Naples Light and Dark

• Dark, narrow streets
• Canopy of laundry drying in the breeze
• Graffiti on every possible surface

Naples is an enigma, a place that stirs quick emotions. Its Old Town is a tangled web of tiny, narrow streets and alleyways. Look up: to see laundry hanging from most balconies. Look down: watch where you step, because of uneven or broken pavement. Look around: the vertical landscape is covered with graffiti. Every available space is a canvas for expression in words and illustrations. Stop, listen: loud voices and Vespa motors echo up to the highest floors of the congested living quarters. It is the good, the bad and the ugly of all cities.

The wealthy and the poor live amongst the ruins. The outer appearance of the structures lack colour without suggestions of what may be behind the closed doors.

This is a birthplace of organized crime, the ever-present Gomorrah is a dark shadow over the city. Yet there is a bright side – laughter, love of family and great food.