This afternoon I go on a food walking tour of Naples. I pick the afternoon tour over the morning because I figure I’ll eat enough to skip dinner. Fortunately the tour includes only myself and another woman my age. We have the guide to ourselves, making for a small and intimate experience.
After a snack of taralli and Prosecco at the Rescigno Pasticceria, we move on to a place called “a muzzarella mia parla” which in Neapolitan means “my mozzarella talks,” that is, it’s really good.
And it is really good. The fresh mozzarella di bufala oozes milk with each knife puncture.
We head into the shop of fruttivendolo Agostino, who sells produce he grows on his farms. In particular he specialises in pomodori al piennolo, tomatoes grown on the sides of Vesuvio that are meant to be hung and dried. Stefania explains that they can stay good hanging for a year.
Agostino shows us the character made of him by the presepe artisans on the Via San Gregorio Armeno.
He is also proud to have had his produce featured on a local tv station, which now shows on Youtube.
We walk through the neighborhood of O’buvero, also known as the Village of San Antonio Abate or Sant’Antuono. It is one of the oldest and most authentic neighborhoods in Naples, and, of course, it also pays homage to Diego Armando Maradona, the Argentinian soccer player who became revered in Naples, as much as or more than San Gennaro.
Soccer clubs members fill their windows with photos and memorabilia.
We visit a tiny shop of a nummeraro, a man who paints signs.
Pasquale paints signs for the produce vendors and other shopkeepers in the neighborhood, just as his father did.
Next we visit the Antica Freselleria owned by Antonio di Paolo. Freselle are a type of bread that can be used as a basis for soup or bruschetta.
They are not toasted bread slices, but twice-baked individual pieces of dough. Antonio specializes in fresellerie eaten with mussel soup, but I am glad to be offered a plate of delicious bruscetta.
Antonio has a freselleria museum which would have been interesting to see, but we spent our time eating the tasty fresellerie.
Back out on the streets, we pass through the O’Bovero market, the oldest in Naples dating back to medieval times.
We see lots of signs clearly made by Pasquale, the master sign maker.
We stop at one of the many kiosks selling lemonade that can be found all over Naples. These kiosks sell something called open legs lemonade, or limonata a cosce aperte. Why the open legs? At first I thought it was some kind of lewd joke, but actually the lemonade is made with sulfur water. When baking soda is added, the drink effervesces like Vesuvius and you must lean over and spread your legs to avoid dripping the drink all down your front.
At A’ BANCA E LL’ACQUA, we take a photo with Pasquale in his kiosk.
Next we enter the Porta Capuana into old Napoli. On each side we see the walls that once surrounded the city.
We walk up Via Tribunale and pass a statue in honor of San Gennaro. This piazza was once the entrance to the Duomo.
We eat a disappointing pizza at a place apparently chosen to avoid the tourist lines. Stefania then takes us to the Pasticceria Capparelli, where we select some pastries for tomorrow. It is way too much for today.
On the way to the Metro, I pass this corner. It is Naples, par excellence.
Tomorrow I’m taking some time off from hopping around to do some necessary planning.