Next stop, Naples
We had company in port today. The enormous Oasis of the Seas and the Norwegian Escape were already there in the port of Naples. That's 10,000 extra people between them, so things might be busy.
But we weren't planning on staying in port. My Hero was going off to Herculaneum and I was going to spend the morning at some volcanic baths, so hopefully it won't make too much difference.
As we drove through inner city Naples, I hoped we were not seeing a representative part of the city. A couple of our friends had signed up for a walking tour and I'm not sure the sights that were passing by my window were exactly what they were hoping to see.
At this time in the morning, traffic was slow moving however and I was happy noticing small details here and there.
The name looked familiar
We were heading north to Pozzuoli to the Terme Stufe di Nerone where we'd spend the morning pottering about at our leisure. There were sixteen of us and we'd come prepared with everything we needed, we thought.
Except bathing caps, which could be purchased at reception.
The Terme were set in lovely garden surroundings and were not at all busy.
After enjoying a cooling drink made from the spa water flavoured with lemon and bergamot, I headed into the main spa pool. This was a really comfortable temperature - not too hot - and deep enough to simply bob about in the water for a while. It wasn't easy to swim because of the bouyancy of the water.
Inside there was a range of saunas. Two were natural spots, heated by volcanic activity to what sounded like extreme temperatures. Along the way was a traditional Finnish sauna for those who preferred something a little more controlled. For me, it was an easy choice - neither! This water baby planned to stay in the pools instead.
In the gardens were plenty of places to sit and relax and there in the background were a couple of shallow pools for children with water jets and fountains. I wandered through the garden to the next set of volcanic pools just around the corner on a different level.
The next stop was a pair of “walk in pools” and the label on the wall with the word Kneipp suggested that these were based on therapeutic principles. Maybe they would prove the answer to my aching knees?
I noticed the way people were using them, which way around they walked and joined in the line. First steps were in the clear water, which was hot and around knee depth. Perfect…until my feet touched the bottom! Further therapy was included in the form of smallish pebbles as the walking surface, which were large enough to stay put and not move around, but small enough to be quite painful to walk on.
At the end of the clear pool, I climbed the steps out and around to return in the other, cloudy one which was icy cold. The pebbles were still on the bottom, but somehow didn't seem quite so troubling here - maybe my feet were numb with shock! At the end, I chose to make another go around, for this was actually quite a pleasant - if painful - experience!
Small terracotta pots were filled with cigarette ends - oh Italy!
From there, I went downstairs to a cavernous sort of place, where the hot volcanic pool was to be found. Definitely too hot and steamy for photos, this was a popular place to be with jets and bubbles around the edge. I luxuriated in the hot, mineral-rich water for about ten or fifteen minutes before it all got a little much and a bit of fresh air was needed!
Time to bob about a little in the warm outdoor pool again for a while, which was a sociable kind of place. Our brightly coloured swimming caps made for easy recognition of fellow Voyager people and we bobbed and chatted for quite some time before thinking that perhaps, we might move on.
For me, keeping an eye on the time and knowing I wanted to get dressed and have time to take some photographs, I didn't linger much longer. For others, there was still the mud pool to explore. Here, people wandered about covered in a greenish mud which was then washed off in the natural pool we'd seen as we arrived.
Soon, it was time to leave and we made our return journey, southwards along the coast back to Naples.
On our way, we made a photo stop for pictures of Vesuvius.
And another stop on the Naples waterfront, where Frederica our guide lamented the lack of access to the beach in the city. Almost the whole waterside was taken up with small private boat harbours, cruise and ferry terminals, docks and shipyards. Just below this small car park and ornate fountain was a tiny patch of sand, where rather a lot of people were trying to make room for themselves and their things.
Just around the corner, we left our small bus behind as Frederica was going to take us for a short walk in the city on the way back to our ship, which wasn't so far away. I wasn't so sure about this and thought that I would probably have preferred to have skipped this in favour of joining my Hero for lunch on board - I had just read a WhatsApp from him to say he was back.
But as soon as we turned the corner and found ourselves in this beautiful square, I decided it was quite a good idea to stick with the programme!
Here, we stood and gazed at our magnificent surroundings. The Royal Palace, now a museum,
and the Prefecture Palace on the other side.
Frederica took us through the archway of the Royal Palace, stopping to take a quick look inside a door to get a glimpse of the grand staircase as we went.
Out the other side, we found ourselves in front of the Teatro di San Carlo, the opera house, from where we crossed the road and up the steps opposite.
Oh my word. This Galleria was beautiful and as we stood on that central spot to gaze around us, there was a lovely breeze from the open doors at each side. We'd meet back here in thirty minutes, we were told, and in the meantime, we were given a few suggestions for places to eat, drink and enjoy gelato.
Well, the heat outside had been pretty fierce and what better place to spend those thirty minutes than the elegant surroundings we now found ourselves in?
Especially when there was a cafe and gelateria right there too!
Half an hour later, Frederica set off at quite a step back towards the ship.
And a couple of hours later, we were sitting enjoying a cold drink and the peace and quiet as Voyager slipped gently out of the city and set sail for Livorno.
