Rumor going around the ship (on our 1-day voyage from Barcelona to Naples) was that Naples is an incredibly dirty city. Not only was that rumor true, but it was very much an understatement- there was garbage lining nearly every street, and apparently the Italian Mafia has a hand in keeping the streets relatively dirty (which makes sense, because the Mafia tends to be strongest where there is the most chaos.
Were there any benefits to stopping in Naples? Why, of course! Not only were Mt. Vesuvius & Pompeii within an hour, but the ferry going to the gorgeous island of Capri can make the trip in less than an hour. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it to Vesuvius (I did a winery tour & a 2-day trip in Capri), but regardless, I'm 100% positive that everybody who made the trip to Capri will say it was worth it. Not to rip on Naples too much, but there were only so many things to do in a port city- we visited the world's oldest aquarium, ate the original pizza (considering pizza was started in Naples), ate gelato, and walked through a castle all in an afternoon. Capri was the exact opposite of Naples, however; it was clean, scenic beyond belief, and most of all, a nice respite from the crowded life on-board the MV Explorer. We visited both the town of Capri and the 'suburb' Anacapri (a smaller version of Capri, higher up on the mountain that dominates the island), people-watched, and met more tourists & vacationers than actual locals (apparently, renting a yacht in the Marina Grande at 3,000 Euros per night is booked out months in advance).
Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to update in a few days with pictures of Rome- if not, I'll include those pictures when we arrive in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
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