Day two of our trip took us to Naples, Italy.

Curt and I started our day by taking a two- hour train ride from Rome to Naples for a day in Naples, Italy. The train ride was relatively uneventful, we took the time to enjoy the scenery and also get some reading in. I say relatively uneventful with the exception of Curt thoroughly enjoying a group of elderly friends having a lively discussion in Italian. Curt was trying to understand what they were discussing, but was thrilled by one gentleman who finished nearly everything with “mama mia”! We really didn’t have an agenda for this trip and sometimes we like it that way. We were happy just walking the streets, enjoying the beautiful architectural buildings, walking on the docks, drinking good wine and cold beer (I like wine, Curt likes beer) as well as partaking in some fresh fish from a restaurant stand.

Once we arrived in Naples we were greeted by the extremely hot and humid weather. I think we experienced the hottest day of our trip in Naples. We could feel the heat of the pavement through our shoes. We spent a good portion of the early afternoon sitting at a restaurant watching the view and enjoying some drinks. Sadly by the time we decided to take a break and enjoy our drinks, part of the kitchen at the restaurant had closed and we could not order pizza so we had to settle for pasta. I’m not going to lie, the one thing I was looking forward to in Naples was their pizza. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

Once the temperature dropped to where it was tolerable to walk, we took to the streets again. Our journey took us to Castel dell’Ovo. One of the seven castles in Naples. The castle is located alongside the sea. A beautiful historical landmark and heritage of Naples. The castle offers a free entrance with exceptional views all around. It was also not as crowded as the places we visited in Rome and that was a welcome relief. We took our time exploring the castle and learning about its history.

After our visit to the castle, we found a restaurant just outside the castle that was offering seafood. I’m a sucker for fresh seafood so of course we had to have dinner there which meant we had to forgo the pizza. We also treated ourselves to some drinks as well as one of the best tiramisu I’ve ever had!

By the time we were done with dinner and drinks, it was time for us to head back to the train station and back to Rome. One day trip to Naples was not enough, I wish we had more time exploring this city and eating pizza.

I invite you to grab a glass of wine…or beer and come along with me to Naples, Italy. And don’t forget to scroll all the way to the bottom to read my travel tip, and this one is a really good one!

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Travel Tip

When purchasing round trip tickets from the train station, make sure you understand which terminal you will be arriving at and whether you will be returning from that same terminal or one in a different part of the area you are visiting. We made the mistake of not thoroughly checking our tickets when we purchased them. Since we purchased round trip tickets we assumed that we were boarding the return train at the same terminal. We didn’t find this out until it was too late. Once we arrived at the terminal to return to Rome, we couldn’t locate our train number on the departure board. We spoke with one of the transit authorities and that’s when we found out that we were at the wrong terminal. Say what???? Our departure was at another terminal in Naples that required us to take a taxi or a bus. We were informed that it was impossible to get to the other terminal in time to catch the return train. Spending the night in Naples was not an option as our son was to arrive first thing in the morning in Rome and we needed to be back. Luckily, the guy behind the counter was able to reschedule us for the last departure to Rome from the terminal we were in. We arrived in Rome just after midnight and were greeted by a whole new cast of characters. The people of the night. The freaks and weirdos were out in full force, and the buses we took were so jam-packed that the doors were difficult to close and the windows were fogged over from the body heat. A 40-minute bus ride turned into a 3-hour ordeal because we couldn’t locate our stop in the dark and fogged over windows. Another adventure that we hadn’t planned for, but these details are for another day. The important thing here is to always check your return ticket and confirm the terminal location. Who knew there were two train terminals in Naples…I mean besides the locals and those who do their homework and plan ahead.

To view more from our Italy trip, click here.

LYDIA GILLIS PHOTOGRAPHY is Denver based and Destination Wedding Photographer, Seniors and Personal Branding Photographer.

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