Leaving thoughts on Naples
Persevere
Pat and Bruce
Thu 29 Apr 2010 19:45
Our last days in Naples were a chance to visit some
of the old town and ride the Metro again. The memory of Naples will be an
interesting one. The city is a mix of seedy, working, alive, past glory
and hints of rebirth. If you are alone in Naples, stuck in a hotel on a
busines trip or similar, to feel part of the family just go to a
restaurant. More than likely the owner is present and wants you to have an
enjoyable meal. He will introduce you to people, be polite, ask you for
order more to make sure you are fulfilled and never rush you out the door.
The old Naples and the efforts to keep building
restored are evident.
Along the waterfront.
Of course it is always possible to enjoy
pastries.
Typical storefront
In the old section of Naples the Yacht club, old
Castle and vibrant restaurants are there for the choosing along with the better
hotels on the water.
Yacht Club harbour.
In the old town the streets are narrow, the shops
are crowded and the general activity is hectic, especially with the motor
scooters running around.
I don't know these people but they are in the shot
of one of the old town streets.
Okay Naples is the home of the original
Pizza. There are several places that the tour guides say are the
best. Now pizza is personal. Chicago people would not consider
Napoli pizza worth considering. St Louis people will not like it because
it is not cut into tiny squares. Forget California and their yogurt
stuff.
This are two, one with mushrooms. The cheese is
great, sauce is very good, wood fired, but the crust was soggy forcing the use
of a knife and fork. Was it the best we had, no. Was is worth
having, especially with the the restaurant serving wine in plastic cups,
yes.
Last thoughts. There are many sites to see in
Naples.
Duomo cathedral.
But the people, lively, busy, mix of poor and better off with
a few rich thrown in. Never had a real issue with crime, one
heckler. Unemployment is high so every active job seems to have twice the
amount of supervisors (people watching work being done). The various
branches of the police forces are the best dressed I have ever seen. They
all seem to have great uniforms with all sorts of belts, badges, hats and
shoes. The police cars are spotless and they are not up to the standard of
the motorcycle cops. From all of this I assume they are not the engaged in
actual crime fighting because it would require use of the vehicles in a mode
that may cause damage! By the way the weathermen are military and are
dressed in uniform on some TV stations.
Naples, worth a stop if traveling in the
area.
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