In my previous post (Italy, Part I, Rome), I listed the six fountain pen shops that I came across, during a recent short break in the city.

After Rome, my wife and I journeyed on to Naples by train. It was our first visit there. We stayed in a B&B on the third floor of an elegant building on the via Chiatamone, close to the sea front. I later read that the via Chiatamone used to be the coast road until the late 19th century when a new road was built on reclaimed land, now comprising waterfront hotels and restaurants.

Near one end of our road was an entrance to a tunnel through the cliffs giving a fast route across the city to the docks. At the other end, an elevator ride takes you to Monte Echia, the cliff with a viewing terrace, giving spectacular panoramic views over the city and the bay.

Another very scenic spot can be reached by a funicular railway ride, to the Castel Sant’Elmo. From there you get a wonderful view of the city and in particular the Spanish Quarter and the old town. We took the scenic walk back down, on a 14th century pedestrian pathway with over 400 steps, the via Pedamentina a San Martino, which zig-zags down the hill.

We had three nights in Naples, although it seemed longer and we walked constantly. There are numerous quiet churches which can be visited. One particularly memorable oasis of calm was the Santa Chiara Cloister, a monastery in the city centre with a large church and an adjoining garden with colourfully decorated tiled columns. In the adjoining museum, I read that the church had been bombed in 1943 and burned for six days. A lot of treasures were destroyed but it was restored and re-opened in 1953.

Whilst in Naples, we could not miss visiting nearby Pompeii, a Roman city destroyed in the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in AD 79. Thousands of residents died from a sudden thermal shock. The city was buried under about 4 – 6 metres of volcanic ash which hardened over the centuries. Modern excavations (which are ongoing) have revealed a vast, well preserved site. Our archaeologist tour guide Anna, gave us a fascinating insight into day to day life in Roman times.

I did visit one delightful fountain pen shop in Naples, Casa della Penna at C.so Umberto I, 88, 80138 Naples, dating from 1937. The friendly proprietor was happy for me to take photographs of his attractive display cabinets, and also switched on the illumination in a giant green Pelikan pen which stood at the entrance. I mentioned that I was visiting from London and had found his shop on an internet search. Whilst there I bought two more boxes of cartridges for my Aurora Style pen – as these are hard to come by at home. He kindly gave me a gift of a 2026 calendar and an accompanying ball pen both bearing the shop’s name.

As with Rome, there was a lot to see in Naples and we did our best to see a representative sample of the sights in the time available. A visit to the region is highly recommended.