Italy is often regarded as being in the shape of a boot, with the toe pointing south-west towards Sicily. But Naples is on the west coast, which makes me think that the 'boot' must be on backwards. Because Naples is truly the arsehole of Italy.
The metaphor works on more than one level. Neapolitan streets are strewn with faeces. I haven't done this much pedestrian poop-dodging since my childhood, in the days before dog-walkers carried plastic bags. But it's not just dogs that are to blame. Naples contains many homeless people, and few public toilets.
Turds are not the only hazard underfoot. Almost all of the roads and pavements are decades overdue for resurfacing. Sometimes there's no pavement at all. Crossing the street is like playing a simultaneous triple game of chicken, Frogger, and Russian roulette. Litter is everywhere. Even in the most degraded American downtowns, I've never seen junkies openly shooting up in broad daylight, but I broke that particular duck here.
I managed to cobble together some turd-free photos of the relatively nicer parts and that's what you see in the pictures below. Plus mainland Europe's only active volcano. I would have liked to climb Vesuvius - it's about the same height as Ben Nevis - but unfortunately the summit can only be reached as part of a guided tour, and that's not how I roll. Anyway, I've left Naples now, so if the volcano goes off again and turns the whole place into a smoking moonscape, that'll be just fine with me. Arrivederci.
 |
| Naples seen from afar (best way of seeing it) |
 |
| Piazza Giovanni Bovio |
 |
| A rainy day in the old town |
 |
| Piazza Gian Battista Vico |
 |
| Galleria Umberto I |
 |
| Cheap AirBnB apartment |
 |
Edd vs Food #142
Moroccan couscous, chicken & vegetables
At Red Marrakech, Via Santa Chiara 7, Naples |
