought as long as it’s not loaded with sodium and sugar. Fresh basil is essential, so I buy an organic basil plant from Whole Foods.

With all the ingredients at my fingertips, I thought, Why eat a slice out? I decided not to eat pizza out—and generally, I don’t unless there is some compelling reason, like being in Naples.

Gianluca had a place in mind. It was packed—families everywhere, pies on every table, waiters rushing with plates held high. We sat by a window, watching the sunset and helmet-clad Italians zipping on scooters. The waiter assured me I’d finish my pie.

When the pizza arrived, my eyes widened. The crust was piled high with artichokes, tomatoes, zucchini, and basil, mingling with cheese and prosciutto. My only concern was the blackened crust—a reminder to watch mine more closely, though I don’t have a wood-fired oven, either! I ate every bite, convinced I’d tip the scales by the end. Naples’ toppings are in a class of their own, just like the city.

Naples is a freewheeling place—garrulous people, grand antiquities and churches behind graffiti, voices singing from windows, and even furtive glances from alleyways as you venture to a restaurant. There are specialty cheese and pasta shops, tempting cannolis, and museums above and below ground. Well, you can see it for yourself in this video.

Art and religion

Pizza notwithstanding, Naples has a long and venerable religious tradition. It is, after all, in Italy. There is so much life and so much history, with stories of human nature carved into statues at the Sansevero Chapel that deepen one’s understanding of life. It pays to have a guide for this understanding—as I had with Francesca. She grasped the deeper meaning of a city that runs through her blood. That knowledge isn’t found in a guidebook but in a person’s spirit and passion. She saw what was there and helped me see it, too.

“Linda, Linda, look,” Francesca said, pointing to the statues frozen in time but not in temperament. They spoke through her as she walked me through them.

“Education and discipline, without it, you can’t go anywhere,” she said, pointing to one of them. To another, she said, “See the lion with chains in his mouth. You can learn to control your instincts.

“And this one,” she said, holding my arm and leaning into me as my mother used to do, “is the moment you can see things as they are.”

I was moved.

I will not forget the chapel or the statue with a heart held in its hand. Francesca had invested in my knowledge of the city and the growth it gives to the spirit (thank you, Francesca.)

Pompeii

No trip to Naples is complete without seeing Pompeii or Herculaneum.

Pompeii and Herculaneum are solemn reminders that uncertainty touches everyone, even the wealthy. Both cities thrived on sea commerce and fertile land, perfect for olives, grapes, and other crops.

In Pompeii, Francesca told me, only the wealthy had kitchens, but there were around seventy outdoor cooking stalls for everyone and more than fifty bakeries lining the streets. But in 79 AD, Vesuvius struck. The lesson of Pompeii resonates with me: eat well and enjoy TODAY. Carpe diem.

And finally, I was ready to go home.

Till we meet again, beautiful, complicated, and wonderful Naples.