NAPOLI

I had been anticipating Naples for some time and had kept receiving advice, mostly negative.  "It's dirty".  "It's full of pickpockets".  The sole positive was "eat the pizza" , a plan reinforced by the proprietor at Kingston Foreshore's Molto Restaurant who provided me with a recommendation for a specific parlour.

The Naples train station was a hive of activity offsetting the streets around Piazza Garibaldi that appeared strangely deserted.  Even the pickpockets were absent.  Kim's arrangement for a taxi was spot on and we were soon dicing with death.  "Surely he's not going to squeeze through there!". Yep, he was and that was simply the entree.  Our B&B was located in the Spanish Quarter, a rat's warren of ascending vias crowded on both side by parallel parked and scraped small vehicles.  Motor scooters swerved out of the taxis' way before he deposited us in front of an imposing wooden gateway that opened to give us entry to the classically elegant Palazzo Della Principessa.

An address like that is either a front for somewhere ordinary or we have struck gold.  Gold it is!  Located on the fourth floor our plant encased balcony looked internally onto a courtyard and externally onto the crowded mean streets of Quartieri Spagnoli ~ the Spanish Quarter.

Depositing our luggage, we departed down via San Mattia in search of beverages, pizza and humanity.  Humanity it was!  We had arrived in Napoli on the public holiday Ferro Agosta which explained the deserted streets.  There was nothing deserted about via Toledo which teamed with Neopolitans moving in mass, walking and of course talking in unison.  Love, lunch and everything in between was the topic and our antipodean demure frequently left us adjusting our trail.  Let's have a drink, we're blocking the traffic.  Armed military and police officers were armed to the teeth and it would have been a foolish pickpocket to try his or her chances.

Via Formale led us up to a trattoria preparing for the evening session where cooking and wait staff were eating at the adjacent table.  Pasta, bread and beers were being consumed while a constant stream of bantering Italian invective was being swapped.  Taking the hint we finished our Aperol Spritz and turned back in the direction we hoped would lead home.  Whoops, we missed our street and ended up in Piazza del Plebiscito where a crowd gathered around a flamenco guitarist and sang lustily of lost love and hard fought Spanish liberty.

Showered and refreshed we hit the vias in search of dinner. 

On Board Observances

Holidaying overseas gives you the opportunity to observe the habits of different people and cultures.  European countries are forever fascinating because of the ingrained habits of centuries eg the politeness of the French greeting "Bonjour madam/monsieur" prior to any transaction, the Italian shared conversations at machine-gun pace, the English reserve. 

It is therefore fascinating to observe the travelling American close up.  Despite my six decades I am yet to visit the USA, so eleven days and nights cruising the Agean Sea is my first experience of their men and women en masse at close quarters.  The ship's demography is overwhelmingly post WWII the infamous Baby Boomers, and the cruise is designed with our generation in mind.  Breakfast choices are interesting and foreign to the Australian palate.  Hash browns have become a part of our culture but creamed wheat, pork patties and corn beef hash have previously only been encountered in popular American media like McHale's Navy and MASH.

Apparel is very interesting with ladies of indeterminate age frequently clad in pedal pushers reminiscent of my Aunt Bonny.  Sportswear is very popular as are T-shirts proclaiming their college affiliation or previously visited tourist destinations.  Men invariably wear polo shirts tucked into walk shorts and clinched "high-waist Harry" style with belts.  This was captured beautifully in the Tom Hanks movie Larry Crown where his home decor, hair style and wardrobe were updated by his friends.

The American trophy wife abounds, usually gym tight thin with blonde or silver hair either sleek pompadour or ponytail.  "Bob" or "Al" or "Bill" nondescript but definitely loaded.  Moustaches are ubiquitous and frequently matching that of Trump's war warrior John Bolton.

There are, apart from our sartorial selves (yuk, yuk), a number of very elegant couples.  A Spanish husband and wife (I assume) distinctly sophisticated ~ She immaculately coiffeured and frequently clad entirely in white, and he moustacioed and probably a television talk show host.  Another (possibly English) are standouts ~ he is also sporting a mo, handled barred and silver and affecting a Mediterranean wardrobe, and she a stern Amazonian with an amazing tan and ever present  notebook and cigarette.

The smokers are an uncomfortable clique, quarantined in a small enclave off the pool deck.  The Pool Bar is well attended whilst waiters are engaged serving the prostrate multitudes reclining on sun lounges.  "No reservations" is the rule and lounges are scarce soon after breakfast. The prevailing wind is blocked by glass panelling with only the occasional humid gust fluttering the pages of novels opened on snoozing bellies.