An Unexpected Adventure in Naples, Italy

by Austin Lake (United States of America)

I didn't expect to find USA

In the sweltering heat of late July, I found myself on a riveting adventure through Italy’s “City of the Sun”, Naples. I was concluding my European travels for 2010, and the last stop of the trip found me in the region of Campania, home to the city of Naples. I had seen the spenders of the Ruins of Pompeii and the Crystal Blue Waters of the Amalfi Coast the previous year and was itching to do something different with my precious few hours I had in the city. Thats when looking out the window of my lodging I saw what I wanted to do that day, scale the summit of Mount Vesuvius. My family and me set out from our ship we had been traveling on to find someone who could take us to the peak. At the port there are dozens of cab drivers waiting for passengers from the ships to try to give tours and take them around the city. Most wanted to give tours of Pompeii. When we told them we wanted to go to Mount Vesuvius, most of them lost interest. We asked several drivers and none were interested, that is until we met Sal. “I will take you to Mount Vesuvius” Sal told us. We were delighted to meet someone willing to take us to our destination so we proceeded with him. Once in the car, he was very talkative and spoke fluent english. As we drove towards the mountain, he turned down a small road leading us to a neighborhood deep in the heart of Naples. When we were out he took us downstairs into a local shop, one of which almost certainly never saw the eyes of foreigners. The shop was full of meats and cheeses, vegetables and fruits that to the naked eye looked exquisite and fresh. The lady behind the counter spoke no english, so Sal had to translate for us. His short stature made it hard for him to speak over the counter, but he did knowing the the fresh food would make us happy. After leaving the shop we traveled up the mountain. Driving on bendy roads, we dodged large tour buses coming down the mountain, with only mere inches separating Sal’s vehicle from the buses. A half hour later, we had arrived as far as Sal could take us. He told us he would wait where he parked the car as my family marched up the rest of the mountain and walked around the caldera. An hour or so went by before heading back down. Sal was waiting for us with the fresh meats and cheeses we had purchased from the shop he had introduced us too. We snacked on the delicious foods as we looked out onto the glittering Bay of Naples. From there we rambled back down the mountain, this time dodging buses coming up the bendy roads while at the same time trying to avoid flying off the sheer drop off on our other side. We survived, thinking Sal would take us back to the port. However the adventure continued. Sal took us to what looked like a compound, a large gate standing in front of us. We went through it and Sal took us to an underground parking area. He had us get out and told us to get into an elevator. Me and my family, all looking at one another in the cramped elevator, not knowing what to expect. When the door opened, what we saw surprised all of us. A table with pizzas, peach wine, and fresh pasta laid before us. Sal’s wife had prepared a meal for us, as Sal wanted us to have a favorable impression of the city. We wined and dined on a plethora of foods, rich with flavor having been grown in the rich volcanic soil which Naples was surrounded by. After we finished our meal, Sal took us back to the port. We took one photograph with him, said our goodbyes and sailed away that evening. I have returned to Naples many times since then, and every time I do, i think of our friend Sal who showed us the kindness and beauty of Naples.