DESTINATIONS ITALY | ESCORTED TOURS


Napoli i


Rediscovering her Italian roots around the Bay of


Naples on one of Riviera Travel’s most popular trips proved a joyful experience for Yolanda Zappaterra


s there a perfect time of year to visit southern Italy? Many will recommend late spring and early autumn, when the heat of the day isn’t so


oppressive that walking Pompeii’s dusty streets feels like an exercise in managing heat exhaustion. But beyond that, it’s hard to be more specific, as this part of the world is glorious at all times of the year. However, as someone with Italian heritage, I can tell you that the perfect time to visit this increasingly popular region – Riviera Travel saw a fivefold hike in its January bookings this year for its Bay of Naples package, compared with January 2022 – is the week after SSC Napoli have won the Scudetto, Italy’s equivalent of the


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Premier League. When a team wins it, they become the Campioni d’Italia (Champions of Italy), and on May 4 this year, Napoli won it in style. A region of football fanatics partied hard all night, but when I arrived at the airport on May 5, bleary-eyed border guards and baggage handlers welcomed us with warmth and smiles. En route to Sorrento, our base for Riviera’s week-long trip, I noticed every single street, building, lamppost, roundabout and monument was festooned in blue and white banners, ribbons, bunting, flags and posters, many bearing an image of the club’s de facto patron saint Diego Maradona, complete ²


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PICTURE: Shutterstock/Alessandro Tortora


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