Naples: Lost My Drumsticks (and Maybe My Mind)
okay, so naples. it’s…a lot. i’m a touring session drummer, right? usually, i’m pretty chill, roll with the punches, find the beat in any chaos. but this city? it’s like the chaos is the beat. i arrived with a gig lined up - backing some opera singer who apparently has a serious following - and immediately lost a drumstick. just…vanished. poof.
first impressions? *pizza. obviously. like, it’s everywhere. and it’s good. really good. i’m talking life-altering good. i spent a solid hour just watching a guy make pizza, completely mesmerized. it was better than most concerts i’ve played, honestly. i’ve been reading up on the history of the city, and it’s wild - layers and layers of stuff piled on top of each other. it feels…ancient.
but it’s not all ancient ruins and delicious carbs. the energy here is…intense. people are loud. they’re passionate. they’re constantly gesturing wildly. i swear, i saw two guys almost come to blows over a parking spot, then five minutes later, they were sharing a cigarette and laughing. it’s a whole thing. i just checked and it’s…a bit damp, with a breeze that smells faintly of salt and exhaust, hope you like that kind of thing.
someone told me that the best sfogliatella is at Scaturchio, but you have to get there before noon or it’s all gone. like, all gone. apparently, people fight over it.
my hotel is…interesting. it’s above a laundry and next to a shop that sells exclusively religious statues. the owner, a tiny woman named Rosa, doesn’t speak a word of english, but she keeps trying to feed me cookies. i think she suspects i’m wasting away. if you get bored, pompeii and herculaneum are just a short train ride away, which is a bit of a downer, but also, history, you know? Check out TripAdvisor for day trip options.
gear-wise, i’m regretting not bringing earplugs. seriously. the streets are a constant symphony of honking scooters, shouting vendors, and opera singers practicing. also, comfortable shoes are a must. you’ll be doing a lot of walking. and maybe a spare drumstick. definitely a spare drumstick.
pro-tips (because i’m a helpful drummer, even when lost):
learn a few basic italian phrases. “grazie” and “prego” will get you surprisingly far.
be prepared to haggle. it’s expected.
don’t be afraid to get lost. some of the best discoveries are made when you’re wandering aimlessly.
try the street food. seriously. it’s amazing.
watch your belongings. pickpockets are a thing.
I overheard someone at a *cafe saying that the best way to experience Naples is to just “let it happen.” which, honestly, is terrifying and also kind of perfect. i’ve been trying to find a good music shop to replace my lost stick, but it’s proving difficult. i heard that there’s a tiny place near the port*, but it’s run by a guy who only accepts cash and speaks exclusively in napoletano dialect. Here's a Yelp page with some music stores.
apparently, the traffic here is so bad that people just give up on rules and create their own lanes. it’s organized chaos, they say. i’m not convinced.
rosa just brought me another cookie. i think she’s winning. i’m starting to suspect i’ll never leave. or maybe i’ll just become a pizza-making, drumstick-less legend of the naples streets. either way, it’s a story. Check out this local forum for more tips. and if you see a lone drumstick wandering around, please send it my way. Here's a link to the opera house.
You might also be interested in:
- https://votoris.com/post/shopping-in-guadalajara-from-local-markets-to-luxury-malls
- https://votoris.com/post/remote-work-in-douala-is-it-a-digital-nomad-paradise
- https://votoris.com/post/cairo-egypt-drum-beats-and-dusty-streets
- https://votoris.com/post/public-transportation-guide-how-to-get-around-pune-like-a-botanist-who-missed-the-last-bus
- https://votoris.com/post/jodhpur-dust-dreams-and-a-whole-lotta-heat