Sylvania (AFS 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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of Hell in the Divine Comedy . During the summer months, tourists from all over Europe come to see the River Styx and the Queen's Bedroom Chamber . The romance of the area was certainly overlooked when John Ruskin, the nineteenth century English writer and social critic, referred to Napoli as being, . . . the most loathsome nest of human caterpillars l was ever forced to stay in,-a hell with all the devils imbecile in it. Certainly the most disgusting place in Europe. But, like the Roman God lanus,-Naples wears two faces. One is soft with the patina of age, looking back on a truly remarkable 'past ,... and the other faces beyond the pre-war and war years towards a new, modern, vastly improving way of life. The Autostrada system rivals any highways in Europe, and most in America. The traffic in town rivals any in the world. Sort of a confused go-cart race, only the cars are smaller. Americans drive to avoid hitting other cars. ln Bella Napoli the attempt is to avoid being hit. Yet for the seeming lack of discipline and order, there is an espirit de corps which is over- whelming. At a teeming intersection the traffic seems to work its way through like a sieve, and the only times there are real traffic jams is when some policeman tries to direct matters. Through the forests of hanging laundry lead the pathways to gold alley , coffin alley , thieves alley , nativity alley , sweater alley , and the other intersections which teem with action from early morning until late afternoon, and then slowly quiet down until the only noises are the drifting tones of automobile horns out on the main roads, and the only action is a startled rat scurrying around the corner. Only on New Year's Eve are things different. This is the one day in the year when inhibition is unknown in italy. And the hour of midnight is the most dangerous time of all, despite being one of the most colorful. The fire-falls off the balconies, the roman candles, the millions of fire-crackers and noise makers, -all these cover the city with a thick smog of black-powder smoke. And bags, bottles, left-over Christmas trees, refrigerators, papers, old tires, et cetera cover the streets. Actually, the Americans may complain about the craze of throwing the garbage out the windows, but they are also among the maior contributors. , . l l l

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Whereas freedom of religion has long existed, 99N of the population is Catholic. Naples is the seat of an archbishop, and there are over 200 churches in the city. Some date as far back as the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, with the majority being built or restored during the golden era of the seventeenth and eighteenth cen- turies. Santa Chiara is perhaps the finest, being the church of royalty and nobility. The Cathedral houses the chapel of the patron saint, San Gennaro CSt. Januariusb. This prime example of seventeenth century Neopolitan art contains, among other relics, two vials of his blood which are said to boil twice per year. The Italian is also an extraordinary sports fan. Sunday is unanimously acclaimed to be the day for Church, Funerals, and Soccer. And all three are taken with equal sobriety. C Actually it is small cause for wonder that the Neopolitan does not drink much, his mind is continually in that condition which the northerner tries to induce by strong drink. - Peter Gunn, 19615 ln the new San Paolo Stadium, having a specified capacity for 80,000 Cbut usually crammed with 100,000 spectatorsb, and totally devoid of any plumbing facilities, the city locals cheer for their team against such rivals as Rome, Milan, and Genoa, - all fighting for the distinction of wearing the patch denoting them as the national cham- pions. And what happens in ltaly to the coach of the losing team? Last year his neighbors burned his house down. Edenlandia is ltaly's answer to Disneyland, and Naples seems to give its total approval. From the Cave, to the Enchanted Castle, over the immense Ferris Wheel, and back to the Cave again, the fleet makes its presence noticed. Other favorite amusement areas are the San Francisco, Cactus, El Morocco, and the Snake Pit. On a bright, windy day, the spray from the fountain creates a subdued rainbow over Piazza Nlunicipio. During the summer months, the green grass in front of the Castle is often covered with happy people, photographers, and the elaborate white wedding gowns of beaming new brides. The tourists in the horse-drawn carriages, the three- wheeled trucks winding in and out of traffic, and the smiling sidewalk vendors trying to sell Joe a new gold watch, or pen, or pictures of the scenic bay ,... but this is not unusual, we've seen it all before . . . this is our home port, Naples. - -'