Our final full day in Naples.
This time, walking out and further up the hillside meant that we could finally walk downhill to the hotel.
Not very far from the hotel is a large park area, the Bosco di Capodimonte (Capodimonte Forest). Covering over 130 hectares (330 acres), the park is home to various species of plants and trees and the Capodimonte Museum of art.
After we had spent a few hours wandering around the endless halls of paintings and other artworks, we stopped at the restaurant for lunch.
Then we walked out into the parkland, meandering the paths through the trees, enjoying the peace and quiet.
One of the more impressive trees is this enormous ancient Camphor, whose canopy covers at least 500m², excellent for getting shade from the relentless sunshine. (The caption photo shows the tree in its full glory)
A little further along was the fruit and vegetable gardens for the estate, and a little café where we had a nice cooling drink before setting off back.
As we were slightly higher above the city, a better view of Vesuvius gave another chilling reminder of how it is rated the most dangerous volcano on Earth. The natural channel that would funnel the lava towards Naples is quite visible. When the inevitable eruption occurs, the city is in real danger of devastation, and a population of at least 1 million could be wiped out within minutes.
On the way out of the park, we passed the front of the museum building.
And more exotic trees.
Our first week is almost over.
Naples is a city full of contrasts, and we did really enjoy our visit, but there are some downsides.
For the most part, the city itself is a noisy and dirty place, the streets are plagued with litter and graffiti. The traffic is nightmarish and never ceases, it is quite obvious why so many choose to travel by scooter, which in itself causes a different problem.
Finishing the day with a light meal in the hotel, we retired to our room to prepare for our train journey the following day.
The day dawned bright, as usual, and after breakfast, we packed and checked out of the hotel.
Not looking forward to dragging our suitcases down the long steps to the city, we got an impromptu lift from the shuttle bus that was just leaving at the same time. This turned out not to be the benefit that we hoped for. We were left physically further from the railway station than the hotel, though we were down at the city centre level. It was still a long walk to the station. We stored our suitcases and had another short shopping expedition.
After lunch, we bought our rail tickets and then collected our cases.
Next stop, Rome.