Napoli & Frittata di Maccheroni al Pomodoro

A love letter to the colorful chaos of Naples — and a clever Neapolitan trick for leftover pasta (rare, but it happens)!

From Napoli’s Simposio!

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Naples culture is thrown at you the minute you step off the train—or any other mode of transportation. It colonizes, unapologetically and continuously, all your senses.

Every step through the maze of streets guiding you to the city center is a step deeper into a surreal world. A world so steeped in its peculiarities that it becomes a dense paste, enveloping you, denuding you, and giving you a second birth.

First, you learn that the city and its people are organized in a way you'll never fully understand. You can’t believe it works. When you’re waiting in line for a taxi, the least probable man—who you thought was there by chance, perhaps waiting for a second or third turn—calls you forward from the third line. And still, somehow, the line is processed smoothly. All the people who arrived on your same train are in their cabs, welcomed with huge smiles.

Because that’s another thing about Naples: people smile.

I’m not talking about a made-up, circumstantial smile. I’m recalling those genuinely happy smiles that explode from the soul. A smile you later realize isn't even for you. It’s for life.

Neapolitans are happy because happiness is part of their nature. They are cheerful because they were born cheerful. They are joyful because they find joy in a myriad of things.

And Neapolitans are kind because kindness follows happiness.

It’s why people tend to assume that Neapolitans are fooling them. We’re so used to seeing the rest of the world frustrated that we can’t conceive someone else simply being happy and well-disposed toward us. And wait, I’m not saying they might not fool you at some point, but rest assured, it will have nothing to do with that smile, that blissful state, and that happiness. It’s business.

Your taxi driver, a young handsome—because Neapolitans are also handsome, whether it’s a consequence or a cause of their bliss—boy, will talk and talk and talk upon your first question. Any topic related to his city or culture will trigger a conversation, and he’ll be more than glad to share all the latest news, flavored with comments and anecdotes you won’t find in any newspaper, travel guide, or book. He’ll plant the first seed of happiness in your spirit.

So happiness is the first cultural insight to add to Naples' cultural profile.

The next is color. The city appears to be perpetually illuminated, making colors more vibrant, contrasts more accentuated, and hues more intense.

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