Adios, Maradona! - Los Angeles Travel Photographer

I have a father whose whole career was about soccer. That gave him the ability later in his life to make any subject in a conversion about soccer, oftentimes leaving you wondering how you were led down that path.

A week ago, the world lost Diego, the Maradona, a name that I got to know before I had a choice. A controversial person, I still became fascinated years later (way after his retirement from the soccer field) by him and his skills in passing, ball control, and dribbling and most of all making goals.

Napoli is a religious city. It doesn’t take much/long to notice that (see also here).

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To see images of Maradona sharing the same space that the Catholic figures take up on the city’s walls, it’s something else. For a city that witnessed his best 7 years in career and him that brought the first mainland Southern Italian team the league championship, Neapolitans’ love for Maradona is cultural, social and borderline religious.

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Because of the pandemic, I have not had as many conversations that ended on soccer with my father. We just celebrated his birthday for him with some home-made goodies. Maybe the next time we meet/talk, I’ll lead him onto the subject of soccer, and even talk about Maradona. :-)

What a superstar that he was on the field! I think at least me and my father can agree on this one. Adios, senor Maradona. Thanks for the great performances and for making those games exciting to watch and talk about years down the road!

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P.S. At the frequency of seeing Maradona in the city of Napoli, I don’t have a single image of that. But a quick visit to the internet will give you abundant proof. See here and there for example.

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Children Are Shed Special Light - Los Angeles Travel Photographer

I’ve said it before, I love it when children are like children - the ones that play like one, talk like one and think like one. Not the ones that get their way around an iPhone with more dexterity than their parents. Not the ones that talk and behave like a mini-adult stuck in a baby’s body.

I’m touched when I see two boys playing on the window sill in Napoli, Italy, having not a worry in the world. It reminds me of a time when my sister and I would call out people passing by our window and quickly ducked to leave the person befuddled.

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And then there’s this baby girl on the day of Giostra del Saracino in Arezzo, Italy. The whole city came to root for their team of choice. She came in a stroller. It was after the team of Porta del Foro just received its blessings in Church of San Domenico. While adults stood around waiting for the procession of all teams to the competition site, she spends her quiet time, making sure her own scarf was perfect for the big moment.

As if the sun god couldn’t resist such authentic cuteness, he had to give her the special light while everyone else gets their broad light.

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The Hearts and Souls of Napoli, Italy - Los Angeles Travel Photographer

Quartieri Spagnoli (the Spanish Quarter), the area that’s said to be the most dangerous in Napoli. But it’s also the heart-and-soul of the city, according to others.

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We “survived” our first morning in Quartieri Spagnoli (see our last post). In the following week, we combed through narrow streets, checking out a plethora of palazzos, chiesas, and museo. While there are many things that we can look back in our photographs, what stayed with our mind and gives us a pretty smile once in a while is what happened when we were immersed in their daily life.

One time, a family had to share a piece of birthday cake with us when celebrating in a restaurant. Despite a full belly, we had no choice but to oblige.

Another time, a vendor grabbed us by the shoulder so we could have a photograph with him, and his fish.

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Oh, did I mention in the same restaurant where I was scolded for not being careful with my cell phone (see the post here)? It was our first meal in Italy and everything seemed new and interesting. While we were eyeing over the dish that two gentlemen had on their table, they had the waiter bring the exact dish for us. And to ensure that we tried their national beverage, we were treated to our first coppa di caffè in Italy after dinner.

Some say food leads to sense of happiness. I will certainly not argue with it. All this food that we were treated to in Italy may have contributed to this amore I feel towards it’s people. Maybe, the ubiquitous Virgin Mary that seems to be watching over us in every corner of the city has a hand in it as well?

Napoli maybe the first city that we visited in Italy. It was only the first of many that we would enjoy in the years to come and be surprisingly touched time and again by its people, the heart and soul of this beautiful country.

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