italiafile

To combat the microcriminalità the comune is planning to ban mopeds and scooters from the entire centro storico at weekends. Like last years plan not to sell alcohol in glass bottles after 10pm, this is entirely unworkable. The idea of a Neapolitan pushing his scooter the breadth of the historic centre before he rides off is laughable. Already the pedestrian zones of Via TOledo and Via Chiaia have people whizzing up and down, and parking anywhere they like. To add to the problem, any notion of a highway code disappears completely at about 5.30 on a Saturday evening when all the young blades have to get to the barber, sunbed centre, and clothes shops in preparation for their Saturday night out. Corso Umberto becomes a free for all with traffic going in all directions. Added to this is the complete inability of people to park their car and walk to the shops. The only option is apparently to park directly outside, two or even three deep and thereby stop any bus from getting past. Yesterday a scooter clipped the bus I was on, by virtue of the fact that the scooter was on the wrong side of the road in a bus lane. The shouting match which ensued, the scooter rider blaming the bus driver meant that the bus driver went off to the bar in a huff and left my bendy bus blocking the road and a busfull of passengers to wander aimlessly around waiting for another to come. Still, I wouldnt live anywhere else.

Piazza Plebiscito, the largest square in Naples, is being covered in sand, and becoming a show jumping arena. You can't imagine the same happening in Trafalgar Square. In fact would never pair showjumping adn Naples in teh same breath, but we wait and see.