It is said that the E.U. is planning to take Naples to court because it is not collecting its garbage and it is building up in the streets, creating a putrid fog. It is also said that wealthier Neapolitans are keeping their own lanes smelling clean by throwing their garbage into the sea. All this at a time when France and Italy itself, as well as all E.U. countries, have been making huge efforts to clean up the sea. Jellyfish thrive on dirty sea water so don’t swim off the shores of Naples unless you’re Ironman and Ironwoman.

Sadder: the BBC reported in March, “The Italian government has recalled from sale the mozzarella cheese linked to dioxin contamination. Italy’s health ministry said the affected cheese came from 25 producers in the Campania region near Naples, where buffalo mozzarella is made. France has now lifted a ban on sales of Italian buffalo mozzarella. In the UK officials said there was no immediate risk to consumers. The European Commission says it is ‘satisfied’ with Italy’s measures. A Commission health spokeswoman, Nina Papadoulaki, signalled that the threatened E.U. embargo would not be necessary. The Commission is satisfied with the progress made, she said on Friday. The contamination emerged during checks last week. Dioxins, which can cause cancer, were found at higher than permitted levels at some mozzarella producers. The French agriculture ministry on Friday ordered shops to withdraw the imported buffalo mozzarella as a precautionary measure. But it later reversed the decision. Italy says it has traced the farms at the source of the contamination and destroyed their milk.”

I checked with contacts in Naples who quoted the local news as saying that “the city of Naples has just experienced a major crisis regarding the rubbish removal system. The region of Campania was unable to collect the excess garbage throughout the city and outer suburbs. Local businesses have been affected tremendously and have pressed the authorities for a quick solution. Luise Associates, a member of the Blue Water Alliance, has been involved so that the yachting community and its owners and crew will be able to enjoy the upcoming summer season in the Naples area. At this time garbage has been totally removed from the city of Naples and its immediate vicinities while the problem remains in only some remote areas of the city’s outskirts. In the next two or three weeks the entire area will be cleaned up and the region will return to normalcy.

"The severity of the negative publicity about it has caused the government to resolve the issue definitively. In fact, with the new developments, Naples and the region of Campania will now be at the forefront of environmental technology and will serve as the model for advancements for the rest of Italy.”

Well, that’s better news for Naples, yachts and us. But just to be safe you might wait a few weeks to eat your mozzarella while you swim in Naples.