THE RESTLESS NATIVE:World Cup runneth over

They did it! Italy won the World Cup! It was an amazing night in Naples last Sunday. I watched the first half of the game at Piazza Plebiscito (where I saw Sting perform live). The piazza was packed, of course, and a frenzied sea of Italian flags waved over the heads of the crowd. People decorated their faces, hair, bodies and mopeds in red, white and green and cheered with every noisemaker at hand. Along the perimeter of the piazza, fans set off fireworks and colored smoke bombs that repeatedly jarred viewers’ attention away from the large-screen TV. When a referee made a poor call, the Italian gestures flew on cue accompanied by a massive surge of discontent. When Italy scored, everyone jumped up and down together, hugging and shouting.

For the second half, I returned to the hostel to watch the game with the guests and my manager. The match went into overtime and eventually a round of penalty kicks before Italy took the victory. Every moment up to that involved me and my manager sitting on the edge of the couch, waiting in agony for the final score. When it came, my manager sprang from his seat (in a fashion I was well accustomed to, by then) and hugged me and every person at hand. At the same time the streets outside came alive with car horns and fireworks. The display I had seen along the gulf the week before, when Italy beat Germany, was put to shame. The city and the Gulf of Naples sparkled with explosions.

Shortly after, I joined the chaotic crowds on the street and made my way back to Piazza Plebiscito. The week before, Renato and I had driven through these same streets. Walking this route on Sunday was a completely different experience! Crossing the street in Naples on any given day can be dangerous to your health; on this night it was nearly suicidal! Looking left and right before crossing was just not enough, since cars and mopeds seemed to be coming from every direction. Finding my courage, I crept along and finally arrived at the piazza, where it looked as though a riot had taken place. Piles of trash slowly burned unattended. Fireworks burst randomly ? some with the sole purpose of making a loud bang just a few feet away from unsuspecting people. Broken glass was strewn everywhere, making me wish I had reconsidered wearing flip-flops for the celebration!

My true escape came on Tuesday when I left Naples to enjoy my night and day off on the isle of Ischia. At first I had only planned on taking a day-trip there, but my manager, seeing how tired I had been in the last week, insisted I stay the night and arranged for me to have a free bed at a friend’s hostel. I am so glad I took him up on the offer. Not only did I get a free bed, but a free, delicious dinner as well and the first full night’s worth of sleep I have gotten since I began working in Naples. The next morning, after a complementary breakfast, I went with a Canadian girl, with whom I was sharing a room, to one of the many spas on the island. We spent a beautiful, warm day sun bathing and soaking in one thermal pool after another. (I even got a bit of a tan!) Up until this point, I had had a migraine headache every day for a week. Just one day at Ischia and this pattern was broken. I feel like a new woman and I definitely foresee another trip to this amazing island soon!

One more thing I want to mention before signing off is that my travel plans have changed yet again. I will remain in Naples for the rest of the summer, and I will continue to work at the hostel. After many conversations with his family, Renato has returned from Spain and all have decided it would be best for him to remain in Naples. In a way, I’m quite relieved since I love it here in Italy, I love the Italian language (I had my first in-depth conversation in Italian with an elderly woman on a bus in Ischia), and I love working with everyone at the hostel. Renato didn’t get a chance to look for work before his family convinced him to come home and, though I’m sure he would have found some, I am nearly positive that my chances of finding work would have been next to zero. It was a small adventure, but one from which we learned a lot.

With the World Cup being over and no trek to Spain in sight, I can only look forward to seeing Renato for the first time since he returned to Naples. I will fill everyone in on the reunion (and perhaps some unexpected twists and turns) next week. Until then, ciao raggazzi!