Yesterday I went to visit my ancestral home of Torre Del Greco (TDG) to redo my Italian ID card which had been damaged. It was cool that I had an excuse to go back and see it. It was also nice that my friend Paolo drove me there; he works with my gf and he's from a town near Napoli so he was generous to take me there. He also appreciates the same things I do in that town which are also some of the simplest things such as observing the fresh fish in an outdoor market and even observing the quality of the cigarettes some old man was selling! We also enjoyed observing the town's history via the old buildings, some of which were evidence of past grandeur and elegance and the view of the town from the pier at the port.
What I like most about going there is knowing that my roots and my last name are from there. Living here amongst things, people and places which are not directly related to me is fine but going to TDG gives me a small sense of belonging even though they left a century ago and we don't have any immediate family there anymore. Then there is the bureaucratic side of it as I am registered at the town hall as a Torre citizen living abroad. But nonetheless, I am member of that town and I believe I can vote there. It was nice to be able to get my new ID card with no problems, as if to say "Oh good, they remember me!"
Another perk of TDG is that it's right under the Vesuvius volcano and it's an impressive view although a bit scary as vesuvio is a sleeping giant and I do believe that eventually it will explode and wipe TDG right off the map. This is one reason I don't live there as well as fears of other natural disasters. To this people react with disbelief and that I am overreacting, but the fear is justified. Still, with that idea aside, it is tempting to live there although perhaps I am a bit naive as I believe living there on a daily basis would be hard. Not only that but I have a job and a steady relationship here in Rome so I am content to stay here and Rome is not far at all from Campania.
As I said before, Paolo and I appreciated the same things in Torre Del Greco whereas other people might call it an urban dump as the buildings are old and apparently falling apart. It definitely has a stigma to it, not to mention the organized crime aspect to it. Nonetheless, for us it's a piece of history and it's nice to be in a place where tourists don't usually go so we can observe how the average person lives and the original flavor of the place is preserved. That to me is more interesting than tourist traps which as a result make a place lose its authenticity (this may happen in Cuba).
A Torr, ce verrimm n'ata vot, si semp dint' o cor!(My rusty napoletano!)
