Maradona was 'ere

Trip Start Jan 02, 2008
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Trip End Feb 05, 2008


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Where I stayed
(Naples hotels)

Flag of Italy  ,
Friday, January 18, 2008

I counted at least 8 different car alarms going off the first night. That's just in the vicinity I could hear under our window in Hotel Ginevre. That's 8 robberies, or potential one's. I'm also not including sirens from polizia or ambulances. Napoli is something else. Napoli is the other face of Italy. Probably the real face. When people talk of Italy in terms of social problems or dysfunction, you can assume they must have Napoli in mind.

It's dirty - there was some 150 tonnesof uncollected rubbish just sitting on the city streets (the Mafia controlled garbage industry ain't taking it away for some reason); it's overcrowded with folks from China, North Africa and the Middle East who clutter up street corners selling umbrellas, cell phone adaptors and fake handbags; and, judging from the way pedestrians and motorists actions never correspond to any electronic signals, completely lawless and chaotic n1
n1
 . Plus, it's falling apart! The buildings look ready to collapse, probably under the weight of all the washed clothes that are hung from them to dry. Seriously, they all have chunks missing. It resembles a warzone in parts, but with no war. The first thing I thought when I was wandering amongst the backstreets was - I'm back in Beirut. And the there's never-ending, often needless blasting of horns from every car, bus and vespa. It get's better...

It's also the home of the Mafia and pizza, and pizza is wicked. Mafia not so much, unless you're talking about The Sopranos. Just tomato, mozzarella and basil. On this doughy base that tastes more like turkish bread than pizza base. Unique, and a taste sensation. The best I've eaten in Italy, and I've been doing extensive research. Wish I'd got a photo before I devoured it. It's also cheaper than the north of Italy (and I do like cheap). If all of these things aren't enough, Napoli's neighbour is a still active volcano - Mt Vesuvius. The very same Mt Vesuvius that dominated Pompeii and Herculaneum. Dying from being covered in lava would be average. I know the sulfurus gases would get you before the lava did, but still - average. Right up there with being buried alive and being eaten by piranha. Impressive ruins though. And of course, there's the only football team in town, SSC Napoli. This town has completely captured me.

You know Diego Maradona? Fat, little Argentine, Hand of God, Boca Juniors, football legend? Drug fiend? Yeah, that Diego Maradona. He was a Napoli player between 1985 and 1991, and as well as going drug silly, he went goal silly. He took them, on his back, to 2 scudettos (championships) in 87-88 and 89-90. He dragged them up from nothing, and made them a powerhouse in Italy n2
n2
 . He is a God here, just like in his homeland. Napoli paid a then world-record 6 million euros for him from Barcelona (said to be mainly Mafia cash) and he duely repaid them. He's still everywhere today. From dude's selling fake Maradona shirts to just his photo in almost every pizzeria, bar and shop in town. These folks will never forget the great man.

His club, SSC Napoli, was nothing before him. Now, the city lives and breathes for it. Their home is the Stadio San Paolo. It's said to hold 60,000 screaming, whistling, crazy Neapolitans, by law that is, but the number is usually much higher. It's an old stadium, and it's condition is much like the city's. Plenty of torn up seats, no seat numbers, no corporate boxes, not even a scoreboard. It's a proudly pro-smoking venue. There's even a moat to help seperate the players from the spectators, that's how nuts they are. It's a lawless and hostile place. Wicked.

The local boys faced Lazio of Rome in the 2nd leg of their Coppa Italia tie, in their 'House of Pain'. Everyone hates Lazio. Don't know why, they just do. But they were up 2-1 after the 1st leg and looked confident. Napoli kept a few stars on the bench and paid for it, only drawing 1-1. They lost 3-2 on aggregate. The atmosphere - dynamic. Only about 30,000 people, but they sounded like 50,000, especially the 'Ultras'. Jeering, whistling, exploding crackers, throwing flares and water bottles. I felt like I was back in Argentina. They love their team. The players are lucky. One player to watch - Ezequial Lavezzi. He's a jet, remember him. I'm a Napoli fan for life.

Only a days rest before hitting Milan...and the San Siro. Football is wicked.
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