A Day in Napoli

Naples City Street

A friend of mine told me that if I wanted to see "true Italy" that I had to visit Naples. And I do believe she was right! Andrew's wife, Lia, wasn't arriving for another day so he and I took a trip to Napoli for the day/night, and planned to meet her plane back in Rome the following day.



Main Road Through Naples



I feel bad for Naples, in a way -- I was still so put off by our janky "cab driver" and the epic failure that was the evening prior, that I was not very happy with Italy at the moment  and maybe I didn't give Napoli the chance it deserved. It's not that I hated it there or anything, I just didn't get the greatest vibe, and was a little unimpressed with the city. Just my opinion! If anyone loves Naples, please don't hate me. Remember I only had one day to get an impression. :-) 



One of the City's Squares



Naples, to me, was very "raw" for lack of a better word. It had an older, more worn-down feeling than any of the other cities I have visited. Typically I would have relished in a place like that, enjoying the nitty gritty, the locals, the hardcore Italians...but like I said before, I was not really into it at this particular juncture. The never-ending noise of bumper-to-bumper traffic at all hours of the day, not being able to walk on the sidewalks because they were crammed with street peddlers who had spread their fake purses and cheap sunglasses all over the ground and are pushing goods into your face, auctioning their items to everyone who walks by, people yelling down from balconies to each other, pushing past you in a hurry to get through the traffic jam of bodies...it was a very claustrophobic sort of feeling. Everywhere we went was just crammed with people and noise and chaos. Now, because we only had one full day there, we didn't get to do any solid sightseeing outside of taking a few decent walks around the immediate area of our hostel and between there and the train station which is located on the main drag of the city, so maybe we missed out on some of the more relaxed or cozy places the city has to offer...but for me, it was a very overwhelming experience to walk through the streets of Napoli. 

Pompeii Ruins

Pompeii House - Sectioned rooms & preserved pottery





Ruins from the top of the theatre



After a walk around, we spent the afternoon at Pompeii, which was really awesome. The thing that stood out to me the most was how unbelievably HUGE it is! I mean, I really had no idea. I always knew it was a ruined city, but I guess I just never imagined it would be so big. We walked around the place for a good 4 hours, and I honestly don't think we covered half of the area. It was really amazing to see the remaining structures and see how they designed where everything would go...neighborhoods, town squares, a theatre, market, etc. My one regret is that I wish we had sprung for either an audio guide or a guide book. Both cost extra money, and I think Andrew and I both figured they would have plaques up that explained what everything was. Although they did have some plaques and reading boards, there were suprisingly very few, and almost none of them had an english translation. Anyway, it wasn't a deal breaker necessarily -- we had a lot fun walking around and exploring the ruins, but it would have been nice to have a little information and know what we were looking at. There were so many things I saw that I wanted to know more about. We also got there too late to take the shuttle up Mount Vesuvius (The volcano that exploded and covered the city, for all you non-history buffs!) and check out the volcano crater...THAT would have been cool! We were really bummed that we ran out of time for that. The photos I have uploaded here are just a glimpse...I took so many pictures there was no way I could have included them all! I will try and post more on Facebook soon.

Mount Vesuvius watching over the city

The hostel we stayed at was pretty cool, free internet (score! ...y'all have no idea how big of a deal that is here), and it had a nice, cozy atmosphere. I enjoyed my time there, even though it was short. And the people we met there were really chill and friendly. My only complaint was that they kicked me out of the common room at midnight and made me go to my room, which made me feel like an 8 year old, and also like I wanted to punch the receptionist in the face a little bit. This was the first hostel I had been to where they enforced some sort of "curfew." I was the only one in the common room, and I was sitting there, quietly blogging at the computer, and the guy came over and said "You have to go to your room now, the common room is closed." I asked if he was serious, and if I could stay a little longer just to finish what I was working on, but he wouldn't let me stay, so I just kind of laughed at him and gave him a nice "Ok, Dad" as I gathered my things. Also, I am fairly certain I am at least 6 years older than him, which made the whole exchange that much more ridiculous to me. I couldn't believe I was sent to my room! It makes me laugh out loud even writing about it now. Wow.

We did get to eat some pizza in Naples (where pizza was invented!), but it was in a rush at the train station so I didn't really get to appreciate pizza from Napoli the way I would have liked. Ah well...it was a bit of a rushed trip, only having one day, so we did the best we could.

Overall, my trip to Napoli had both it's highs and it's lows, but if I am being honest, it left me wanting. I would have loved to have had a little more time so see more of the city and have an opportunity to give it a second chance, but with that said, I am not sure if I really have a desire to go back. I guess everyone deserves a second chance though, right? So who knows, maybe I will find myself back there one day. Then I can eat pizza the right way and get on up to the top of that volcano to see that crater! :-) Regardless, I was glad for the experience, and happy to have had it, and be able to share it with a friend! We left Napoli the following morning and headed back to Rome to meet Lia, who was arriving from Greece where she had just finished a study abroad program. I was so excited to have friends to travel with for the next few weeks and was really hoping that the rest of my time in Italy would not disappoint...and that things only got better from here.

Peace & Love till next time!

"Appreciate every moment of every day no matter what, because in retrospect they will all have gone by too fast." -- M. Buchwald

Taxi Cab Confessions: Italian Style

It's funny how sometimes no matter what you do, the universe just doesn't seem to want to line up for you. That's exactly what happened to us upon arriving to Italy.

Andrew and I had seperate flights from Amsterdam to Rome and by the time we had both arrived, gotten our bags, and found each other (2+ hours!), it was past 11:00pm. Our first sign of trouble came at the train station. It was so late that all the ticket counters were closed for the evening, and wouldn't you know it would be just our luck that the self-service machines wouldn't take our American credit cards. It is really amazing how desolate and empty the train station was....Shouldn't there be at least one person on duty at a train station if the trains are still running!? Fair assumption, in my opinion. Finally a train arrived and we were able to talk with the ticket guy on the train. We bought our tickets from him and climbed aboard...I discovered later that not only had he overcharged us for the tickets, but he also short changed me by 20 euro! Fail.

The train took us to the Rome Termini Station, which is the central train station for Rome, and it was supposed to be a 5 minute walk to our hostel from there. Upon getting to the station, we pulled out our map to figure out which direction we should head in. Because it was dark out, we had difficulty locating which intersection we were at on the street, as well as our location on the map itself. As we were both standing there over the map, a man walked up to us and said "Taxi?" We said "No, thank you" and continued looking at the map, while he tried to sell his services to a few other people. Once we were the only ones left on the platform, he walked back over to us and asked us where we were going. We showed him on the map where the hostel was located, and also tried to explain that it was only 5 minutes away, we just needed to know which street to go down. The man proceeded to tell us that we had gotten off at the wrong stop and that we were 30 minutes from the hostel! We tried to explain that we were fairly certain this was the right station, but the man was insistant that our hostel was nowhere near this station and not only were we were too far away to walk, but it was also a dangerous part of town. "I take you there, I take you there, this area -- no good at night for walking, I take you where you need to go. I get you there in 20 minutes, 25 euro, good price."

It was already past midnight, our packs were getting heavy, and we were beyond exhausted. It was dark out which can make it complicated to know where you're going even in a familiar city, and of course we had just arrived in a foreign city where we didn't speak the language -- so even if we hadn't encountered this supposedly helpful gentleman, we would have continued to struggle to figure out where to go. We both agreed that we felt like we didn't have much choice but to take this man's word for it and let him drive us to the hostel. At this point, we just wanted to get there, and this guy seemed certain that he knew where to go.

The man threw our stuff in the trunk of a car that could have easily passed as an unmarked police vehicle, put us in the back seat, and jumped into the passenger side next to an old dude who apparently was the driver. I immediately noticed that there was no fare machine in the car, but before I could say anything we were off. And when I say "off," I mean that the guy squealed tires getting away from that station, clearly speeding down the unconventionally narrow city streets, and was rounding corners like Jeff Gordon on methamphetamines. I was silently freaking out, having delusions about the Italian mafia and getting shot in the head on the bank of a river, having my organs sold on the Italian Black Market, or being drugged and sold into sexual slavery...you know, normal stuff. But Andrew was with me and his presence alone was comforting, not just because he is a naturally calm soul, but for those of you that don't know him, he is a very intimidating looking fellow. He could have easily schooled both of these shmucks if necessary, so I pushed my paranoid thoughts as far out of my mind as I could and tried to convince myself that a panic attack would not add anything positive to the moment.

Those bastards drove several blocks down the street, turned left, went under a bridge, then through a roundabout, veered onto another street, busted a u-turn, went back through the same round about, made a slight right turn and screeched to a halt on the corner of the building in which our hostel was located. The entire trip took, oh, maybe 5 minutes. I looked at Andrew and said "I don't think that was 25 euros worth of driving, do you?" We got out of the car, gathered our things, and I began shuffling through my money, audibly protesting the price. In the end, the guy settled for 20 euro, and the two men sped off onto the streets of Rome. Andrew and I agreed that there was something awfully janky with the situation that had just taken place, but due to our exhaustion, we resolved to worry about it in the morning.

We got up early to catch the train to Naples and after a worthless "continental breakfast" that consisted of corn flakes, warm milk, and rolls you could have built houses with they were so hard, we got directions from the receptionist and set out for the train station, which we were informed HAD been the correct one. The distance from the hostel? Two Blocks.

Heh. Good actors, those Italians!

Luckily, in the the end, there was no Italian Mafia, no auctioning of my organs and no being sold to a 65 year old, coked-up, Italian, nymphomaniac named Dante...Just your average good old-fashioned money scam. Damn it's great to be a tourist.

Andrew and me in Italy

Gotta say, though...I am awfully thankful for this guy. If he hadn't been with me, I am sure I would have freaked out and just slept in the train station. Definitely wouldn't have gotten in that "taxi," nor would I have roamed unfamiliar streets at night with a 27 pound pack and a guitar.

What did I learn from this, you ask? Never arrive to a new destination at night. And I haven't since.

Benvenuti in Italia! ..........Welcome to Italy. Ummmmm yeah.

Very fitting song, I think ;-)

"Good instincts usually tell you what to do long before your head has figured it out" --Michael Burke

Peace & Blessings, until next time :-) XO

Dude, Where's My Bike?

I have to first start off by apologizing to those of you that have followed my blog closely during my trip. I have dropped the ball and have fallen so far behind in my updates that I will probably still be updating after I am already back in the States. Sadface. I am going to do my best in the coming days to catch you up as best as I can. I wish I could offer you a valid excuse, but honestly, I have none. It is hard to make yourself sit down at the end of a long day and put thought into writing something substantial. But I am sorry, and I will finish this story if it kills me :-) I hope I haven't lost all of you with waiting, and I hope you will continue to follow me and enjoy the rest of the journey...

So let me tell you about Amsterdam :-) When I first arrived, I was beyond exhausted. I had been travelling all day and because of my early flight, opted to spend the night in the Edinburgh airport...not so comfy...or fun. Because I had limited internet access in the previous days, I had not had a chance to book lodging for my Amsterdam visit. Nor did I factor in that I was going to be arriving on a Friday and staying through the weekend. You know what this means folks!? EVERYTHING IS BOOKED. When I got off the train in the city center, I went straight to the tourist information office to try and sort things out. Unfortunately for me, it was packed full of tourists, like myself, who also had nowhere to stay. 200 frustrated tourists + 12 kiosks + no AC in the building = ...you guessed it, something just shy of utter chaos. For 2 hours I waited in there, for my number to be called. I was sitting next to a couple who was looking as distraught as I probably was at that point, and I could tell they were getting equally as frustrated with the situation. The couple looked about my age and eventually, the girl's eyes met mine. She asked me if I was also hoping to find a place to stay. This is how I met Myriam and Jon, from Greece. 

Myriam and I

Myriam spoke English fairly well, but Jon spoke very little, so we all got to know each other with Myriam helping Jon and I communicate. They are wonderful people, my age, engaged to be married, and also on holiday. We decided to team up together, because we received some advice that if we were a group it may be easier and/or cheaper to get a place to stay. I also offered to help translate once we were called up to the kiosk. In an attempt to stay concise, I will just say that the tourist information office turned out to be of little help to us. We decided to wing it and just started walking door to door in the hostels, hoping for a bed, or three. We ended up coming to another agency that was advertising assistance with finding cheap lodging, so we decided to give it a shot. the gentleman in there was very kind, and informed us that the only option he had left to offer us was "The Boat Hostel" ...40 Euros per person for night. He said he could book us for Friday and Saturday and then Sunday we could get a hostel for much cheaper. Not wanting to waste and entire day in Amsterdam we took the opportunity. It was no 15 Euro per night at a hostel, but it was considerably less than the 150 Euros hotel rooms the tourist information center offered us. So my first two nights in Amsterdam were on a boat, in a tiny little seaman's cabin...but it actually ended up being pretty cool.

My Boat Hostel

Beautiful Amsterdam

So here is the thing about Amsterdam. First, it's AWESOME. There is really no way around it. Even now, so late in my trip, it is by far one of the most beautiful cities I have visited. Multicolored buildings lining the streets, which are divided by canals running through the center...Lush trees, flowers, grass...ethnic diversity...It took my breath away. The history of Amsterdam is rich; There is so much to see, do, and learn. Everyone rides a bike. EVERYONE. Ok, so there are some cars too, but oh my goodness there are bikes everywhere. They even have bike parking lots! Thousands upon thousands of bikes...I have no idea how one would find his/her bike after leaving it in a bike parking lot. The pictures don't even come close to actually seeing it in person. But it is great because everyone is outside all the time and being active! It is also an easily walkable city ...DIVERSITY. It is a beautful thing to see gay/lesbian couples with the freedom to walk down the street hand in hand or kiss in public and not worry about someone flinching or scoffing in their direction. You walk into pubs, restaurants, or coffeeshops and see people of all different colors, clothing styles, shapes & sizes, speaking different languages, or coming together by speaking English. What an incredible feeling to be among those who are so tolerant, accepting, and not afraid of differences such as race, sexuality, gender, lifestyle, etc. It's very utopic, in a way, and you instantly feel at ease and welcome in your surroundings. 

Bicycle Mayhem

All of that beauty and wonder in this city, and I haven't even mentioned the big fat elephant in the room that sits there staring you down when anyone says the word "Amsterdam"...*Gasp*Whisper* you can smoke pot there! ...which I hope proves that marijuana is NOT the only reason to visit Amsterdam! A perk, surely, but there is much more to this beautiful city, I assure you, so if you ever visit, don't spend all of your time in the coffeeshops...just half of your time ;-)

I will touch on the marijuana subject, because let's be honest, it wouldn't be a worthy Amsterdam post if I didn't, so I will say this...The whole concept of being able to purchase a pre-rolled marijuana ciggarette (spliff) much like you would purchase a beer or a basket of french fries, even, was pretty mind boggling at first, I guess because there is really nowhere else in the world where smoking is tolerated on this level...yes my friends, it is not actually legal in Amsterdam, just tolerated. But really the city keeps things running very nice and smoothly. There are fairly stiff rules -- The best one, in my opinion: You cannot drink alcohol in the same place that you smoke. If you want to drink, go to a bar and quench your thirst with a pint. If you want to smoke, go to a coffeeshop and enjoy a spliff and some coffee, tea or soda. I like this. It is controlled, monitored, and coffeeshops are a legitimate business and a place for socializing and relaxing. It eliminates drug dealers and a lot of the illegal activity that would otherwise be taking place. They are not promoting inebriation, and to the locals, becoming so is a big display of disrespect...to them, you are missing the point completely. Seriously, the only people who were out there making fools of themselves were the over zealous tourists who were trying to show off and be badasses, and ended up getting too fubarred to function...and honestly, I only saw one or two of these types. From the mouth of a local: "If you mix alcohol and marijuana, you are not using either for the right reason, and you are abusing the privilege of living in the 'free world' (local pet name for the city)." So anyway, that's my ganja spiel. Take it for what you will.

It was very interesting to be among people who were so open and accepting to this type of social control. And I think that must be why it works for the Netherlands...there is social control with a purpose of harmony and unity in their society. I won't pretend to be an expert after only spending 4 days there, but for those that are skeptical or firmly against this type of free-thinking attitude, I promise you, it is not as abhorrent as you may be imagining. The nightlife is "hoppin" just as it is in Atlanta, NYC, Chicago, LA or any other city for that matter, and also like any other city, it is not without its dark sides, but otherwise Amsterdam is a peacefully progressive place. And I quite enjoyed myself :-)

Highlights of my time in Amsterdam: Flugel Jenga competition at the traditional Dutch Pub with the locals, Madame Tussaud's, Dam Square and all of its glorious street musicians, Red Light District (for shock value, of course), tour of Anne Frank's secret annex, enjoying a crepe on one bank of one of the canals, taking half-day strolls through the city...for real, just walking is awesome...taking in the city, the sights, the atmosphere, the people...I think my favorite thing to do in Amsterdam may have been the afternoons I spent walking around, people watching, and enjoying the outdoors. And of course, on my last day in Amsterdam, I was awarded with my first glimpse of familiarity...my old roomie Andrew met up with me for a day in "The 'Dam" before heading to Italy! What a relief to see that beautiful, familiar, smiling face! Perfect person to hang with on my last day. :-)

Dam Square

Flugel Jenga Competition

Afternoon Stroll

Andrew!

My only regret in Amsterdam: I did not take nearly enough pictures. 


Until next time, My Loves!


"You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the wrong way, and the only way, it does not exist." --Friedrich Nietzsche

 Two great songs about tolerance, acceptance, peace, and equality...I posted both cause I just couldn't choose!

 :-)

 

It's All Voldemort's Fault

Harry Potter Train

Glenfinnan Viaduct, Courtesy of Google Images

There were few things in Scotland  I was looking forward to as much as taking the Harry Potter train. When I learned that West Coast Railways took passengers on THE train used in the Harry Potter films from Mallaig to Ft. William across the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct (also featured in the movie), I knew this was an experience I had to work into my trip. After doing some research, I came to find out that there was only one day that had seats left on the train while I was going to be in Scotland. The train was booked solid for both May and June! I knew it was going to be a taxing process to figure out how to place myself in the correct part of the country to take this ride. I will spare you the details…long story short, I had to completely rearrange my last 10 days in Scotland to make this happen. Hey, a girl’s gotta have priorities!

After an hour and 15 minute bus ride to the south side of the island, I left the Isle of Skye via the Armadale Ferry…a 30 minute ride across the channel to the mainland city of Mallaig, where I had two hours to walk around and do a little shopping before boarding my Harry Potter train (also known as ‘The Jacobite’ but personally, I think Harry Potter train is a way cooler name). Once I boarded the train, I was excited to see that I had scored a window seat at a table for four, but unfortunately I was not in one of the cabins that was used in the movie; however, one of those train cars was just adjacent to mine so I was able to snap some photos at least. I was so excited at this point, but a little bummed cause there are about 20 of you that I would have given my left arm to have with me at the table! The people who did end up sitting at my table with me were three Germans about my age. For a fleeting moment I was amped since I know a little Deutsch J, so I said something in German to the guy across from me about how I speak a little, thinking they might think it was cool that I could communicate with them somewhat (I’m all by myself, and trying to make friends here!)…Hmmmmm nope. With a small smile and nod at my comment, he turned back to his girlfriend and who I understood to be her brother and they all pretty much ignored me for the entire trip. Ah well, I tried.

Hallway to Harry's Compartment

Train Compartment

Going under the bridge

Now I gotta say, riding on a steam engine train is pretty cool, if for nothing but the fact that it makes all the cool train sounds! Also, they are only allowed to go about 50 mph, so you get a better view of the scenery. But, the “big moment” of the two-hour Mallaig -- Ft. William journey is, of course, going over the Glenfinnan Viaduct. Not only was it featured in the Harry Potter movies, but for those that don’t enjoy HP, The viaduct gives way to some spectacular views of the Western Highlands. The train schedule actually gives the time that the train will be crossing the viaduct so that you can be ready. Knowing we were getting close to that time, I took a quick bathroom break. On my way to the bathroom several cars away, I noticed that many people were standing to the right in the space in-between the cars looking quite anxious, with cameras in hand. At first I found it odd that they were standing there, but while I was peeing, it dawned on me what they were doing. The windows in-between the rail cars can be opened all the way, while the windows in the cars only open at the very top…they were waiting to lean out and take pictures across the viaduct! I needed to find a window so I could get a video! Almost all the windows on the right (the side where the viaduct curves inward) were taken by someone, but I finally found one just outside my own car. Yes! I stood there for a moment and opened the window, looked out, it was perfect…But the luck stops there unfortunately. In the time it took me to pop back to my seat and grab my camera (maybe a minute or even less, it was literally on the other side of my cabin door), a woman who had previously been leaning out the left window, had realized her mistake and decided to take up post at my window. THIEF. Oh I was so angry. I wasn’t sure what to do. I left and went from one end of the train to the other but every single window on the right side of the train was taken up by someone waiting to see us cross the viaduct. I wanted to punch that lady in the head and tell her to go back to her original window. But I didn’t want to be rude, so I said nothing and let her stay there with nothing more than a few sighs, grumbles, and clearing of my throat escaping me. LAME. I wish I wasn’t such a wuss. Isn’t this trip supposed to be about not compromising what’s important to me? About re-learning to stand up for myself? I don’t mean to make this silly little predicament about that, but seriously, it has become so easy for me to just sit there and endure with clenched teeth to keep life running smoothly. And because of that, I ended up having to settle for a window on the left side of the train and got a video of the back of the viaduct as we crossed which, ok, at least I got something, but it’s not nearly as cool, and definitely doesn’t feel like the Harry Potter movie. If only that bitch hadn’t stole my window. But really it’s not her fault, she was just trying to get the most of her experience, just as I was. Really, it’s my fault for not saying anything, or even asking her (or anyone) if we could somehow share a window.

I was so disappointed that I missed the viaduct, I was almost in tears. I had rearranged my itinerary, spent a stupid amount of extra money just to get a seat on this train which is almost always sold out, and had missed my one chance to see the one thing I was waiting for. And it’s not like I can just hop on over to Scotland anytime I want for a redo. One day I will go back, with friends, and I will be fully prepared to stake out my window before we even leave the station, and you better believe I will “Avada Kedavra” anyone who tries to take it from me.

Lesson learned: speak up and be true to you, whatever the situation, or you will almost always get the short end of the stick.

All in all, as much as I hate to say it, the Harry Potter train experience came up short for me. If it weren’t for the awesome Harry Potter playing cards I got from the gift shop on the train, I would have written it off as a bit of a bust. It’s the first “must do” on this trip that wasn’t all that it should have been, or in this case, could have been. And it had to be my Harry Potter train…*sigh*…I’m convinced had to be the work of evil-doers to have the gall to ruin that one for me! Personally, I blame Voldemort.

;-)

Love to all, until next time!

"It is our choices that show us who we really are, far more than our abilities" -- Albus Dumbledore

Over the Sea, to Skye

Posting the video first so you can play it along with the photos...

It's actually a song about the Isle of Skye :-)

No words necessary...just enjoy :-)

Eilean Donan Castle

Skye Bridge

"Old Man of Storr"

Kilt Rock

Ruins on a cliff

My favorite :-)

View from the bus stop where we met Kath and Heather

Dunvegan Castle

I'm starting a movement with this getup ;-)

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable." --Helen Keller