I am a big fan of Penelope Green's books about Italy and in particular See Naples and Die. With apologies to Penelope here is my attempt at a Naples inspired Haiku.
See Naples and live
See Naples before you die
See Naples and weep
Friday 4 February was my first day in Naples with the sun and the wind collaborating to produce a stunning day. I can say without reservation I have never seen it more beautiful. Look at my picture of Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples and tell me I am wrong. However Naples is not always like this and appearances can be deceiving. It is not an easy city to get to know and like.
Much has been written about the influence of the Camorra and Naples has a well documented reputation for criminal activity. If you want to know more about this side of Naples you need do no more than read Roberto Saviano’s 2008 book Gomorrah.
Naples is chaotic and dirty. I vividly remember the first time my wife Janet and I came here about 25 years ago. The air pollution was so bad you could taste it. We felt ill after a day in it. There are too many cars and there’s too much rubbish and there are parts of the city that are downright dangerous, especially at night. Naples can be a very intimidating place.
But there is also so much to recommend it. The spectacular bay, the rich history, the wonderful food, the awesome Mt Vesuvius, the art in the churches and museums and of course the warmth of the people. It is a short boat ride from Capri, a short train ride from Pompeii and a short if bare knuckled bus ride from the Amalfi coast. I have now been to Naples four times and I love it.
The keys to really knowing and appreciating Naples are:
- Time – there is so much here it is absurd to think you can do it in a stopover on the way from Rome to Pompeii;
- Patience – You have to get to know the rhythm of the place and its idiosyncrasies which are many. Naples is for Neapolitans not tourists and will never be handed over to tourism like Florence or Venice have been; and
- Local knowledge – We have a dear friend Teresa who has lived in Naples all her life and who we have known for about 25 years. If it wasn’t for her we probably wouldn’t have returned. You can get by with the first two but having the third is a real plus.
So there you have it. Napoli 101. Stay tuned there’s more to come.
When Lindsay and I visited Naples on our three month European Holiday (in 1978...ah, youth!) we were taken by the powerful spirit of the place. It's the only time L ever struck me in anger - we had a screaming battle on the street (I was wrong...) and I put it down to the unavoidable dramatic openness of the place.
ReplyDeleteAlso - I just reads Mark Twain's section on Naples in Innocents Abroad - you observe some of the same issues...