Anyone who wants to escape the sanitized world of suburban cul-de-sacs, strip malls and planned communities should come to Naples, Italy. The juxtaposition is dizzying - Naples is draped in graffiti and punctuated by constantly blaring horns. Its buildings are blackened and crumbling and connected to each other by lines of swinging laundry. Anger seems to seath from the bowels of this city blowing up with the garbage that litters the streets. Yes, Naples is probably the ugliest city I have ever visited. Yet, rent a car and travel 40 minutes south and you arrive on the Amalfi Coast, surreal in its dramatic beauty. Or hop a hydrofoil boat from the seedy Port of Naples and 35 minutes later you land directly in paradise on earth in Capri.
Somebody forgot to clean up Naples - maybe they were in too big a hurry to get to the beach.
P, my frenchman, likes the vibrancy of the city, says he can feel its soul. And I must say that as angry and sad as the streets and buildings look, the people seem happy and busy.
That is except for anyone working in ticket booths or "information" kiosks. ThoseItalians have a problem. You think the French are a surly lot - you haven't seen anything until you find yourself at the mercy of one of these guys. They hate their jobs for sure! At the train station day before yesterday I made the audacious decision to ask the police -like official behind the glass at the Informazione counter where I could by tickets to Pompeii. He rattled something off in spit fire Italian distorted by a broken microphone speaker and the only thing that I understood was something about a newspaper stand. What the heck did newspapers have to do with train tickets to Pompeii??
I tried again, thinking that Informazione MUST mean that this guy was here to help - silly me. No, this 2nd question only made him angry. He shook his head and dismissed me with a disdainful wave of the hand. You mean you're not going to help me?? I pleaded. Apparently not. He was here ONLY for Italians who needed help. Yes, it is true - that's what he said. Can you imagine the Convention and Visitors Bureau saying anything like that to foreign tourists in San Diego? I would hope that you're fired would be the next words anyone trying to shoo visitors away like that would hear.
We did find our way to Pompeii (unbelievably amazing) but our encounters with surly service continued. Like I said, I think that these guys (and girls) really hate their jobs. We stupid tourists are keeping them from zipping around on their motorbikes eating pizza with their buddies.
There are nice Italians in this city though, if you stay away from ticket sellers and info booths. We sat for hours last night in a tiny trattoria, eating amazing food, drinking even more amazing wine and debating the relative merits of Rome, Paris and their home, Naples, with five locals. They all voted for Paris and they preferred their home over Rome where they claimed all the snobs lived. They couldn't have been any warmer or nicer.
Goes to prove once again that you can't judge a book by its cover. But I still would vote to paint over the graffiti.
Very eloquently said. Pretty much my same thoughts when I moved to New York City! Except, it was everyone who I thought was surly, not just the ticket sellers! I learned it is a pretty big city and there are lots of very likable and friendly people there!
Posted by: Carrie Dern | October 31, 2008 at 05:56 AM