NAPLES (ITALY THAT IS...)

Writing this blog from my home in Naples, Florida, I need to make the distinction clear: Naples, Italy is my topic today!

I recently returned from a second trip to Italy in one month, this time dividing my stay in three popular Italian cities: Florence, Rome and Naples. There must be some kind of magnetic pull emanating from that prominent volcano that sits majestically beside the bustling metropolis called Napoli, because I keep wanting to go back.  Several years ago, in fact, I decided to return to this Italian city despite all the negative press in the media: "dangerous...filthy...smelly...chaotic...pickpocket capital of the world...etc). what I found on that visit was quite the opposite, as a matter of fact that same year I found Rome ( to my dismay) to be much dirtier and chaotic than its neighbor to the south. Thankfully things have improved of late in Rome, but that's a topic for another essay.

Naples is a city in competition with itself, it has a dual personality which some may describe as disfunctional, yet it survives by acting just like an extended family that sits at the same table, tolerating the crazy uncle, the eccentric grandmother, the judgmental teen, the slutty cousin, and still being able to enjoy the drinks and subsequent meal without batting an eye. As you begin ambulating through the city streets its dual character begins to become very apparent: there are well maintained pedestrian paths, next to alleys with cracked sidewalks, majestic villas in rococo style, next to seedy apartment buildings, wildly expensive boutiques flanked by schlocky stores selling cheap merchandise, elegant restaurants competing with stands selling street food, and so on.

The Neapolitans seems to exaggerate in everything: their flailing hand motions while speaking seem to increase along with the volume of their voices, which seem to be louder here, maybe to compete with the constant cacophony of zipping scooters, waling ambulances, music emanating from windows and stores, children being children and street vendors vying for attention. It is a living Picasso painting, where you recognize the subject, but you see it through distorted eyes. The women here exaggerate their maquillage, the men their attire, the children their screams for attention; it takes most uninitiated visitors a few days to become accustomed to this delirious buffet of humanity, but once they let themselves go and allow themselves to roll and sway with the natives, they are forever changed in their perception of Italy.

As I've underscored many times before, Italy is held together as one united country simply by language ( and even that can be disputed), political decrees, the love of soccer, coffee, pasta, geography.  Yet every corner of the country has a unique culture, cuisine, architecture, music, that makes it different from the rest. In that sense, Naples is a microcosm of the entire country. The schitzophrenic dualism of the city mirrors that of the rest of the "boot". But it is that seemingly unsettling characteristic that makes Napoli so attractive. The people are genuinely friendly, they are generous, gregarious, inclusive, spontaneous. The food offerings are the basis of most Italian-American cuisine, so more recognizable to tourists, yet more "real". I found the very best shopping for men's clothing in this city, at very reasonable prices. Neapolitans are known for their haberdashery skills and they are not shy in showcasing them in store window after store window. I must assume it's the same for women's attire, though I'm too engrossed in what they offer for my gender to notice.

This city has a very prominent history, its origins dating back to the 9th century BC. It boasts a pedigree that rivals Rome, having survived multiple layers of diverse dynasties (Greek, Roman, Norman,French and more). Its 2500 years of history is probably why in its time it attracted famous individuals like Dickens, Goethe, Hemingway, Andy Warhol and many others. The Neapolitan dialect is one of the few that continues to remain relevant through poetry, music and theater. The Neapolitan Music Festival each year rivals that of the San Remo Music Festival in Liguria. Its religious DNA is  an intertwining of Catholicism, paganism, superstition and folklore. All you need to do is to be in that city of the day they celebrate the patron Saint,  Gennaro, whose blood supposedly liquifies once a year to the explosion of joy from the masses who attend the festivities, and that will explain it all. By the way, if the blood should not liquify on any given year, the residents believe that disaster will fall upon the city at some point during that year. I haven't done a nexus study of the blood non liquifying and the natural disasters that the city had endured, but disasters have indeed occurred.  In 1626, 70,000 people perished in an earthquake. In 1980 another major earthquake killed several hundreds.  Living in the shadow of Vesuvius is a constant reminder of the ephemeral life they live, alongside what could be their executioner.

Maybe this is why Neapolitans live their life with exuberance and passion: could today be their last day before they become a modern day Pompei? I'm a Roman by birth, yet I'm intrigued by Naples. Even if you don't want to overnight there, its only a short train ride from Rome, so you could easily depart Rome after breakfast and return after dinner, but you will have missed the very late night pulse of the city, where crowds gather at their favorite mostly outdoors bars and restaurants to enjoy each other company, speaking loudly over the even louder music and enjoying Neapolitan pizza (the real thing!), sfogliatelle, good wine and great vibes.

 I would recommend staying at my favorite hotel, the historic Grand Hotel Parkers, perched hillside overlooking the beautiful bay of Naples. It is in the Chiaia district where it has welcomed the famous and not so famous since the 1870. This year while I was there, it was going through some major renovation, which should be completed in 2022. The work being done did not disturb me while I was there, the beautifully appointed room was quiet despite facing the main drag right in front of the main entrance of the hotel. The staff there is the friendliest I've encountered anywhere, ready to respond to any request. The highlight of this building is the breakfast room and terrace on the top floor. what a way to begin the day, sipping cappuccino while admiring the bay of Naples come to life! On that same level is the Hotel's Michelin starred restaurant, George. From there I was able to walk to any part of the city I wanted, whether it was the shopping street of Toledo, the main square Plebiscito, the Quartiere Latino or the seafront Posilippo.

Allow me to book your next trip to NAPOLI!!