Pizza & Poverty, Ruins & Recycling

Napoli

Napoli is a world away from Rome and a world away from the Amalfi Coast and Salerno.  We were there for just one night. We had missed a visit to Herculaneum and the Museo Archeologico when staying in Salerno in February so we decided to take the fast train to Napoli for the weekend.

Arriving at Napoli Centrale the first thing you notice is the increased number of beggars- young, old, men, women and children. 

The second thing you notice is the large number of young male African immigrants trying to make a living selling sunglasses, scarves etc. Occasionally a police car will slow down and all those without a permit (most of them) will grab their wares and head off around a corner until the coast is clear.  The noise, traffic and persistence of the beggars was quite confronting for the almost 7year old Lego Wielding Ninja Monkey so we headed as quickly as possible to Piazza Garibaldi station to catch the Circumversuviana.

The idea of a railway that circumnavigates Mount Vesuvius struck me as romantic.  Standing on the platform waiting for the train there was little to change my view. Then the train arrived.  The trains were dirty and the graffiti had absolutely no artistic merit.  Apart from the occasional declaration of love, the messages were rather bland. “I was here”, “Tino was here”, “Fuck you Nico. I was here”.

In stark contrast to the scenic Amalfi coast, just 30mins away, the train passed industrial areas and shanty towns.  As we passed by I thought about a comment I had read somewhere on the web. A young girl from a privileged home was coming on holiday to Italy and wanted to bring something to donate to the poor.  Many people commented that perhaps she should save the excess baggage costs and donate to the poor in her own country.  The comment that struck me though was from a native Italian who declared that Italians enjoy a very high standard of living and there was no need for charity.

In Rome I tried to find a charity bin to donate some clothes I no longer need.  In the inner city I have found none. As I travel further out of the city they are more prevalent. In Salerno I saw a few. In Napoli I saw many. Italian cities, like all cities are multilayered. The life of the rich and the poor can be worlds apart.  Perhaps it is the veneer created for the pleasure of tourists that makes it hard to see.

 Salerno

In pictures