Naples is Italy's third-largest city and one of the most influential foodie capitals in the world. It's known for the invention of the Pizza Margherita, which bears the colors of the Italian flag. We explore the thrillingly chaotic Spanish Quarter, or Quartieri Spagnoli, in search of the best pizza.
The Naples city center is also a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site known for several famous landmarks, including the Royal Palace of Naples, Quartieri Spagnoli, Castel dell'Ovo, and Castel Nuovo to name a few. Andiamo!
Naples is known as the bustling port city with Mount Vesuvius in the background, whose eruption preserved the cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. It also has three castles dating back to the Middle Ages.
Oh, and a Royal Palace with free entry to the grounds....
Exploring Naples is a multi-sensory overload. We get lost the the delightful maze that is the Quartieri Spagnoli. The generations of history and soul is palpable. The smells from the pizza oven, cigarettes from locals, and gas from motor scooters billow out onto the streets. Finding a pizzeria is not hard to do - there's one literally down each corner. We ask our guide which one is the best - he said all of them!
Eating a pizza in Naples is a major bucket list foodie experience. We grab a seat outside in a modest pizzeria the Quartieri Spagnoli. It feels like a local's only spot - everyone seems to know of one another. Our waiter looks like a stand in for Luciano Pavarotti. In mere minutes, the iconic Margherita Pizza arrives. Bright red San Marzano tomatoes cover the pie with dollops of mozzarella and a few leaves of basil. Its ingredients haven't changed since it's inception, right here in Naples.
To eat the pizza the Neapolitan way means folding it. The sauce nearly drips right off. The center is gooey and melts in your mouth. The best part is you can taste ever single ingredient, all of them combine to make the perfect masterpiece of food.
Vespas buzz through the winding streets of wall-to-wall apartments, nearly inches away from us. It's one of the most densely populated cities despite having less tourism and fewer inhabitants than other Italian cities. It truly is a gem of a city and exploring the culture was so pure, vibrant, and live-out-loud.â
0 Comments
After many years of connecting through the Frankfurt FRA, I finally was able get out of the airport and see the city. From the window seat of the airplane, I caught my first glimpse of Frankfurt. The countryside is green, dotted with villages, and I could spot the Main river. All of this whet my appetite to explore the city.
Finally, the travel gods smiled on me. I booked a trip to Tunisia that included a 24 hour layover in Frankfurt! As I found out, Frankfurt is the perfect city for a layover because of its walkable city center and efficient train system. I was surprised at the amount of ground I was able to cover in a short time. Here's what we were able to cover in a day: Accommodations: Five Elements Hostel First, we needed a centrally located comfortable place to stay and rest during our layover. We checked into the Five Elements Hostel which is conveniently situated near the Hauptbahnhof. Everything we saw in the city was walkable from this hostel. â
Located only 3 train station stops and 15 minutes from the airport is the stylish and cozy 5 Elements Hostel. We booked a private room which came with a stunning top floor view of the city center:
Frankfurt is a modern city. It is nicknamed Mainhattan for its tall buildings and "Bankfurt" because of its banking industry. In fact, the European Central Bank is headquartered here. But don't let the buildings fool you - Frankfurt has plenty of historic and cultural sights.
Eiserner Steg We crossed the footbridge to the "new" old town, the recently renovated Altstadt.
House of the Golden Scales
While Frankfurt's skyline looks as cosmopolitan as Hong Kong or Manhattan, the city historically was known as having one of the most beautiful and largest Medieval old towns in Germany. In 1944, Frankfurt was bombed in a WW2 air raid, destroying 2,000 of the city's historic half timbered buildings. The DomRömer Project is a building project that worked to restore and rebuild much of the city center to its historic Medieval design. Many of the buildings were recently unveiled in 2018. Below is one of the most famous buildings, called the Goldene Waage, which was meticulously restored to its Medieval architecture using old photographs, blueprints, and expert craftsmanship.
Römer
âA few of the historic buildings in the old town survived the war relatively intact, including the medieval church, Old St. Nicholas, which is famous for its 47 bells.
Städel Museum
To add a bit of culture to your layover trip, check out the Städel Museum, which has an impressive gallery of European art as well as a Picasso print exhibit on display through June. The museum also has a restaurant and free WiFi. https://www.staedelmuseum.de/en
Frankfurt Cuisine
One of the best parts about visiting Germany is the food! Be sure to order the Frankfurters (of course!) and Apfelwein, which is a apple cider typical of the region. Another unique dish to the region is the Frankfurt Green Sauce, which is potatoes and eggs in an herb sauce that reminded me a blend of Peruvian Papa a la Huancaina in pesto sauce (aka. delicious).
I had wanted to travel to the Isles of Scilly since 2004, when I studied abroad at Cambridge University and I heard tales in local magazines about how wonderful the islands were and started to dream of going. Well-traveled colleagues also spoke of a group of islands off the Cornish coast with beaches like those of the Caribbean and life with a laidback, almost Mediterranean island vibe. Yet, I pondered whether the tales were accurate and was unfortunately not able to travel to the Isles of Scilly then.
I needed to see it for myself finally and made that dream come true, traveling through 3 of the 5 inhabited islands in 48 hours. I have now verified the tales. The Isles of Scilly are truly special.
For people like me, caught up in a frenetic pace filled with technology and a busy lifestyle, going to the Isles of Scilly was the perfect escape. It is welcoming, safe, and easy-going. You can unplug and unwind. When you go to the Isles of Scilly, you make your own experiences, and I want to share some of mine, and some of my thoughts, with you.
The Isles of Scilly offers freedom. Swap your daily commute for a boat trip. Step off the treadmill and step onto a rugged coast path. Ditch schedules and get lost in hedge-lined lanes that are not even on your map. Go sea swimming, trail running, kayaking, gig racing, cycling or horse riding.
First Impressions of the Isles of Scilly:
You simply have to smile when you arrive at a place where your every step is through picture-postcard villages bounded by sweeping green hills and along unspoiled coastline is filled with birdsong, surrounded by wildflowers erupting into a kaleidoscope of color and butterflies, and under big, blue skies. It is no wonder that every inch of the Isles of Scilly was declared an Area of Outstanding Beauty in 1975. It is also an ancient land rich in mystery, heritage, and legend that stays with you long after you leave for home.
Legendary Isles:
In terms of legend, the Isles of Scilly are the remains of the Lost Land of Lyonesse, to which King Arthurâs men retreated after their leaderâs last fatal battle. Archaeological remains found in burial mounds found all over the island show that the islands have been inhabited for at least 4,000 years. In fact, the islands have the greatest densities of archeological sites anywhere in Britain. The Phoenicians and Romans traveled to the islands, and later a famous abbey was centered on the island of Tresco. The islands were the frontline of Englandâs defenses and were fortified during the late Elizabethan age, became a Royalist stronghold during the English Civil War, and were closely guarded during both World Wars. Later, UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson often elected to vacation on the islands and is buried beachside on St. Maryâs, perhaps because the Isles feature such a rich heritage, and deliver so many soul-lifting rewards. Where else in the world- in a single day- can you sight a Bronze Age burial ground 3,000 years old, explore a ruined castle, run and swim across an entire island, sunset sail to another isle passing rare birdlife on the way, grab freshly caught lobster, and then stroll across a beach all to ourselves to enjoy the feast?
Sunshine and Island Life:
Despite the fact that tourism has become a big part of the islandsâ economy, this has not destroyed the importance of farming and fishing. This is because the islands are located at the end of the North Atlantic Drift and are gifted with a unique climate. Frosts and snows are rare, and the gloriously long summer features exceptional hours of sunlight, sometimes from around 6am until almost 10pm. We went in mid-June, which saw warm weather, and long light evenings as we explored secret coves, shimmering bays, and plummeting cliffs. Outtakes of the food and adventures:
I want to warn you though, the islands have a few wineries, a brewery, a distillery, and a few pubs. These are not the sort of islands that feature theme parks or raucous nightclubs. Island activities focus on seeking peace and inspiration from clear blue water, golden sands, rugged heathland, wild flowers and dramatic rock formations. You would be hard pressed to breathe cleaner air, and at night you look up to unpolluted darkness and observe the magical Milky Way, planets, and stars in all their splendor.
Each island has its own unique personality, features and natural beauty, and each can be walked- top to toe- in just a few hours. Because the isles offer so much diverse and unique experiences, this may sound a touch daunting but have no fear- we have some special tips for you in terms of getting there and getting around! |
Published Travel ArticlesWelcome to Run The Atlas!
We are two adventurous young professionals who turned our passion for travel into a blog to help others travel more.
|