KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 25 -- There are some days when the scent of flour and yeast feels more comforting than the aroma of coffee. One thinks of Naples - or rather, of the idea of Naples - where pizza is less a meal than a way of living.

The best pizza I have ever eaten wasn't in Naples but it was close enough. Half an hour from the city centre, I was exploring the Roman ruins of Pompeii. Mount Vesuvius in the distance, majestic but also unnerving, with the ghosts of fire and ash.

My days were full of adventure, and I was full of dreams. But adventures and dreams do not fill a hungry belly.

It was a small pizzeria at the edge of town, not far from the train station and the ruins. Could well have been a tourist trap, for sure, but it felt c...