Laetita in Naples

In Naples, the streets are the living room and workplace of the whole city!

When I arrived last year at the end of August, I was hopelessly overwhelmed at first. There is a Neapolitan saying that Naples always makes newcomers cry twice, once when they arrive and once when they have to leave. That’s exactly how it was for me. This city is more joyful, more colorful, and more alive than any other European city I’ve been to before. But also louder, dirtier, and more chaotic – and it took a few days for loud to become joyful, dirty to become colorful, and chaotic to become alive.

For me, the greatest thing about Naples was how much everyone lives together. The streets are the living room and workplace of the whole city and life takes place in public.

The daily chats on every corner, the laughter over coffee (oh, the caffè!!), with strangers and with soon to be no longer strangers, the many loud greetings out of living rooms – all this makes Naples unique and worth living in my eyes. Plus, it’s by the sea!

I have spent a particularly wonderful year and can only shout out loud in my mind to every person who is considering going to Naples: “YES! GO!”