After a night in the Barcelona airport, on a comfortable padded lime green bench in an airport café, I caught my 7 am flight to Naples without a hitch. The trip from France to Italy went really smooth. The landing approach into Naples is one of the more interesting approaches I’ve experienced in a while. After crossing the Mediterranean the plane continues inland while descending. It then makes a low right banking turn into a mountain valley with Mt. Vesuvius on the right. The mountains almost seem dangerously close. I had a right side window seat which afforded a great view. The plane then continues to descend into the valley to land at the Naples international airport which only has one landing strip.
Stepping off the plane in Naples is a little like going back in time. There are no jet way enclosed concourses. Instead, an old fashioned stairway is rolled up and you step of on the tarmac. From there you are shuttled a short distance to a baggage claim in seat less bus while standing. The baggage claim area is cramped and the conveyor belts old and well used. Lots of people rush about and I’d say it’s an airport where you don’t want your bags sitting around for long. I grabbed my pack as soon as it came out. Apparently Naples has been talking about building a new airport for 30 years but for now the current airport will go on to serve the 3 million or so residents until who knows when.
I stepped out of the baggage claim into a busy waiting area and quickly found my Uncle Frank. We then walked over to café for coffee and a pastry. The counter staff was every bit Italian and very busy. Frank has spoken fluent Italian for as long as I remember and can naturally understand everything. In the process of getting our pastry and coffee the guy helping us had to stop and have a quick conversation with a friend about how he is working too much. The staff was quick, friendly, rude, disinterested, organized, disorganized, and happy but unhappy to serve. All at the same time. The gestures, the speech, the attitude all quintessential stereotypical Italian. We stood at the café counter otherwise you pay double to sit at a table. For Frank it was probably just Italy but for me I got a kick out it and was kind of amused by it all. It was a perfect introduction to southern Italy.
Southern Italy is very different from the north. The North is well laid out for the tourist. The pace is slower and more organized with spit and polish Tuscan villages, vineyards etc. The South is like a different country. From what I’ve seen so far it’s much more rough around the edges. There’s garbage everywhere and the atmosphere is more of a developing country as opposed to the north which is quite developed.
My aunt Anna is from Lago Patria which is a town on the Mediterranean and she owns a villa there. That’s where I’m staying. Most of her family still lives here and many are involved in running a hotel/restaurant that’s owned by the family. Anna is the oldest in a family of 10 brothers and sisters. Her father has passed but her mother is still going strong at 80. Frank first spotted Anna while stationed in the Navy in Naples. He was test riding a motorcycle in 1966 and saw Anna in front of the family run hotel while passing by. He knew at first sight that she would be the woman he would marry. Through a lengthy and persistent courting process he won her over and they were married in 1969. They continue to have a happy life together and have always made a good team. I consider them to be very lucky.
My first day in Lago Patria was spent meeting the family, eating some really good food, and catching up with Frank and Anna. The villa is quite modest and simple but very nice and comfortable with enough room for guests. Frank and Anna have been in the process of remodeling. It’s a two story building with a good sized courtyard and balcony. The balcony affords an open view across a farmland hayfield. The top story is fully refinished with 3 bedrooms and two baths, a nice sized living area and average sized kitchen. The courtyard is fully redone in traditional Italian style and is pleasantly inviting. The bottom portion of the building needs a lot of work but is perfectly suitable for a storage etc. The villa is located in a gated private park area with several other homes that are rented by Anna and her sister. The gate keeps the area particularly peaceful as there seems to be no shortage of riff raff in the area. All in all I really like it here and am very comfortable. In the days coming up I hope to check out a lot of the area at a relaxed pace.
As far my health goes I’m healing very quickly. My right eye is looking remarkably better. There’s definitely no infection and I’ll be off the antibiotics in a couple of days. I’m not supposed to get much sun while on the medication so by Friday I figure I’ll have a bit more freedom to get out more. I think my decision to come to Naples was the right thing to do for now and I'm happy to be here.
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