Travel

In 1998 I was touring through Italy, seeing the great cities like FLorence, Venica, Pisa, and of course Rome, but my biggest regret was that I only saw the places that any guide book recommends. I didn't get to see much of Southern Italy, and only passed through Naples, or Napoli as Italians call it.

Naples is a fascinating city and I plan to return soon, it's the capital of the Campania region, and home to Europe's most active volcano, Vesuvius. Naples is the home of pizza, and not too far from the city is the Amalfi coast and the ruined Roman city of Pompeii.

Because the area is so popular with both foreign and Italian tourists it is sometimes necessary to book a hotel in napoli long before arriving, Naples isn't one of those cities where you can just turn up and expect to get a room, at least not in a good hotel.

When I travel I don't want to be inconvenienced with a poor choice of hotel, I usually don't have enough time to see everything that I want to see, and in a city like Naples with it's churches, museums, and restaurants, convenience is what counts. The best accommodation or hotel naples italy is going to be in the centre of the city.

Close to the main hotel napoli disrict is the old harbour of Naples, which is historically the cultural centre of the city. For nearly three thousand years the port of Naples has been central to Mediterranean trade, so it is no surprise that castles and fortifications are the main drawcard.

So, when am I going to Naples you might be wondering? Probably after Christmas, winter in Italy isn't so bad, and my main interest is the museums anyway, I've already seen Pompeii. And hiking around Vesuvius is something I think I'd prefer to do in cooler weather.

This morning a friend sent me photos of Sydney's harbour bridge during the huge dust storm that hit yesterday, wow, absolutely incredible photos, I've never seen the sky look like this, it is truly the 8th wonder, although no doubt the people in Sydney were scared witless when they saw it. Godzilla isn't just terrorising Tokyo anymore, he's moved to the south Pacific.

I'm sure you'll agree, wetting your pants at the site of this wouldn't be unreasonable, I know I'd be running... really fast to get away. I'm not the kind of guy to wait for the government or army to clear things up.

By the way, the photo below is the original, that's what the bridge in Sydney actually looked like, the one above is photoshopped, if you hadn't guessed.

In December I'll be heading over to the UK to see family, but while I'm there I'm also going to take a few days in London, no trip back to the UK is ever complete without visiting my favourite haunts for a pint or a great curry dish, something I can't seem to get here in Spain. And let's not forget fish and chips in the East End.

London to me has always been a special city, I remember living close to the city a few years ago and being able to get an express train to Victoria station, then either walk or catch the tube to practically anywhere, often stopping for lunch in one of London's restaurants.

Back in those days I'd take my camera with me and just wander the streets looking for something interesting to photograph, which isn't hard to do in London. A particular favourite of mine was turning down what looked like a small side street only to discover a private garden there for the residents of the street around it. That was always a good way to get photos of little old ladies sitting on a park bench feeding pigeons, or weird angle shots of rooftops that you can't always see from street level.

Finding a pub in London isn't hard, they're practically on every street corner and halfway down the street as well. The trick is to find a good pub, one where the atmosphere suits your mood, for me that is a harder task. London pubs come in all shapes and sizes, tiny living room sized pubs with just enough standing room for half a dozen customers, to some of the biggest pubs in the world able to cater for hundreds of people.

I guess wherever you have people you're going to find somewhere to eat or drink, but I like quiet pubs London, not filled with smoke, and where I can enjoy my pint without having a TV on in the background. I like to have a chat with whoever is there, and get to meet new people.

Same thing with eating, any restaurants London I frequent need to be clean, and have good reviews. Tastes differ, and not all restaurants are created equal, and when I'm traveling I will always try to pick somewhere that is going to give me a new dining experience.