Today’s included excursion was called “Neapolitan Hike”:
Walk the Idyllic Hilltop District of Vomero – Located in the upper section of the city, this hilltop district was created around 1800 and is prized for its green spaces and scenic views of Naples and the sea. Take a motor coach to the hill, then begin your guided walk to San Martino, the district’s highest point. Upon arrival, you will stop for photos at the imposing 16th-century sandstone facade of the Castel Sant’Elmo and explore the Certosa di San Martino, a former monastery that is now a museum housing numerous Spanish and Bourbon artifacts. Admire panoramic views of the city before descending down the steep stone steps of the Pedamentina di San Martino, the oldest pedestrian route in Naples. Board your coach for a short ride to the city center, then enjoy a famous Neapolitan espresso before returning to your ship.
This was our one and only paid-for excursion … and it was a disappointment to say the least.
“Green spaces” - didn’t see any as part of the walk, but there was greenery on the side of the hill when we looked down to Naples.
“Explore the Certosa di San Martino” - nope. We had 20 minutes at San Martino and both the museum and the Castel required tickets to enter.
“Idyllic” - hardly … the Pedamentina di San Martino was littered with broken glass and decorated with graffiti. Not within Viking’s control, but not exactly in keeping with Viking’s enrichment programme either.
On top of all of that, the guide was not very good at making sure he hadn’t left any of his eight guests behind and, when we got to a shopping area for the espresso and there were some interesting things to talk about, we got very little explanation of what we were seeing.
The villa in the first photo caught our eye because of the green/red/white colour scheme. It would seem to have some bearing on the history of Neapolis itself.
The shopping gallery where we went for our espresso is Galleria Umberto I. A beautiful ceiling and some detailed mosaic floor sections. Over the road from the gallery is the San Carlo Theatre.
P & O Cruises sent crew members on their excursions to make sure that the 3rd party tour operators deliver what is described, and to the time that was promised. I think that Viking would do well to adopt a similar policy. Viking is a highly rated cruise operator and it is a shame when their reputation can be so easily tarnished by a contracted company.
Apart from that, we relaxed in the afternoon, mostly reading, including a small walk on the Sun Deck, followed by some afternoon tea. My wife really only wanted a decent cup of tea and the scones, so I ate the sandwiches and cakes 😁
We had dinner in the Restaurant after several days in the World Cafe. I had Norwegian Salmon Rillettes with creme fraiche and a cucumber & spring lettuce bouquet, followed by Miso Glazed Nutaak Cod with stir-friend broccoli & shiitake mushrooms with a miso glaze. My wife had Angus New York Strip Steak.
As the ship left Naples, heading towards Corfu for our next port, we had a beautiful view of Mount Vesuvius:
