Letters

Through their eyes: Naples, Italy

Thank you, Susan Spano, for reviving my happy memories of Naples, Italy, with your article on this amazing city [“Naples’ Flourishes,” Oct. 24]. Many Americans neglect to visit Naples, but in 2001 my 12-year-old daughter and I ventured there after a few days in Rome with my son, who was living in Naples at the time. Yes, it helps to have someone fluent in Italian with you, but crazy drivers aside, the city is bustling and full of interesting sites, and Pompeii is a train ride away. Plus, it’s refreshing not to be surrounded by throngs of tourists, and the hotels and restaurants are more affordable. Also, if you like fresh seafood, this is the place.

Mary Curtius

Carlsbad

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In a curious coincidence, Naples made dual headlines in Sunday’s Times. While the Travel section trumpeted its Baroque history, Page A7 blared the Baroque-n state of its garbage collection. This tourist will brake any travel plans to Naples until the 2,400 tons of garbage are removed from its city streets.

Michael Baskin

Covina

Spano’s feature on Naples made me want to go there. Oh, wait! I was there in June, and the Naples I saw was much different. It was dirty and scary, with streets littered with trash. Buildings everywhere were covered with graffiti, and there were no apparent efforts to clean them.

Jeanette A. Fratto

Laguna Niguel

Travel insurance didn’t cover this

My partner and I booked a Princess Cruise of the Mediterranean for September. The night before the cruise he was robbed and lost his passport, $3,000 in cash and his credit cards. Because he had no passport, we were not permitted to board and the cruise was forfeited ($2,200 for each person).

The summary of the expensive trip insurance policy we had purchased indicated we would be covered for all ordinary risks. We called their panic number and were told that theft of travel papers was not considered an interruption or a cancellation of the trip. They also said that the stolen money was not covered.

To add insult to injury (literally), on the way home I fell on the subway to Paris’ De Gaulle airport and injured my leg. When I returned home, an MRI revealed the leg was fractured.

I contacted the insurance company because the injury had occurred on the trip. I was told that if I had been treated by a doctor in Paris, it would have covered the injury. After I reached American soil, the policy terminated and no treatment would be paid for.

My conclusion from all this is that travel insurance companies should be required to list what they cover and what they don’t cover in simple language when you consider buying a policy.

It seems to me that the expensive policy I purchased covered only things that couldn’t possibly happen.

Michael Scheff

Reseda