main index © Jeff Matthews
2002-2012
Naples Miscellany 19 (mid-January 2009)
 There
is, indeed, a street in Naples named for Antonio de
Curtis (name in art of Totò),
the best-loved comic in the history of Italian film.
There is also a theater named for him, and his
birthplace in the Vergini
section is marked by a commemorative plaque. BUT—the
Totò Museum is still not open, though it
appears they are making progress. The museum will be
on two floors of the Palazzo dello
Spagnolo, the best-known building in
the Vergini.
The person in charge of the restoration of the
entire building tells me that it's probably a matter
of a few months. He denies any fault at the delay (I
believe him) and blames it on city-hall bureaucracy
(and that...I
really
believe).
- It seems to me that if you can afford 2000 euros
(!) a night for a hotel, you can probably afford a
few more for a cab (or private helicopter) to find
one well away from the main train station and the
grimey industrial section of the city. That may be
the problem of the Hotel Romeo on via Cristoforo
Colombo in Naples. Guests find five full stars'
worth of suites, pool, sushi restaurant, works of
art, etc. etc., but most of it running at a mere 20%
occupancy since the hotel opened on Dec. 11, 2008.
In fairness, only the exclusive Japanese suite costs
the Two Large; others go as low as a very
competitive (for 5 stars!) 330 euros (currently
about 450 dollars) a night. (If this entry does not
apply to you, see this
one on the Youth Hostel.)
- Via Partenope is the eastern extension of via
Caracciolo, the panoramic road along the seafront.
Specifically, it is the curved portion that swings
in front of the Castel dell'Ovo.
If you are a restaurant owner along that stretch,
you may have set up a "gazebo," a sheltered section
in front of the restaurant, covered by an awning and
surrounded by some sort of a barrier that detours
pedestrians around the tables. That's the problem;
such structures jut out onto—indeed, occupy much
of—public sidewalks and have no right to be there,
at least according to the coppers who showed up on
via Partenope the other morning and closed five of
them down. Elsewhere in Naples, similar episodes are
taking place to combat the large number of such
illegal structures. The term gazebo is used
in both Italian and English; the other Italian term
is "tendone" (big tent), a canvas and plastic affair
(sometimes glass) mounted on metal supports that
have been anchored in place right where you want to
walk.
- The papers are painting a generally bleak picture
of the coming year for tourism in Naples. (Current
winter tourism at sites such as Pompeii is off
almost 20%, for example.) 2009 might even be worse
than 2008, when the garbage crisis and the strong
euro kept many away. Now, due to a financial dispute
between the Campania region (of which Naples is the
capital) and Gesac (Gestione Servizi Aeroporti Campani—Campania
Airport Services Administration) the private firm
that handles all
passenger services at Capodichino airport, the
Info-point has been closed. This was the friendly
little information counter staffed by real, live,
competent, multilingual people whose job was to find
you a hotel, provide general information, and point
you in the right direction in Naples. So, I have 20%
off...do I hear 30%...thank you, sir...35?...yes,
thank you...
- You may not be aware of an organisation called
New7Wonders of Nature. It is running an "official"
campaign to designate seven locations as the seven
natural sites in the world most worthy of
preserving. (To my knowledge, the organization has
nothing to do with UNESCO in case this reminds you
of that organisation's World Heritage List). There
were 441 original nominations; 100 million people
from around the world have voted and narrowed the
list to 261. The list will be cut to 21 in July and
the winners announced sometime in 2011. So far, Mt.
Vesuvius has made the cut, along with such sites as
the Grand Canyon, the Black Forest, Niagara Falls,
and the Loch Ness. Go Vesuvius! You can vote at this website. Mt. Etna on
Sicily is steaming because she didn't make the cut.
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