I have just watched this wonderful film and it always moves me and it reminds me of all that I lived and experienced in 5 years that I lived in Campania. And to be honest I am happy that I lived in one specific region for all that time. It gives me a real Southern Italian identity. I was happier in Napoli than Salerno simply because it was Napoli and I managed to find happiness despite its reputation and my troubles there. I suppose what made Italy and Napoli what they were, was the people. The Italians and napoletani are one of a kind. As a 3rd generation Italian-American whose great-grandparents were from Torre Del Greco and Camigliano (Caserta), it was a weird and yet very satisfying feeling to come back to your roots. Anyone who knows me, knows that this is something, a time and place which is more special to me than the place where I was born. This cari amici miei, is why I went there and almost stayed there forever.
For all the complaints I had against Italy and for all the hard times I had, I would like to dedicate this post to all the great things that made the whole experience worthwhile.
1. The myth of the South and Napoli, as I said before was enough for me to stay there.
2. The food. It wasn't usually hard to find fresh food and decent pizza.
3. The people. I could say a lot about this but I will give a banal example. If I got lost or needed directions, they were very helpful in making sure I understood where I had to go.
4. The uniqueness in the clothes where it didn't cost much to dress half-way decent.
5. The weather is overall good the whole year and the winters got chilly but nothing like Connecticut.
6. My friends. I had a few come and go and there were superficial people to be had, but I liked it how you didn't need money to impress them, just be you. Some were very selfless and did things not expecting nothing in return. But of course they'd insist that you never repay them back. Insist anyway.
7. The people had a great mix of being cordial (usually) and not overdoing it with the fake happiness. That was perfect for a person like me. The Italians are very objective about life and themselves, but not overly cynical like the English.
8. Gelato! That speaks for itself!
9. O' presep'! The nativity scenes that are true craftsman's work made in Naples.
10. The women. There were some women who were so beautiful and composed that it reminds you of what women are supposed to look like!
11. History was always right around the corner and Italy is a fascinating country for this.
12. Rome was never too far away
13. La Campania is not a region too saturated with tourists and it preserves a very Italian-like feel to it.
14. Ischia. Bellissima! I would easily build a life there. It's beautiful, calm, clean and it just enchanted me.
15. The sea/Il mare. How many wonderful moments I had just looking out at the water and thinking.
16. Vesuvius. It's a sleeping giant capable of producing death on a mass scale, but yet beautiful and fascinating to look at. You read about Pompei and the legend of Vesuvius. Then there it is in front of you, still there.
17. The Amalfi coast. One of the perks of being in Salerno. You will never see such beauty in all the world. Some personal favorites were Ravello and Positano. Also half the experience is taking a bus going there which squeezes along those narrow roads overlooking the cliffs.
18. New Years in Napoli. What a war that was! Fireworks everywhere till 2 am!
19. The palace in Caserta
20. Parco Virgiliano, Parco capodimonte, Villa Floridiana, and the Pontile di Bagnoli were all places I went to walk, think and ponder life.
21. The lungomare di Salerno. I spent many hours walking up and down and riding my bike on it.
22. Via Roma in Napoli and Salerno.
23. Piazza del Plebescito, Napoli.
24. Discovering my great-grandparents last known address in Torre Del Greco.
25. My many visits to the Carrefour mall in Pontecagnano.
26. Many busrides listening to music and observing the general public
27. walking around the Centro Direzionale in Napoli
28. The Napoli metro which I dearly missed when I went to Salerno
29. Mermaids tavern in Pontecagnano
30. The Xmas lights in Salerno which everyone from Campania came to see.
31. My 2nd gf, Giovanna from Napoli who thanks to her, I was exposed to much of the local culture, and the surrounding area as she had a motorino and car.
32. The 2 soccer games I saw at the San Paolo Stadium in Napoli, and they lost! Port a secc!!
33. Il napoletano. The local dialect. What a treat that was even though I dont speak it that well nor do I understand everything. But my grandparents spoke it and it was great to decipher what I had heard in the past both in Italy and among the Italian-Americans.
La Campania: staje semp' rint o cor !
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