Napoli in the summertime.

[Psaw]

Naples, Ischia, Capri, Sorrento, Portofino, even Bacoli, surely this slice of this god forsaken world has fallen from heaven. When i am alone, i will spend my last years there.

Maybe even at ten minutes to midnight, maybe i will have a last love, even if it is the place itself.

Even now,
I know that i have savoured the hot taste of life, drinking green cups and gold at the great feast.
Just for a small and a forgotten time, i have had full in my eyes from off my girl
The whitest pouring of eternal light.....

Brian of Mawson Road. England is the best country in the world, but not to die.

[griff]

Naples is a s­hithole Frank. If you pick up a car at the airport, as i have, drive away as fast as you can. If you head for Pompeii, keep your eyes closed.

[kel_]

Have I mentioned I’ve been to Rome whilst we’re on the subject?

Mike of Longworth Drive (number 7)

[Psaw]

I knew someone would say that Griff. A mate of mine went to Naples, and when he came back his wife had left him. He didnt know which was worse. When i went to Istanbul i was more interested and fascinated by the poverty. Istanbul was a major dissapointment, i expected camels and bedoins. And CURRY. There was none.

Washing hanging in the streets, big holes in the roads, cars jammed into every space, all cars bearing big dents, jammed busses, i nearly had my wallet lifted on a bus, it was blatant, wide busy streets, little alleyways, busy restaurants, all streets jammed. It felt like something that was already in me.

I suppose you never got to the market, filthy and stinking, with everything for sale. Huge blocks of high rises, what must life be like in there, it wont be like England. All roads constantly jammed, cars mounting the pavement to get by, a volcano of hooting if you dont move fast enough or make a mistake. I drove across Naples one afternoon, and survived.

Its about being alive, *****. writhing, always wanting to go somewhere else. My mother and her sister worked in southern italy for a while before coming to England. My aunt worked in Naples, had three kids they all died before the age of five. Her then husband fell over board fishing and was eaten by a shark.

My take on that was that he was not eaten by a shark, his mates made it up. I reckon he caught a train to Milan. You dont know my aunt. When i die, those three kids will not be remembered anymore.

If you go again, try the Amalfi coast.

Naples is my sort of town.

Len of Fen Causeway.

[funny_flopbags]

I've watched Gomorrah Frank.

Consequently I will NEVER be going to Naples.

[griff]

Palermo’s just as bad, Frank. It’s OK around the cathedral and, to be fair, I had one of the best meals of my life outside a small restaurant in the market, but the rest was poverty, traffic and civilians with guns and big dogs. Sicily is falling apart with big holes in the roads, piles of waste picked over by packs of wild dogs and buildings held up with wooden beams. Never again.

[cocopops61]

I had to go on holiday abroad when I was under the thumb and I hated it,tbf we never went anywhere cultural or interesting but tourists spots with beaches and bars but it just wasn't for me,one of the best things about your Mrs walking out on you is that you can finally do what you want and I've seen some beautiful places touring the uk,if the weather is right you just can't beat it

[Psaw]

You as well Chalky? My mate survived, has a new girl and lives in Stratford which cant be bad. Griff, the things you find appalling are the things i find attractive about places, looking at how people really live. Istanbul is just another european city, i would say less poverty stricken than Naples.

What might suit you is Grado on the Adriatic coast. Its not far from Venice, you can get there by train and spend the day there, its about two hours, i know, ive done it. Aquillia is nearby, which are Roman ruins and Palmanova.

Grado has a perfect beach, and is filled by bars restaurants and hotels. It has the most sunshine hours of all of Italy, even though its in the north. The Julien alps are not far away. Grado is not english though, very few if any british people go there. There are a lot of germans, or there were.

There is even a shrine to a nazi bomber that crashed in the bay killing the crew. I found that shocking, its either a monument to people losing their lives, or a tribute to the nazis. Personally, i couldnt care less.

Grado is spick and span, a perfect holiday. In my twenties you could get a package holiday there from britain, i dont know now, ill have to check. I would go again if i could, modom isnt well, and i have two dogs. I will eventually. Palermo sounds great, ive seen a programme on it.