What a way to end the year! We got up early this morning to hit the town. Our first stop was at a sfogliatella stand. We read that we had to try these babies and I'm so glad we did! They are super crispy and filled with a slightly citrus flavored ricotta filling. Paired with European hot chocolate, this was a delicious (and super healthy, obviously) breakfast!
The stand was in Galleria Umberto, which was built in the late 19th century and is so beautiful. We left out the back of it and found ourselves within walking distance of Castel Nuovo. We didn't pay to go in but enjoyed a quick stop to admire the free portions of it!
We read online that we'd need a reservation to be able to eat dinner out on New Year's Eve, so we decided to get ready to cook our own dinner. We stopped at a local grocery store to pick up some ingredients, which is always a fun experience! Bailey and I always enjoy hitting grocery stores while traveling because they're so fun and such a local experience. Plus you can find some tasty snacks.
After dropping our groceries off we went to lunch at a popular pizzeria. Best pizza ever! I actually don't love pizza normally, but I've really liked it in Italy so far! I got a 4 cheese pizza and I can't stop thinking about it.
A stop to get some gelato was also in order. We are in Italy, so why not?
Piazza del Plebiscito was our next stop, and we noticed that we could see the ocean from there. So we walked towards it! We stopped by to say hello to Mt Vesuvius of course.
The waterfront was gorgeous and we enjoyed hanging out there before starting the long journey back to our Airbnb.
Our Airbnb is so spacious! We are lucky to have the whole thing to ourselves, including the kitchen. After a nap we all woke up to cook a delicious New Year's Italian dinner. I was in charge of the caprese salad and I am so proud of how it turned out!
It was so much fun cooking all together and then enjoying our feast. We talked about our goals for the next year and also laughed a lot!
The original plan was to go back to Piazza del Plebiscito to watch a local concert and see the midnight fireworks, but we were so tired we all sat down to rest... And a few hours later were awakened by the craziest new year ruckus ever! Right at midnight people started throwing firecrackers and glass bottles off their balconies, aerial fireworks were going off on every direction, and in the street right below us our neighbors were lighting these fireworks that sounded like bombs going off! It seriously sounded like a warzone, I've never seen or heard anything like it. The air was thick with smoke and was making us all cough. We stood on our balcony to watch the mayhem and soon enough our whole apartment was full of smoke! The firework show was going strong until 1am, and then finally quieted down enough to sleep. Such a different new year's than I've ever experienced! In Utah there's maybe like a sparkler or two to celebrate the holiday, but man they know how to party/create a fire hazard here.
Bailey and I feel so lucky to be spending the last of 2019 doing what we love most - traveling together! It's been an amazing year of adventures and growth, and we can't wait to see what 2020 holds.
