31.08.14/XNUMX/XNUMX Naples / Italy
Galleries, bag sellers and dead rats
Breakfast is served in the East Restaurant, there is enough salmon, everything is palette.
Despite extensive protest grades from the children, after the kids' club they head to Naples. The deeper we go down the stairs, the hotter it gets. This is because the ship is well air-conditioned, but the exits on deck 5 are open and the heat flows in.
The ship is again directly at the city. Directly across from the terminal, a wooden walkway between Castel Nuovo and the construction work that has been going on for years takes you towards the old town. There are countless bag sellers on this boardwalk again, so the passage is so narrow that only one person can pass the sellers at a time. I don't understand the Italian state here. On the one hand, the purchase of counterfeit goods is subject to severe penalties, and on the other hand, the seller is allowed to do it here. The will to take action is clearly lacking here, because it is known where they are, and the constant confiscation of the goods alone is likely to lead to losses for the organized crime behind them at some point, but it does not take place. I know I repeat myself, but at my age you can ...
Only 5 minutes further is the famous Galleria Umberto I. These are covered arcades, in which there are fashion shops, jewelers, cafes. Today is Sunday and noon and therefore almost everything is closed. The gallery can be reached via a few steps and is more reminiscent of a church than a shopping mile, because the floor looks like it is covered with marble, in the middle there is a large mosaic with the cardinal points, around it mosaics of the zodiac signs. The facades of the buildings are very nicely designed, in the central square all four corners of the house are rounded and provided with figures, similar to what we saw in Palermo. The whole thing is covered with a dome-like glass roof.
Directly opposite is the San Carlo Theater and Opera House, at the time the largest opera house in the world. At the bus stop in front of it there is a flat-out rat.
We walk along Via Toledo, a commercial street, partly pedestrian zone, towards the old town. Narrow streets lead off on both sides, some with nice cafes, some a bit dodgy. When looking to the left into the alleys you can see up to the mountain, when looking to the right into the harbor. Although many shops are closed here too, the sidewalks are full of people strolling in the sun.
After an hour the children go on strike for good, today in the blazing sun at 30 ° C it feels even hotter than the last few days, and we drag ourselves to the ship, where a strawberry shake in the Blu Bar saves us.
The rest of the day then belongs to the balcony with a nice view over countless sailing boats in the Bay of Naples.
This time we enjoy the exit from Naples punctually at 19pm at the top of deck 00 at the bow. Here we have a wonderful view of Mount Vesuvius, which is still in the sunshine and, for once, only a few clouds surround it. When the typhon starts to sail directly above us, we winced, as always. First we head straight for Vesuvius before we slowly turn north-west.
At the narrowest point of the port exit, a boat comes towards us, which makes fun of walking right towards us. The renewed Typhon mission is of no use either, they perceive that as a friendly greeting and wave back before they drive past. Not entirely harmless. For the…
Afterwards we enjoy the view of the coast and the offshore islands from our balcony for a long time. We see the sun go down romantically like a ball of fire.
In the evening we look at the travel quiz with 4 participants and then again at the “Dangerous Legacies” with the soloists and actors.
The next stage is 304 kilometers to Civitavecchia.
Continue reading: 16th day of the cruise - Civitavecchia
