I was greeted in Amalfi the other evening by a row of new ticket booths for boat tours and the boats that run between the cities on the Amalfi Coast and to the islands. While they are certainly all fancy and orderly, I really don’t care for them at all. Where the old wooden booths with their different shapes and colorful posters had character, this standardized row of booths has about as much character as a row of canned vegetables in the supermercato. They could put twenty Amalfi crosses on each one and I still wouldn’t be impressed. They also block a nice view of the port in their new location. Can you just imagine sitting inside one of those glass booths on a good and hot summer day in Amalfi? Toasty. I fear the little windows they are equipped with just aren’t going to cut it. While I am generally positive about improvements, such as the new sign in Piazza Flavio Gioia that says how many parking spots are available down at the end of the port (genius!), these new booths served as a reminder for me that not all progress is improvement.
Sometimes change comes from good intentions but is poorly executed!
My first impression from the photo was that they’ve tried to make the best out of a very limited budget.
Many municipalities have severe budget problems at this time.
True, it isn’t beautiful, but at least its not derelict and abandoned either, like so many other places around Italy.
I think they should get at least a few points for having tried their best 🙂
Ciao Saretta! I definitely agree! And there certainly are good intentions here. Perhaps these new boat ticket booths will be more straightforward to tourists.
Ciao René! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I would be whole heartedly doling out gold stars for effort had the previous ticket booths been anywhere near derelict and abandoned. They were quite charming! And they fit so well with the overall feel of Amalfi.
I agree that the city did a nice job of painting them and providing shade for people buying tickets. I am very quick to give credit to good improvements, such as the parking spot indicator I mentioned. The city of Amalfi does a fabulous job regulating and easing the heavy tourist load during the busy summer months and making the city a pleasant place to live. I just liked the other ones better that’s all! 🙂
I understand Laura, Change can be good but not when you degrade established character of this beautiful town. Maybe for some reason they think this is a more efficient and noticeable to the tourist.
Ciao Chuck! Yes, that is exactly the sentiment I was expressing. I would guess they were hoping, as you suggested, to make the booths more visible or efficient. But change is also in the air along the coast. They built new ticket booths in Positano that were unfortunately (or fortunately depending on who you ask) damaged by the rough seas this winter. So for the time being we can enjoy the colorful little cabins on the pier in Positano before they disappear, too.
I understand the need for change, but these look horrendous..and out of place, and I think you are right, I would not want to be working in there on a Sunny Amalfi day…..And who choose the position, bad move. I actually would rather go to your supermarket and look at the can veg ha ha 🙂
Ciao Anne! Hah! Thanks for making me laugh. I think I would rather do that, too. 🙂