bella napoli. it's loveable chaos. naples is italy in the extreme. if you like italy as far south as rome, go further south. it just gets better. if italy's getting a little overwhelming by the time you get down to rome, think twice about going further. italy intensifies as you plunge deeper. and plunging deeper, that's exactly what we're doing this time as we explore naples. [ speaking italian ] we'll go shopping neapolitan style, dodge scooters in naples' crazy traffic, explore the city's vibrant neighborhoods, admire exquisite ancient mosaics, taste pizza in its birthplace. then we climb the lip of a slumbering volcano and wander the amazing ruins of the roman town it destroyed. so many european travel dreams take you to italy. the bay of naples area, about three hours south of rome, is filled with fun and fascination. from naples, we'll climb smoldering mount vesuvius and visit the ruins of pompeii. centuries before christ, naples was a thriving greek commercial center called "neapolis," or "the new city." over the ages, it became an important ce