Naples, a city that won me over right from the start.
This is the second time I’ve visited Naples for music. The universe couldn’t have given me a better gift this year; I love this city, with its history, its joyful spirit, but also all its contradictions. I think it’s so rare to find a place like this elsewhere in Italy or the world, but I don’t want to rule anything out… the people here are amazing; I feel right at home. I want to tell you about what I experienced during these three very intense days. Jessica was with me the whole time 🙂
Right now I’m on my way back to Bologna; the screen in my Italo train car is showing the movie*The Intouchables*—could it be a coincidence? I’ve long since stopped believing in coincidences. I believe that everything that happens to us in our daily lives is part of a grand plan that we envisioned even before we thought of it… and the most open minds attract other connections within this infinite web of energies.
The trip got off to the best possible start: waiting for us at the train station in Naples were Dario and Silvana, two young people I’d met on Facebook who’d invited me to Naples to play music and share some good times at Dario’shome restaurant; as often happens to me, it felt like we’d known each other for a lifetime. As Dario says,“We’re all one big family, and every now and then we get together like old friends to spend some time together.” And I believe that’s exactly how it is, without a shadow of a doubt. We settled in at the “Casa della Buena Vida,” had a good cup of coffee, took a short stroll around the Vomero neighborhood , and got ready for the dinner-concert.
Little by little, the guests arrive, and the atmosphere fills with colors and emotions—amidst which people with different stories, backgrounds, nationalities, and lives have chosen to share an evening together, leaving outside this absurd world that the media would have us believe exists… I start playing; the audience is very attentive—it almost feels like being among close, longtime friends. As I look around, I catch a myriad of eyes that reveal a lighthearted yet profound spirit; I almost feel as though I can sense all their energy focused solely on happiness.
Time flows gently, painting a scene I’ve rarely found myself in until now: so many people with different stories but with teary eyes, couples in love locked in a single embrace, so many people eager to share love. The evening comes to an end; we hug, and I—just like every evening—immerse myself in reading the thoughts people have written to me, which I’ll soon publish here on my website. All of this fills me with joy and makes me realize just how much goodness there is in the world—it’s up to us to approach it in the right way to embrace it all.
The next few days fly by in a flash. Silvana and her partner, GianKonstantinos, take us on a tour of the stunning Gulf of Naples, all the way to the beautiful town of Sorrento. I stood there, spellbound, gazing at the little balcony where Lucio Dalla composed “Caruso.”
Time flies in Naples. In the blink of an eye, you find yourself sipping a cocktail at three in the morning as if it were still ten o’clock at night…
On the last day of our trip, we’ll spend the day exploring a very special part of this city: Via San Gregorio Armeno. I don’t think there are enough words to describe all the magic of this place—the craftsmanship, the passion of the people, and the folklore of these neighborhoods where life seems to have stood still, like in an old photograph, to remind us how important it is to live moment by moment. I’ll let the photos I’ve included at the bottom of the article speak for themselves.
This trip couldn’t have ended any better. When I arrived at the station, I found a piano and started playing it. Little by little, the waiting room filled with people, and all around me, new emotions, smiles, and applause began to take shape. I even heard a young man say, ” I’ve been hearing pianists play here at the station for four months now. But I’ve never heard anyone as soulful as you. ” . I’m very flattered; I just play, letting the piano speak through my heart 🙂
The message I’ll take away from this trip is this: all too often, we’ve kept our hearts and souls locked away inside ourselves, missing out on all the beauty this world has to offer. I will never again deny myself the chance to meet amazing people, to share the wonders of the universe with the whole world, and to spread all the love that each of us so desperately needs.
Thank you, Dario; thank you, Silvana; thank you to all of you whom I’ve been lucky enough to meet along my life’s journey these past few days. Thank you, Naples.
#buonanotte
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