Day 4 in Napoli is recounted by Mia Gallagher
Saturday 7th June - Naples
 |
| Caffe Gambrinus coffee break in Napoli - Sean Hardie on the far right |
Today
is our last day in the Mezzogiorno. So what better way to spend it than in the
glorious sprawl of Napoli, a place I love. Plenty awaited us in the New City (from
Neapolis, the original Greek name). Afric got photos of a demonstration that
might have been about workers’ rights – though it was hard to tell. Nuala
spotted shedloads of police, drummers and bluegrass musicians in the shopping
district. I came across some teenage kickboxers and a strange soprano singing on
the seafront.
 |
| Buskers on Via Chiaia |
En route it was great to find out about the layered history of
Naples, its development and reconstruction under a who’s who list of famous
European rulers. We split up and I got lost somewhere on one of the hills,
appropriately enough for a literary exchange exploring the theme of
displacement. I felt like a character from a Richard Scarry illustrated book.
 |
| Mia's gattolina |
Up one winding street, down another. I followed a zigzag of terraces up to the
ramparts where I made friends with a gattolina (Italian cat) who followed me
onto a desolate hilltop, bounded by wire fences, crumbling buildings, Keep Out
signs and graffiti promising murder by gunshot if you parked there. I looked
back: the gattolina had disappeared. Not a soul around, not even a mugger –
though it would have been the perfect place to play Rob the Silly Tourist. And
in that spark of dangerous solitude I had one of those odd, everlasting moments
of feeling utterly at home. Grazie, Napoli.
Now
it’s 5.20pm. Open Mic in half an hour. I’m going to try out my Italian &
read a translation – bit nervous but why not?
 |
| The Bay of Naples |
|
|
 |
| Paola Mustilli, our host, enjoying the open mic |
No comments:
Post a Comment