Naples is often overlooked by tourists. Photo / Getty Images
Naples is often overlooked by tourists. Photo / Getty Images
It’s true, everyone regards Naples as Italy’s ‘bad boy’ but look a little deeper and you’ll find a city that’s full of character and charm, writes Dominick Merle
“Incendio! Fire! Incendio!”
It was one hell of a wake-up call at 4am in our sixth-floor room at the Hotel San Francesco al Monte, followed by a thunderous knock on the door.
In both languages, we were told to quickly leave the building via the stairs. By the fourth floor the thought occurred to me that even though the hotel was actually a converted monastery, we were nonetheless descending into a hellish inferno.
Building on that imagination and premonition, a devilishly handsome fireman sporting a villainous moustache greeted us in the main lobby. “Buon giorno!” he said as he motioned for us to wait across the street with the other dishevelled guests.
So much for the dramatics. The fire, confined to a small area of the fourth-floor kitchen, was extinguished quickly and we were told it was now safe to return to our rooms.
But the view of the Bay of Naples was captivating and before long, hotel workers, firefighters and complete strangers were engaged in animated conversation.
Neapolitans have a saying (cogliere l’attimo) that loosely translates to “seize the moment”. They believe that even under the most distressful of situations, some degree of pleasure can be found. I was about to witness an example.
Don’t believe everything you hear about Italy’s quintessential ‘bad boy’ town of Naples. Photo / Victor Malyushev; Unsplash
A hotel employee cranked up a lobby espresso machine to fuel the discussions. As I walked back into the building the firefighters and hotel workers, cups in hand, were laughing and talking, enjoying the night air and the spectacular view. I headed back to my bed - they had seized the moment.
This is the face of Naples that rarely makes the news or word-of-mouth. For the most part, tourists regard this port city as the bad boy of Italy, and use it merely as a stepping stone to the nearby attractions of Pompeii, Capri and the Amalfi Coast.
Even some northern Italians tiptoe through here, believing there are Neapolitan witches who have the power to curse them with the evil eye (malocchio) or the horns (cornuta) which - legend has it - will give you all kinds of medical problems that can only be cured by applying large quantities of olive oil over your affected body parts.
Of course, it’s true that in addition to seizing the moment, some Neapolitans are just as adept at seizing your wallet or your purse. But sometimes, even your heart.
“Look around you,” our group leader said as we began a walking tour on the historic waterfront. “Do you feel frightened?”
The narrow cobblestone streets were shared by pedestrians, motorbikes and cars. There were no rules, no footpaths and no traffic signs; yet it all seemed to be working in perfect harmony. Neapolitan women were returning from the markets and the aroma of simmering tomato sauce was evident almost everywhere.
Neapolitan streets are vibrant and chaotic, with pedestrians, motorbikes, and cars sharing narrow cobblestone lanes, yet somehow managing to coexist harmoniously. Photo / 123rf
We stopped for lunch at a two-floor pizzeria named Lombardi near Piazza Domenico Maggiore. It’s universally agreed that pizza originated in Naples, and Neapolitans still prefer it the classic way - thin crust, covered only with tomato, mozzarella and basil. This results in a red, white and green pizza, the colours of the Italian flag. (Also, most Italians eat pizza with a knife and fork, not hand to mouth.)
After lunch, we strolled down a tiny, winding street known as “Nativity Row”, where hand-crafted scenes of the birth of Christ are sold year-round.
My wife and I stopped at one small shop and were intrigued by a legendary figure known as “Il Gobbo”, a hunchbacked man with very strange paraphernalia draped over him; peppers, horns, horseshoes, an owl and an umbrella. He supposedly wards off the “malocchio” and “cornuta” in case you want to pass on the olive oil.
Napoli is famous for its traditional pizza, which originated in the city and is enjoyed with a thin crust and topped with tomato, mozzarella, and basil, representing the colours of the Italian flag. Photo / 123rf
I asked the young shopkeeper the price of Il Gobbo, and after we closed the deal, it was only while he was wrapping the wooden figure that he realised he had misquoted, by about $100 less than the actual price. Through saddened eyes, he insisted I could have it at the greatly reduced price.
Either he was a very good actor and had “seized the moment,” or I was a lucky shopper who got a good deal. I choose to believe the latter, as he had nothing to gain by revealing the higher price at that stage.
That night our tour guide recommended a “typical Neapolitan trattoria” nearby for our final meal.
Strange, the restaurant seemed to be filled with tourists. Perhaps it had started out as a trattoria, but now looked like a typical tourist restaurant.
It's a little grittier than other Italian cities but there's still charm to be found in Naples. Photo / Getty Images
No problem, our waiter was amiable, the food was delicious and special little “extras” were often brought to our table. What a nice goodwill gesture, we thought.
But when we got our bill, the “extras” were neatly itemised and the total was nearly double what we thought it would be. Nonetheless, the food, the atmosphere and the entertaining waiter sent us happily on our way.
