naples: where your guitar strings rust and the espresso hits different

so i just rolled back from naples after busking for 7 straight days. my fingers are still sticky from humidity, and my pockets are heavier than when i left - not from cash, though. from *sfogliatella crumbs. the weather? it’s like someone left a wet blanket on your head for 10 days straight. i just checked and it’s… basically breathing down your neck, so pack a spare shirt that doesn’t smell like regret.

if you get tired of dodging vespas, pompeii is a 30-minute train ride where you can pretend you’re in gladiator school. useful tip: via toledo is prime real estate for buskers, but the cops will eye you like you’re juggling chainsaws. heard a local say they’ll fine you 50 euros if your guitar case doesn’t have a permit sticker - which you can’t get on weekends. classic naples.

that’s my busking spot near piazza bellini. notice the damp acoustics? yeah.


someone told me the best coffee in town is hidden in a bakery near via san gregorio armeno. not the famous ones - the one that smells like heaven and looks like a grandma’s closet. also, i overheard this drunk guy yelling at a tourist: “you call that pizza? i’ll show you real pizza with my fists!” so maybe avoid arguing about cheese ratios at 2 am. find the bakery here.

post-gig fuel. also, how does everyone vape in this humidity?


the humidity’s so thick you could swim through it. seriously, i saw a guy’s shirt detach itself and float away. but the crowds? gold. played a nirvana cover and this old dude threw change at me like i was his grandkid. then i tried a lizzo song and crickets. learn the crowd, kid. also, castel dell’ovo at sunset? worth the scooter ride if you can afford the gas. check tide times here.

this place looked like a giant chessboard after a bar fight. beautiful.


oh, and the hostel i stayed at? hostel napoli* - smells like sweat and hope. owner’s a dude who speaks in song lyrics. and i heard from a traveler that they’ll let you sleep in the lobby if you play a ukelele at 3 am. book bunk beds here.

so yeah. naples. it slaps you awake, feeds you carbs, and steals your dignity. but damn if it doesn’t make a good story. now if you’ll excuse me, i need to peel my socks off my feet.

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