Take advantage of the direct flights from Cork and visit Naples

It’s the home of the pizza of course but this gorgeous Italian city has a grandeur that can nourish your soul as well, writes Conor Power.

For people in Munster the new direct connection between Cork and Naples will bring true adventure within a couple of hours. The southern Italian city gets a lot of bad press. The exciting stories of modern day Naples are all about the Comorra, drug gangs and violence but don’t forget that the expression ‘See Naples and Die’ stemmed from the dizzying impression left upon German and British tourists from the 18th century who were privileged enough to make the journey to this remarkable city and report back on its beauty.

Today, a visit to the centre of Naples will feel like stepping back a little in time to a place that might not even be in Europe, such is the dizzying foreignness of its atmosphere. Here, there is real life in abundance.