Leaving Naples

The morning started with a hike up a multitude of stairs to Castel Sant'Elmo for a look over the now calm city that lay beneath a humid haze.

We returned back to our apartment for breakfast, before storing our bags for a few hours to explore before the ferry to Amalfi.

We visited the Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara, a peaceful garden and cloister surrounded with high walls. Constructed originally in the fourteenth century, a lot was recreated after bombing in World War II. The inner gardens were beautifully decorated with frescoes and tiles that somewhat sadly were the designs of the women who lived in the church and used this as an outlet to imagine the world outside the walls. First born women were often given to church's to allow their birthright to go to a younger brother.

None of the frescoes described the Spanish Quarter, especially not its alleyway of nativity figurines, and delicious food and desserts.

After lunch we collected our bags and dragged them to the port. The Naples ferry experience continued its alignment with the Naples experience in general. I arrived intentionally early to be able to buy tickets, only to be faced with a shuttered ticket office and many other confused tourists.

But eventually they rolled the windows up, tickets were purchased, everyone crammed on the ferry and we were away about on time.

It took about two hours to reach Amalfi, and it was nearly another world in contrast to Naples. Spotless streets, beautiful architecture, a calm and positive vibe from everyone (well, once the battle from dock to piazza was complete. But before I had to carry the suitcase up 80 steps).

We had dinner in front of the Duomo, then gelato. It felt like the relaxing part of the holiday had finally arrived.