Part 4: Protests, birthdays and the re-election of Mussolini in Napoli

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Back in one of my favorite cities

My boat was late.
After a tame ferry ride, my boat arrived in Napoli about 2-1/2 hours behind schedule.
I got just a little bit lost, but none of that matters. I am here with my lovely Neapolitan family again. I do love this place.

Protests, tours and lunch

Marisa took me to a protest of Israeli made-invested products outside a supermarket. We stood outside picketing and informing the customers of the evil done by their uninformed purchasing decisions.
After a brief walk to the top of the city, a peak at the castle and a museum, we ate a delicious lunch, while Elena studied for her gravely important medical school exam, which had already been postponed at least twice - driving her crazy.
Marisa took me down to a book store where I bought On The Road by Jack Kerouac. A cute, young lady reading at nearby table kept staring and smiling at me then looking away shyly. I smiled back, gave her a wink and said Ciao when I left.

Tale of two parties

We went to the home of one of Marisa’s friends, who was hosting a political candidate party. This person incited controversy and general disagreement with her idea to group many Neapolitan municipalities together and reduce overlapping positions. She seemed like a nice enough lady, but nobody liked her plan. I really can’t imagine her going anywhere in politics. In the meantime I enjoyed snacking on about eight rounds of hors d’ourves.
After the party it was very cold, and we took a nice long walk. Marisa challenged me to walk across the piazza near the palace, in a straight line. When I walked across it successfully, she said she was impressed because she’d recently been with a group of 10, and she was the only one able to walk straight across.
We picked up some gelato on the way home for Elena and her study partners. She had studied all day long for her Monday test.
Later at night, Elena and I walked to Antonio’s birthday party, which he was sharing with another friend who had the same birthday. There were about 20 people crammed into the flat, with dancing, music, and a mini keg. I met many of her friends. Her friend Stefania is very nice. Apparently there are Facebook pictures of me getting down with my bad self from my last time in Napoli.

Mussolini, art and feminism

On the following night, I went with Marisa and her friends to see a special screening of a new Iranian film at the Museo D’Arte Contemporanea. On the way there, I saw an election poster (there are many of them, as the election is this month) for Alessandra Mussolini - the grand daughter of Benito Mussolini. I literally did a cartoon double-take. If I’d been drinking something, it would have been a spit-take. According to Marisa, there are many fascists in Naples, and it this woman may likely win the election. I wonder how Hans Hitler would do in Berlin?
The museum was somewhat interesting. I particularly liked the giant anchor and suspended shark in tinted glass. There was a series of paintings with a theme of young girls tied up and abused, and then killing their aggressor. That was stimulating. We saw the mayor of Napoli admiring this set.
Downstairs in the theatre hall, they introduced the director of the Iranian film called “Women without men.” It was an odd story of four women, in different phases of their lives, during the revolutions to chase out the British in the 1950s.
The next day, in the cold drizzle and chilling clouds, I crossed the Italian Peninsula and headed for Cerignola.

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Photos

Protest
Brennan pickets at an anti-Israeli rally.

Above Napoli
Brennan perches himself above the city.

Comfort
Stefania comforts a worn-out, over-studied Elena.

Party Posing
My Napoli crew, looking dramatic.