italiafile

Finally, Spring seems to be arriving. May of the Monuments is in full swing and the city is bemoaning the lack of tourists. This is because of a) the weather and b) the organisation of events in Italy. Anywhere else in the world, a whole month of guided tours, unfettered access to normally private buildings and exhibitions would have been planned months ahead and holidays sold on the strength of it. Not so here. The plans were finalised the week before the month began, which makes flogging weekends away to cultural Brits a tad more difficult. The Neapolitans dont understand that it is only Neapolitans who make their plans 3 minutes before leaving the house. Other people tend to require a bit of notice. This is true of everything. Posters advertising the New Year parties appear on Decemeber 31, the daily newspapers carry news of what is on in Naples the same evening. Planning ahead is not generally encouraged... nowhere more so than summer holidays. While half of Italy goes to the same place, probably the same hotel, year after year, the other half of the population seems to book their holidays after they have packed the suitcases and put on the suncream. Not that there are last minute discounts here... oh no.. because everybody does it, the prices rise steeply in the last days leading up to the August getaway... and still there are takers. It's anathema to the anally organised Brits who book their summer holidays while leafing through the Xmas Radio Times.

I was back in the UK for Easter, and My God it's green. Even London. I had never thought of London as an oasis of greenery and wide orderly streets, but compared to Naples its like New England. For the first, and I hope the only time, I actually felt a pang of desire to be wandering through green meadows and woods. It didnt last. After signal problems on the tube, unaccountable delays on every other form of transport and a screaming match with BT, i was glad to be on the plane out of the place again. My garden looks nice though.... now a garden in Naples... that would be a novelty for anyone with a house worth less than 2 million. I shall buy more lottery tickets and live in hope.