Naples - location, location, location

Naples in November is ideal. Well it was for me. Warm without being hot and few tourists to get in the way. I booked the Decumane Hotel de Charme for its central location and its charm. Its built into a former bishop's palace. The rooms aren't up to much. Not very big in floorspace - the space is all above you - enormously high ceilings.

But the real selling point is the breakfast hall which is just hugely impressive. Gilded walls and painted ceilings. A real palace.

At the top of the unprepossessing alley in which the hotel is located (and despite being this narrow motorcyclists and cars still get up and down it)...




...you come across one of the main but narrow thoroughfares through the Centro Storico. Narrow enough without all the vendors of Christmas nick-knacks.

Anyway, no regrets about the hotel. Small and certainly there could have been better things, but it wasn't expensive, the staff were immensely helpful at all times and the place was very attractive. What the room left to be desired (and it was fine - just a bit austere - something on the huge expanse of bare wall space would have helped) the big hall made up for. I spent one very pleasant evening listening to Jesus and Mary Chain on my mp3 player on the big comfy sofa of that splendid hall reading a book about the Vesuvius area in Roman times.

As it turned out I didn't use the local metro station very much - mostly just for speed to get to the main station. Which is a pity in a way as the line is newly built with some really funky modern artwork. I didn't have time to check out some of the other metro stations to see if they matched Universitate.