Ruins, Dungeons, and Pizza: A One-Day Family Adventure in Naples
Buongiorno, Italy!
We arrived in Napoli bright and early on our first stop off our Royal Caribbean family cruise. Because this was our first family vacation in Italy, we wanted to ensure we hit some historical highlights that the nerdy adults would enjoy and would also keep the interest of our two boys, Zack (age 12) and Brady (age 9). It was also Zack’s birthday that day and he had one request: pizza, please.
But first, some history was to be had. Determined to soak in as much as our short hours allowed, we opted for a private guide through Sorrento Limousine Service (recommended by a friend – and we would in turn recommend!). As thousands of our fellow cruise passengers headed with the crowds to the excursions buses, we met our cheerful guide, Daniele, whose enthusiasm helped our kids adjust to the early morning heat.
We started with a tour of Herculaneum, an ancient city destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 79 AD. In the shadow of the more well-known Pompeii, the Herculaneum people were just as affected by the eruption. Though they had been spared form the initial volcanic event, the winds shifted a day after the eruption and the town was swallowed in 250 degree volcanic heat. The ash and heat preserved the town as it was on that day and now, nearly 2,000 years later, we walked among its halls and walls in the early morning.
Kitchens, storefronts, baths, receiving rooms, rooms small and grand spread before us with delightful detail still evident in their mosaics, paintings, and arches. I ducked under doorways between rooms as I read that the average height of women in that time was 4 feet 9 inches and men were, at most, 5 feet 3 inches. I’ve never felt like such a supermodel while doused with sunblock and carrying a map.
Consuming all that history makes a family hungry! So, we headed from the ruins to the “Sacred Temple of Pizza” also known as L’ Antica Pizzeria da Michele. For more than 100 years, this pizzeria has carb-loaded travelers from all over Italy and around the world.
Made even more famous by the book (and movie) Eat, Pray, Love, the small shop is known for long lines and close quarters as the masses squash together to inhale one of only two pizza options offered.
Of course Italy in July is hot-hot, so we worshipped at the altar of St. Coca-Cola while we waited. The kids entertained themselves by discovering how to make noises on the glass cola bottles. When at last the pizzas arrive – one size only, served whole, plopped onto the table – they were devoured with gusto. Daniele came back to pick us up and asked Zack what he thought about of his birthday pizza. “Mmm, it’s okay,” he replied. “But Dominos is better.” Time for the check…(parental blush included).
Next, we set out to burn off some of our cheesy calories with a stroll along the rambling street market. The kids were mesmerized with the small, outdoor stands, which offered everything from giant pasta tubes (more carb for the fam!) to seafood plopped into buckets atop quickly melting ice. Live octopuses flipped their tentacles reaching towards potential diners while warm fish eyes peered skyward, and jumbo shrimp antennas peeked tentatively out of the ice.
After all this bit of culinary exploration, we head away from the heat and deep underground on a subterranean tour. We descended 40 meters deep and 2,400 years back in time to walk through tunnels that zipper along under the city. Sometimes used as air raid shelters, other times as the entrance to Roman-style theatres, the tunnels were delightfully cool and just spooky enough to keep the kids weaving along to explore some more with a dripping candle in hand. Some of the passageways are so tight you have to turn sideways to shuffle along – not for the claustrophobic at heart! The hour-long tour goes by quickly and we were grateful to learn some interesting history and to get a respite from the summer sun.
Before heading back to our ship, Daniele takes us high above Naples to see how the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea snuggle up against the curvy coastline here. We snap pictures and vow to return one day with more hours to spend. We wave to Naples as the sun begins to slip lower in the sky and we set sail once again.
About the Author:
After eight years as an executive at online travel giant Expedia, Kristin Graham set off this summer for a travel sabbatical with her family. Kristin has been telling stories since she borrowed a typewriter in elementary school. After 20 years writing for companies, she took a sabbatical from corporate life to travel with her husband and their two boys. You can follow Kristin’s adventures on her My Year of Life blog or on Twitter at @kristingraham.
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