Pozzuoli: A Day Trip from Naples with Lots to Offer

Underneath the Roman amphitheater in Pozzuoli

If your travels through Italy take you to Naples, you should consider taking a day trip to Pozzuoli. Pozzuoli is practically a suburb of Naples and you can get there in half an hour by taking a metro train from Garibaldi Station. Not only is it easy and cheap to get to Pozzuoli, this gritty but charming harbor town has something for everyone.

One of my favorite attractions is the Roman amphitheater. You can wander around the entire structure, including the underground chambers where the beasts and gladiators were kept. Numerous signs provide detailed explanations of how the amphitheater worked and you won't have to fight crowds, stand in lines, or pay the hefty entrance fee that you will to see the Colosseum (there is an entrance fee at Pozzuoli, but it's reasonable). If you go in the summer, the underground chambers make a refreshing break from the South Italian sun and the grounds surrounding the amphitheater are littered with sculptures and architectural carvings - just don't go looking for the museum that the signs mention: they never built it.

The ancient Roman marketplace when the water table is low

Another great Pozzuoli ruin is the ancient Roman marketplace, also called the Serapeum, located near the harbor. This was once the heart of the Roman city of Puteoli, an important commercial center, and today it gives an interesting insight into the volcanic geology of Campania, the region of Italy around Naples. The marketplace is seriously affected by bradyseism, the rise and fall of the earth due to volcanic activity. Sometimes the bottom of the market is dry and visible, as in the photo above. At other times, as on my last visit, the entire market floor is covered with several feet of water, complete with pond weeds and hopping frogs.

A sulfurous steam vent at Solfatara

If ancient ruins don't interest you, try hiking up the road for more volcanic activity. The crater of the dormant Solfatara volcano provides a strange lunar landscape complete with pits of boiling mud, vents of steam, yellow and orange sulfur crystals growing on the rocks, and a constant smell of fireworks. At one end of the vast crater is a seriously toasty medieval sauna, not for the faint of heart. The ground is also quite hot, so be careful if you're wearing sandals or flip-flops.

Of course, no day trip would be complete without great food. Try stopping at 'A Scarpetta, a traditional Napolitano restaurant located at Via S. Paolo 15 (you'll find it if you face the main harbor, then follow the waterside road to your left). 'A Scarpetta makes fabulous seafood dishes. For a genuine culinary delight, order the antipasti di mare. Just be warned - you might not have room for dinner afterward!


Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

A Piece of Pisa

I promised I would fill you in on what I did while I was AWOL, so here's my first installment. I spent a few weeks in Florence during my mysterious absence (not so much mysterious as lazy, but I'm trying to spin it in my favor). More on Florence itself later, but you know what makes a fabulous and easy day trip from Florence? Pisa.

You can get to Pisa (Pisa) from Florence (Firenze) by spending an hour on a train departing from Santa Maria Novella, the main train station in Florence. Direct trains depart every half hour, but watch out - there are also regional trains that stop at every single station on the way. A regional train will still get you to Pisa, but it will take an hour and a half instead of an hour.

Pisa is a beautiful, quiet city with pedestrian streets full of shops and cafes, so it's worth spending a day just looking around. If you're dead set on getting to the famous tower, however, walk straight out of the train station and just keep walking. You'll soon find yourself facing the river Arno. Cross the river and then, if you're adventuresome, head off into the charming streets and bear slightly left - you'll stumble into the tower before you know it. If you feel like playing it safe, turn left after you cross the river and follow it until you see Via Roma on your right. Via Roma will take you directly to the Piazza del Duomo, the location of Pisa's beautiful cathedral, baptistry, and of course the Leaning Tower.

All of the monuments in the Piazza del Duomo can be visited, but access to the tower itself is a little tricky. If you want to go up in the tower it's a very good idea to book a ticket online before you go. This will allow you to avoid lines as well as ensure that you get a spot on one of the tours. Entrance to the tower is possible only with a guided tour and tours tend to sell out during the summer.

Other Pisa attractions not to miss include the beautiful Gothic cathedral Santa Maria della Spina on the banks of the Arno and the Museo delle Navi Antiche di Pisa, which houses a variety of Roman artifacts and more than ten fantastically preserved ancient ships that were discovered by accident in 1998.  And, of course, if you can't get enough of medieval art, you should check out the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding