P is for Pizza. Passing Pizza Making 101 in Naples

Pizza is making Naples a favourite place to visit

 
So I did eventually leave the Amalfi Coast. It's not an easy place to leave. It's over an hour drive even at 7am in the morning without the traffic as I found out. One of the fellow guests was getting a ride to the airport and well I just jumped on as it was just easier that way. The alternative would have been to figure out trains and buses. And well I was lucky I could just hand over money and make the problem go away.

So I had returned to Naples the start of my Italian adventure. Having flown in only briefly a week before I had not actually gotten to see the city. My first visit was merely get into the city, and eat a pizza. However on this visit I had goals to achieve. Places to see, yes. But more importantly I was here to make, and eat pizza.

Staying in an Airbnb was also a part of my authentic experience. The place was okay. The host quirky, local, decent stay in a very central location. However the entrance to the apartment was somewhat scary. Realisation was I was 4 levels up with backpack on the back in a stairwell which was literally crumbling away. The building was under renovations like much of Naples. Or well any old European city. You could just tell Naples was still recovering financially from years of struggle.

Naples Catacombs

After checking in I made tracks to go see one of the main tourist highlights, a part the underground city. I chose the Catacombs of San Gennaro. It somewhat helps explains why my Airbnb building had been untouched. If the owners waited longer it'd possibly be added to the catacombs.

One extra good thing about returning to Naples again was "Naples Prices". This place was so cheap to sit down and eat. It was very reasonable food, and all with the the historical context. Just a few of the pizza places which had found fame on the tourist junket tour lists were off limits due to the herd mentality of visitors. I personally went by the places that were busy enough to be serious about food but not so busy they it seemed like a tour brochure venue. There was plenty to choose from.

The second day was decided to the Pizza Making class. I had booked this online months before arriving. Sure pizza doesn't require rocket science but it was a goal of mine to make pizza in the city considered it's origin. Pizza was created as a food of the poor. A food of the masses. So it's an experience not requiring more than a few hours. My tour was a bit haphazard in that we were redirected to an alternative venue. So I and just one other were transported by our Pizza mafia transport to the outskirts of Naples for a genuine class with a chef in what seemed like a brand new restaurant that wasn't even opened to the public. This restaurant all set out without anything out of line. The facility looked like it was functioning from the inside however the big construction fence was still up and hiding the place. In the kitchen they were still unpacking pots and pans for the glass window viewing area kitchen. I suspect this was in part why the class had been relocated. The chef needed to test the kitchen equipment and start preparing before going live. Perhaps it was even that day. The class in retrospect was okay even if it wasn't quite the expected classroom atmosphere of a regular cooking class. Delivery of the class was slightly compromised but I still made a pizza, so the goal was achieved!

Rest of my time in Naples was spend wandering around between pizza and gelati. Nothing wrong with that for a goal. I think next time in Italy I should do the gelati making classes (they do exist!).