- In the beautiful, rural south of the mainland, James is forced to confront a vision of hell courtesy of Dante's Inferno - and a goat that urgently needs milking. The Amalfi Coast offers some much-needed respite before he dives headfirst into the breathless, chaotic, sea of humanity that is the city of Naples.
- Down in the heel of Italy lies the ancient city of Matera. Originally consisting of cave dwellings, it remained in use for millennia before being almost abandoned completely in the 1950s. Now largely restored and a growing tourist destination, James and his new guide Paolo explore the old city and its famous subterranean dwellings. Nearby - and also below ground - lies the massive cave of Castellana Grotte. Every week it serves as the backdrop to a staged performance of Dante's Inferno, and James is lucky enough to have scored a part. It's a great opportunity to practice his (thirteenth century) Italian language skills whilst also watching people being ritualistically whipped.
The next morning offers a chance for something a little gentler: goat milking and cheese making in rural Puglia. Then it's time to cross the country to the west, where the glamorous Amalfi Coast beckons. Watching this picture-perfect landscape from his 72 foot yacht leads James to think he might have already found la dolce vita. But when he swaps fancy glasses on the poop deck for plastic cups at the local working men's club, he begins to wonder if the secret to the sweet life might be more unexpected.
Back on dry land, and James is heading underground again, this time to the tunnels and catacombs that lie below Naples. Down here the history of the city is revealed, from plague victims and mafia meeting points, to fascist statues and abandoned Vespas.
In need of something a little lighter - and in the knowledge that no o visit to Naples would be complete without giving it a shot - James tries his hand at the city's most famous contribution to world cuisine: the humble pizza. A true Neopolitan pizza has an almost austere simplicity, celebrating the finest, fresh ingredients. James's is a little different.
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