by Amanda Ruggeri

The first time I visited Naples, I did not fall in love. I arrived at night, and the darkness of the streets intimidated me. So did the graffiti and the way trash erupted, Mt. Vesuvius–style, from the Dumpsters. I even felt intrigued, but a little anxious, by the loudness of a parade that passed down the Spaccanapoli made up of 20 people chanting and waving flags.

I still can't remember if the procession was in honor of a saint's day or a soccer win; both, in Naples, have almost equally religious undertones. Compared to Rome, whose chaos is contained by rules you learn the longer you live there, Naples seemed like an explosion. It overwhelmed me.

Then I visited again. And again.

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Source: http://nymag.com/