The Lantern

I managed to pick out the only international airport in Europe where there is no hotel next to the terminal. Therefore, I had to walk in search of what the "Information" lady described as a bad "cinqe minute" walk. After about a quarter of an hour of walking and asking three times (who claims that men don’t ask for directions?) and after cursing at a closed hotel, I eventually ended up at Hotel Millenium next to a car rental place. It certainly doesn't get points for the view. But I’m just glad that I only have to walk about 10 minutes at 5 AM to catch my flight to Munich at 6:15 and then to Brussels. As a bonus, I ended up here, in search of yet another dinner, at the local pizzeria La Lucerna. This thoroughly local Italian spot has strangely enough not been influenced by the proximity of the international airport that is less than a kilometer away (now that I know the way), aside from a few international beers like Heineken and Corona. But those are pushed aside in the fridge by the many Nastro Azzurros and Baffo D'oros, of which one is already cooling and foaming on my little table. Additionally, there’s the Limoncella being served fresh, which is generously poured for regular customers (I would later discover that I don’t belong to that group).

In this case, it didn't take long for me to decide what I wanted to eat: Pizza Napolitana, of course. Without any effort, I could skip my usual Quattro Staggione here in the shadow of Vesuvius for the Neapolitan specialty. But of course, you expect something in the home ground of the pizza of pizzas. And "boy," did they deliver. I can assure you that any comparisons with the perfect Merelbeke pizza (the reference so far for us) and this one from our more recent pizza spot at the roundabout of Itterbeek fade in comparison to this culinary gem of the Mediterranean:
Perfectly baked. A deliciously crispy crust. Not too thick. Not too thin. A rich tomato sauce that can only get its flavor from too many hours of Italian sunshine and a lot, a lot of love from La Mamma or Pappa who made it. The unpitted olives had the raw flavor of Italian country olives that don't meet the specification criteria of the European Commission. And of course, there’s also a bit of fermented anchovy and fresh mozzarella cheese. Delicious!
So, if you ever find yourself stranded at Naples airport, go exploring through some dark alleys with Marianisses and tumble into the family pizzeria La Lucerna. You can easily recognize it because there is too much light, the television is too loud, the guests are just a bit louder calling out to each other, and all of this accompanied by a slightly irritating echo because the walls are bare and free from any hung clichés that you would expect in a pizzeria "for tourists." And you know you’re really in good hands when you see local families with children stepping inside. "Go where the locals go" is pretty much the best advice you can follow.

Dromos