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Bongiorno! Benvenuto a Italia! Today I woke up in La Spezia, and my instant thought was I want some Italian cappuccino and now, please.
Well, nothing is that simple. I had to get out of bed and get my regular ship breakfast, finish the morning shift and only then I was able to go outside. But all along the way, I knew my perfect foamy cappuccino was waiting for me somewhere out there.
And so, four hours later, I stepped on La Spezia pier for the first time.
I found myself right next to the Promenade, a wide and shady street with a fresh sea breeze.
As you walk along, pay attention to the small yacht boats ️- they will offer to take you to Portovenere, one of the small villages nearby where you can only get by water. This is one of the destinations La Spezia hosts ⚓. Probably, I’ll go there next time, and when I do, I’ll share it with you folks. Today I don’t have much time off, so we’ll just keep on walking around the city.
I turned right at the end of the pier, walked a few blocks, discovering La Spezia’s local style and found this – the hall of frames and mirrors at Piazza Verdi.
Someone got creative I guess and made this installation in the middle of the square, which turned out to be a pleasant leisure area with benches and fountains. It looks like locals love it here, and I understand why. Alright, let’s go on.
Generally speaking, the architectural design is classy and proper for 18-19 century Spain – you know, columns️ and arches, courtyards and fountains. However, the houses itself are in very good condition, so it’s hard to say really if they are recently restored or newly built.
Wandering around the city, you’ll find that some architectural ideas are quite unique and surprising, like this one-flat-wall house. You know what’s weird? It actually looks like someone is living there. To me, that’s some kind of magic.
The city itself is planned in levels.
There are lower levels mostly with shopping streets, local cafes, tourist areas, piazzas, instant food & souvenir markets and shady parks.
There are upper levels with mostly private houses and apartment buildings. To get from bottom to top you can either walk – I found these gorgeous stairs that look like a park itself! It’s a block away from Piazza Garibaldi, and you can take an elevator. Yes, not a train, not a cable car, an elevator. It’s fun and it’s free. Locals use it all the time. You can find them at Via Prione, at Via Biassa and the Church of Santa Maria, and it only has up or down buttons so easy to operate.
I’m slowly making my way to the top, as always, looking for the best view in the city. In La Spezia, it’s a Castello di San Giorgio, that now is operating as a museum and a viewing area. Entrance costs 5 Euros, and I think it’s worthy paying – ancient artifacts, jewelry, statues, frescos – a bit of everything in there. The museum is not too big though, so you won’t be able to get bored before you get to the top. This fortification building has a flat top, so the view is 360′ – mountains over the colorful city, harbor, ocean, just take a look! Choose your perfect background for the picture right there.
As you get back to the center, there are still a lot of places to go to. Personally, I am willing to get lost in these tangled blooming shopping streets to end up in a local pizzeria at lunchtime. Pricy Stradivarius and Michael Kors boutiques next to the gorgeous Santa Maria Assunta ( definitely stop by!) are out of my salary range, but Skechers and Tezenis are the trademarks I adore and cherish, so give me half an hour, I’m coming in! Well, I didn’t really buy much but couldn’t help this sparkling swimsuit in Tezenis, so here you go – made myself a bit happier now.
I was surprised to see public transportation in a small town like this. Everything is at a walkable distance, but people are just used to comfort, I guess. I am on my way to a nice cafeteria now, just stopping by stands with menus and checking them out. It looks like I found another interesting place to spend some money – the fruit market at Piazza Cavour! There is a ton of berries, melons, papayas and cherries! I seldom have a chance to eat something like that in a crew dining room on board, so I’ll buy some natural and delicious vitamins for myself. I aim at cherries, strawberries and mangos, which are my absolute favorites.
Don’t forget to bargain and look closely at what they offer – by the hot summer midday some fruits can appear a bit “tired,” if you know what I mean. If the stuff doesn’t look and smell fresh, proceed to the next table, there are a lot of them. I spent about 9 Euros on a basket of strawberries, a basket of cherries and one mango. In the corner, you’ll see some stalls with cheese and prosciutto. However, I would better buy that kind of product in a supermarket with coolers and a well-functioning air conditioner.
Let’s go, a few more blocks away from the market there is a railway station (right above Piazzetta Ancona.) And from this spot, you can choose to go in any direction you actually want️.
The closest ones are Pisa, Florence and 5 Terre villages. I’m going somewhere next week, for sure, looks like this station would be the starting point for my new adventures!
I got a bit exhausted and sleepy from all this walking. Obviously, my personal battery was failing me, so I longed for my perfect Italian cappuccino and finally found it here at the railway station, next to the Burgery by Roadhouse. Maybe it’s just my quench speaking, but it was one of the best coffees in my life. One espresso shot, very little milk and the rest – gentle silky foam on top. You pick up the cup and you feel it’s very light. That’s the way, a-ha-a-ha, I like it, a-ha-a-ha only 1.30 Euro for a cup of liquid sunshine, well, and 1.20 for a chocolate croissant.
Recharged, exhaled, happy. Let’s go!
Being focused on my goal, I actually found a pizzeria that offered me exactly what I was looking for – Pizzeria Trattoria Pulcinella on Via Fiume, 6. They offer not only pizza, but they have also gotten other stuff too. Guess which one I ordered? Of, course, 4 Formaggi and a Peroni Bianco. It’s a great match, I think. Friendly stuff that speaks English, huge selection, clean restrooms, available prices – what else do you need? Internet, I know. Sorry, they don’t provide any. I think it’s because they want you to take your time off the phone and actually look at what you eat and drink, enjoy it visually as well as orally.
I took my time, the time that was in fact running out, and I fully enjoyed this lunch. I got talking to a waiter. I told him I was a part of the ship crew, and somehow my short story got him, so with my bill (11 Euros for the whole pizza, beer and tip), I got a generous shot of local Limoncello on the house. What a pleasant surprise! I’m definitely coming back. there is so much more on the menu that I wanna try!
Alright, it’s time to run back to the ship, as always. These several hours that I spent in La Spezia were really enjoyable. I cannot say that it was an unforgettable experience, but you don’t actually have that kind of excitement in every place you go to, right?
I liked the spirit of this town and how old-fashioned and modern it looks at the same time. I liked how green the trees are, the blooming flowers and how clean it is. Relaxing is a part of life too, and I hope you agree.
I’m back at the pier right where I started. Next to La Spezia – next destination. Remember, adventures are out there!
People say the first impression is most likely wrong. Did that ever happen to you? Have you ever mistakenly considered a thing to be something it is not? That’s exactly what Napoli did to me. Ever since I stepped foot in that city, I made up my mind about it – a noisy, dirty, smelly, rowdy place with people blowing cigarette fumes right into your face while you’re waiting for a train at the station. The only worthy thing is pizza, literally any pizza place you order it from. That’s it. That was my picture of this place. Despite being there so many times, I was not able to recognize Napoli’s true rough nature. Until once when I changed my usual itinerary and took left instead of right.
So, let me introduce you to this city of contrasts – Napoli (let me call the city by its real name, alright?)
To get the spirit of any place I always start from the top – panoramic views will give you a general idea of how big or small the city itself is, will point out the places of interest and provide you with a great background for your vacation pictures. In Napoli that will be the Castel Sant’Elmo.
Look for a Stazione Funicolare Centrale on the Piazzetta Duca D’Aosta. 
One way ticket is only 1.1 Euro. There is a small ticket office, but nobody is ever there (FYI, in Italy a lot of things work the other way, but we’ll get to this later.
So, you buy a ticket ️ from a man selling newspapers and other goods at the entrance 
. The train itself departs every 10 min, and from bottom to top it takes about 10 min ride. To get to the very top you’ll have to exit on the last 4th station – Piazza Fuga. After that turn right, go up the street stairs, continue all the way up to the castle. If you feel you got lost, use this one “come faccio al castello?” (“how do I get to the castle?”), it should be handy, and then look for the directions from the locals.
Weird thing, if you know a phrase or two in the local language, people you ask generally take it as if you speak it all️. So make sure you pronounce it slowly and look unsure, otherwise, you’ll get the whole flow on unknown sentences at a full speed;)
The entrance to the castle itself is 5 Euros, but it’s half price for 18-24 aged customers if you show your valid proof. Have your passport with you at all times, or what is better, carry a copy of it. You’ll need it for one more thing – to get a refund on the tax you’re paying in Europe.
Any official shop you go to provides you with a special sign up form (where the passport’s number, phone number and email address are stated), which shown at the airport will get you your money back. Great news, isn’t it?
Now, let’s get back to the castle. Once you get there 
, take the elevator to the upper floor and enjoy the stunning views! You go all around and see Napoli scattered down below, gorgeous in its sleeping glory Vesuvius volcano, the whole Amalfi coast with the Capri island on the horizon… In places like that time cannot be really measured, right?
After all the scenic pictures are taken, right on your way out by the elevator, make sure you do NOT use the water&snack machine, as most likely it will consume your money, give you a weird message in Italian, that even your translator app will struggle with, and leave you thirsty;( That happened to me, so don’t try your luck. Just stop by the Carrefour Supermarket on your way down. They are offering a wide variety of delicious Italian goods at reasonable prices. Pack up your lunch box with some olives, cheese, prosciutto and don’t forget a bottle of Italian wine, of course! Save that for a lunch later on Piazza del Plebiscito 
, that is all the way down at the seaside, or at the park by Viable Anton Dohrn with a perfect bay view for your pictures and fresh marine wind for your retreat.
So, if you just turn left from the castle, there are generally two ways down – by funicular and on foot. Since it’s not climbing but descending, I’ll suggest you walk. Let yourself get lost in narrow shabby Napoli’s streets, in between the mid-age century ruins️ and military fortifications inhabited by modern Napoli’s citizens. You’ll be able to notice how weird that cohabitation is – some castle’s walls on the outside are partially covered with bathroom tiles to prevent the clean linen that’s drying out from getting dirty. I guess Napolitans way of life could be described as convenient. They’re trying to adjust whatever they have to their personal needs with as little effort as possible.
Slowly descending the hill via the curly little streets, you’ll eventually reach the Via Medina. 
Noise will be your orientation – the louder it gets, the closer you are to the center;). 
It’s mainly a walking street with brand shops and exquisite ice-cream parlors, or gelaterias, that slowly disappears into Via Monteoliveto.
I say “mainly walking,” because traffic in Napoli is a terrific mess, so omnipresent motorbikers can be a threat even there.
Galleria Umberto is a place to stop by, at least to see the gentle summer sunshine beaming through the beautiful glass ceiling. It always amazed me, as it looks like a street, feels like a big train station when it’s neither. It’s just a state-of-the-art shopping mall.
When you eventually get hungry, don’t buy a slice of pizza in the nearest window-shop and eat it while you walk. Pizza in Napoli is a thing to be adored and savored. Turn around the corner, find a little family place with a big oven and an energetic 50-years old Italian man, who’s gonna cook it right in front of you.
If by any chance your favorite pizza is Quattro Formaggi 
(4 Cheese – well, it’s my #1 permanent choice), stop by Antica Trattoria e Pizzeria da Peppino. I guarantee you the best cheese pizza in town! Their secret is in adding chips of smoked cheese on top, that complements both taste and flavor in it. It will cost you about 7 Euro, and a glass of Peroni on the tab will be around 5. Yeah, food is way cheaper than booze;) So, if it’s a lunch for two with a pizza and couple of beers, with the tax and service charge that will go up to 20 Euros. For the wheat beer lovers – make sure you try Peroni Bianca, that’s mostly bottled though. 
You’ll be quite surprised to find out that Italians can brew on the level.
Well, my day in port is almost over, gotta go back to the ship now. Napoli has so many things to offer, that a day is never enough.
Sometime later probably we’ll go and concur mount Vesuvius. I’ll tell you how to get all the way up and, what’s most important, how to get back down safe & sound)
Go ahead and wander around this colossal beauty of the city, get mesmerized by its antic ruins and dilapidated houses covered in blooming wicker, and also be aware of your bags and pockets). Remember that there’s no wrong way to go, just don’t go the same way twice.
Keep up your spirit of adventure and see you in the next port!
Love, Oli
