Thursday 9/1 Pompeii and Naples
After a long night in the lobby of our hostel and our hostel friends providing us with Internet, I woke Alli up at 8:15am to get ready, nom on some toast and tried to catch the 9:18 train..... O well we took the later train. I promptly nocked myself out for the trip to Naples, which were uncomfortable seats and I slept in a very awkward position. Once in Naples, we had a bit of a wait until our next train so we wanted to get something to eat. No, not pizza, we were coming back later for pizza. Our first impressions, it was dirty.... Very very dirty. I mean when I walk and trash hits me, I'm not too happy. After making our traditional (and non intentional) loop of the area, we settled for a little kebab place. Which Alli and I promptly finished before the half of block walk back to the station.
We arrived in Pompeii, a bit haggard, but determined. Alli guided us into a tourist information center. Quite handy they are, with maps and knowledge, go figure. The polite woman behind the counter told us it takes around 2 or 3 hours to do Pompeii and that it was a 5 minute walk from there. Deciding That that was doable, we sauntered over to the closest entrance, payed the 11€to enter, and b lined it for the restroom.
At first we were excited, excited to be in this ancient city, excited to see all the ruins, even excited to see the stray dogs that litter the streets. The longer we wound our way through street after street of ruined stone house... We wanted to see the big stuff, we wanted to see the bodies.... We were hot and tired and dirty (the dust is unavoidable).
We asked a couple people if they have seen the ancient remains of pompeiians.... Finally we got a hint, "o yea they are between 2 vineyards down towards the bottom". We sprinted down the alleys and searched everywhere we could. Then we saw it. Those tiny tiny people, forever encased in their terror. They were hidden in a corner of a vineyard, no sign pointing to them, just there in a little protected case beside a wall. Children and adults reaching for each other and covering their heads, it was quite a sight to see. When we had our fill we moved on.
We were lost.... Tired.... Very hungry and cranky.... So we vlogged on Alli's little iPod. Which perked our spirits... For a moment.
I will spare you the details... But we made it out, back to the station and collapsed onto the platform to wait for the train. But of course an old Italian man needed to talk to us... So I guess this was their hang out spot with his gang of old toothless Italian cronies. As Alli started to eat a sleeve of ritz crackers, I made polite conversation with the gentleman.
We chatted for some time about Naples and Pompeii and how English was always easy for him. He gave us Italian names Catalina and Alexandra, and wouldn't refer to us as anything but that. As we kept peering down the track for a train, he proceeded to give me an Italian lesson, talking about the infinitive tense and how to conjugate verbs....in broken English mind you.
Finally the train came and I bit him Arrivederci, and went to board the train. But the man exclaimed Alexandra and grabbed Alli into a hug, and took her face in his weathered hands and kissed her cheeks. A bit wobbly, she boarded the train behind me...."what just happened?" I don't know Al, I don't know...
Once in Naples I asked a police man where a certain Anthony Bourdain recommended restaurant was. We made it there with no problem, but they said they weren't open for another hour. Feeling disappointed we sighed and just stood there for several minutes wondering what we should do now. Eventually another waiter came over and said "Pizza? Yes... pizza" and waved us in. We were the only ones inside the adorable restaurant. I couldn't now stop saying, wow no reservations was here... Wow. Alli turned to me and grunted, "Really Kait? We were just all over Pompeii, an ancient city where thousands lost their lives to a natural disaster and their remains are forever on display for the masses.... And you are wowed by a pizza shop that a travel channel celebrity ate at once....". I thought for a moment.... "well yes, yes I am...."
After that it was a blur... Over gluten-ed and dehydrated... We passed out on the train (of course we had an issue on the train the man who wouldn't leave Alli's seat, getting smacked by the door, people pushed us to get on and off), and in no time we were home... Home aka Rome.
That shower felt amazing.... We were covered in dirt which made us look tanner then we were. Post shower I was totally ready for a long nights sleep.... But did we go to bed, no. We went to see our friends in the lobby and got Internet cards. I was glad to reconnect with friends, and to skype with my parents.
Finally Alli and I decided to go to bed around 1:3o am or so.... We knew we just had an extremely long day, and that we wished to wake up early tomorrow for a tour of ancient Rome.
The moral of the story, "if you are going to see something you don't know, in a country where you don't speak the language.... Get a dang tour guide..."
The second moral, " don't write about the day before when u have been drinking Limoncello"
<3 Kait and Alli
After a long night in the lobby of our hostel and our hostel friends providing us with Internet, I woke Alli up at 8:15am to get ready, nom on some toast and tried to catch the 9:18 train..... O well we took the later train. I promptly nocked myself out for the trip to Naples, which were uncomfortable seats and I slept in a very awkward position. Once in Naples, we had a bit of a wait until our next train so we wanted to get something to eat. No, not pizza, we were coming back later for pizza. Our first impressions, it was dirty.... Very very dirty. I mean when I walk and trash hits me, I'm not too happy. After making our traditional (and non intentional) loop of the area, we settled for a little kebab place. Which Alli and I promptly finished before the half of block walk back to the station.
On the train.... Again... This time with smokers.... and a toddler who would not stop playing with the little metal trash lid... Lift "snap", Lift "snap","Lift "snap".... I think the mother tried to apologize to me, but once again.... I have no idea what she said. So I just shrugged and said it's ok. Ugh... I must say, that if you are going to travel with your child, you should pay attention to them. I love children, and I am a very tolerant person, but when a child is running rapid in a public restaurant or a public means of transportation... I begin to question.... Oh well, it doesn't matter.
We arrived in Pompeii, a bit haggard, but determined. Alli guided us into a tourist information center. Quite handy they are, with maps and knowledge, go figure. The polite woman behind the counter told us it takes around 2 or 3 hours to do Pompeii and that it was a 5 minute walk from there. Deciding That that was doable, we sauntered over to the closest entrance, payed the 11€to enter, and b lined it for the restroom.
At first we were excited, excited to be in this ancient city, excited to see all the ruins, even excited to see the stray dogs that litter the streets. The longer we wound our way through street after street of ruined stone house... We wanted to see the big stuff, we wanted to see the bodies.... We were hot and tired and dirty (the dust is unavoidable).
We asked a couple people if they have seen the ancient remains of pompeiians.... Finally we got a hint, "o yea they are between 2 vineyards down towards the bottom". We sprinted down the alleys and searched everywhere we could. Then we saw it. Those tiny tiny people, forever encased in their terror. They were hidden in a corner of a vineyard, no sign pointing to them, just there in a little protected case beside a wall. Children and adults reaching for each other and covering their heads, it was quite a sight to see. When we had our fill we moved on.
The sun was getting to us, sometimes we joined a tour group and listened to factoids, other times we wandered. We played a game called "find the brothel signs" which was fun. Finally we made it to the main part of the city, it seems we entered Pompeii in the residential area, and spent all of our energy in that area, so by the time we made it to all the main things, like the theater the gladiators quarters, forums, and baths.... We were tuckered out. By this point we were well sunned, and water was running low. We oooooed and awed our fill and new we needed to get back.
We were lost.... Tired.... Very hungry and cranky.... So we vlogged on Alli's little iPod. Which perked our spirits... For a moment.
I will spare you the details... But we made it out, back to the station and collapsed onto the platform to wait for the train. But of course an old Italian man needed to talk to us... So I guess this was their hang out spot with his gang of old toothless Italian cronies. As Alli started to eat a sleeve of ritz crackers, I made polite conversation with the gentleman.
We chatted for some time about Naples and Pompeii and how English was always easy for him. He gave us Italian names Catalina and Alexandra, and wouldn't refer to us as anything but that. As we kept peering down the track for a train, he proceeded to give me an Italian lesson, talking about the infinitive tense and how to conjugate verbs....in broken English mind you.
Finally the train came and I bit him Arrivederci, and went to board the train. But the man exclaimed Alexandra and grabbed Alli into a hug, and took her face in his weathered hands and kissed her cheeks. A bit wobbly, she boarded the train behind me...."what just happened?" I don't know Al, I don't know...
Once in Naples I asked a police man where a certain Anthony Bourdain recommended restaurant was. We made it there with no problem, but they said they weren't open for another hour. Feeling disappointed we sighed and just stood there for several minutes wondering what we should do now. Eventually another waiter came over and said "Pizza? Yes... pizza" and waved us in. We were the only ones inside the adorable restaurant. I couldn't now stop saying, wow no reservations was here... Wow. Alli turned to me and grunted, "Really Kait? We were just all over Pompeii, an ancient city where thousands lost their lives to a natural disaster and their remains are forever on display for the masses.... And you are wowed by a pizza shop that a travel channel celebrity ate at once....". I thought for a moment.... "well yes, yes I am...."
When she put it that way I felt a bit foolish, but I think I still need to process Pompeii. It was a lot to take in, and then we got lost... So yes a small restaurant that a food critic suggests definitely would wow me. Honestly neither of us remember what we tasted... But we have pictures of how beautiful it was.
After that it was a blur... Over gluten-ed and dehydrated... We passed out on the train (of course we had an issue on the train the man who wouldn't leave Alli's seat, getting smacked by the door, people pushed us to get on and off), and in no time we were home... Home aka Rome.
That shower felt amazing.... We were covered in dirt which made us look tanner then we were. Post shower I was totally ready for a long nights sleep.... But did we go to bed, no. We went to see our friends in the lobby and got Internet cards. I was glad to reconnect with friends, and to skype with my parents.
Finally Alli and I decided to go to bed around 1:3o am or so.... We knew we just had an extremely long day, and that we wished to wake up early tomorrow for a tour of ancient Rome.
The moral of the story, "if you are going to see something you don't know, in a country where you don't speak the language.... Get a dang tour guide..."
The second moral, " don't write about the day before when u have been drinking Limoncello"
The end
<3 Kait and Alli
1 comment:
it is not too surprising that the man grabbed alli and kisssed her after you "bit" him
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