Naples and Pompeii :)

It was strange taking a trip without my travel buddy and partner in crime, Emma, on Thursday when I headed to Napoli (Naples). Due to my incessant texting with her, my phone was dead before I even arrived—which was a problem because Daniele, who was supposed to pick me up from the train station, had not gotten back to me that day. I wasn’t sure where we were going to meet or if he even knew when I was getting in... Luckily, before my phone died, I had given Emma the task of getting a hold of him (along with like 6 other people whom I was shooting off texts to right before my phone died haha). Given that I didn’t know my way around the train station and have heard lots of sketchy things about Napoli, I took advice from the real life CSI shows my mother has watched—and acted like I owned the place and knew exactly what I was doing. I eventually found a seat near the entrance and figured it would be an easy spot for Daniele to find me. Unfortunately, it was a spot right across from two crazies (not all there) who were yelling at each other in some sort of mumbled dialect. Then, without warning, the man took the woman’s bread and chucked it—right at me (I am assuming that his aim was random). A quick dodge and it landed at my feet. I exchanged a is-this-really-happening look with the guy beside me, hugged my bag a little tighter, and counted my blessings when the police arrived a couple minutes later. (haha) Welcome to Napoli!

Daniele showed up just a few minutes later and we took a train to his house, met up with some friends and walked all around the city. And by walk around, I guess I mean we walked from one food place to the next (haha). I swear you’d think Italians’ main goal is to make me fat…I don’t even know what everything I ate was called, but it was ALL delicious! Especially the famous Pizza Margarita! Oh, but I did eat one, not so delicious food for the first time: oysters! I was tempted to spit it out, and the family that gave it to me assured me that it would be okay if I did, but once it was in my mouth, I figured that I might as well eat it—just so I could tell my family (and I took pictures, in the off chance you chose not to believe me again—like with sushi...Mike.)

A random kitchen on the side of the road where these woman make delicious food

Just some old men gambling

The City, I loved how everyone was just out and about--even on a weekday evening

Eating an Oyster (fyi: I do not like seafood...at all)

before

during

After 

I spent that night, the next morning at the beach, and a good portion of the Friday, conducting interviews for my research with some of Daniele’s friends. I interviewed one girl who had been with her boyfriend for 6 years, had 2 children, and was only 18! Her perspective was so interesting, and so different than anything I had ever heard. She told me afterwards that she had told me things that she hadn’t even told her boyfriend or family before. She later emailed her brother, who told Daniele, that her interview with me was a wonderful experience. It made me feel great! I have this theory that everyone has a story to tell and wants to tell it, they just don’t always have someone willing to listen; so I’m glad I could be that person for her and that I could ask her some questions that most people usually wouldn’t ask (the interviews actually get quite deep).

Waiting for the metro after the beach :)

Emma arrived Friday night, along with my friends Sara Pollastri and Marcos Bendzu—we went to pick them up from the train station and got to see Napoli at night, which basically means that I saw a lot of prostitutes...(haha). I preferred to stay in the car at night and with locals the rest my time there... On another note, no one really uses air conditioning in Italy (or even has it), so we were pretty excited to hear that Daniele’s family did and that we could turn it on at night in the bedrooms. It was enjoyable for about the first couple hours, and then it was just freezing! At some point in the night, I had grabbed my little towel, curled into a ball and tried to use it to cover as much of me as possible; Sara had her sheet (the only one of us with a sheet) pulled up over her face, and Emma was attempting to use her tiny pillow as a blanket—it was a sight. We all woke up, changed locations, and made our way to the living room to get the last bit of sleep. Someone must have slipped something into Emma’s apricot juice that night because she started hallucinating and acting out her dreams. She thought that Sara had said she was hot and wanted to go put ice in her hands to cool her off. Being the helpful girl that Emma is, she apparently felt her own hands—which were quite cold—cuddled up to Sara and, in attempt to cool her off, held Sara’s hands. When I came to consciousness, I couldn’t see Sara; my worries were stifled, however, when Emma rolled—ungracefully—off the couch and onto the ground. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect as Sara—like a person raising from the ashes—stretched her arms, as if celebrating her freedom free from the oppression of Emma. While I have a sneaking suspicion that this story will never be as funny to anyone outside the three of us, it definitely is one of my favorite memories thus far. It’s always the little things. 

On Saturday morning, we all made our way to Pompeii—a city that was destroyed in one day when Mount Vesuvius erupted, and is famous for its ancient Roman ruins. It was a really neat experience to travel there. My favorite part of traveling is not just seeing the world, but feeling connected to other people; the people who lived in Pompeii thousands of years ago, all those who have visited Pompeii since—that have stood where I have stood, seen what I have seen and maybe even felt what I felt; and also the connection with all those who will come in the future. Emma sent me a video of the history of Pompeii that I watched before visiting which made the experience so much more meaningful. There is a spot where you can see bodies that were somehow preserved that just look like stone sculptures. When you look at them, you can tell that those people knew death was coming, just by their posture...how strange it must have felt to know death was coming, but not have any control over the situation. It made me wonder what those people were thinking, and—not to be morbid—but what thoughts might be going through my mind in a similar situation.

Heading into Pompeii with some of my favorite girls

Mount Vesuvius

There were dogs EVERYWHERE in Pompeii

The theater
When you stood in that spot and spoke, your voice is amplified and it sounds like an echo to you

one of the bodies; it's kind of awkward to take a picture with--smiling just doesn't really seem appropriate..

another body

  

I love how all the statues of men look like Hercules 

I <3 Pizza! Looks like they even had pizza ovens back in the day!

Sara, Daniele, Me, Marcos, Emma

After visiting Pompeii, we spent the rest of the day and night enjoying the beach (rough life, I know). Daniele told me that a typical day in the summer for a student (between exams) was waking up, going to the beach, taking a break for a treat, and spending the rest of the day walking around the city with friends or going to the Cinema. I could spend a few more weeks here and be quite happy! 

When the dad of these kids heard us speaking some English, he came over an introduced himself (in Italian)
and wanted us to practice English with his sons.

art by Daniele and I

Nothing like a nap on the rocks..

On Sunday, we went to church in this tiny little building above a bed and breakfast. There were only 34 people in the entire congregation—2 were missionaries, 6 were visitors and 3 were children; meaning there were only 23 actual members—how I respect their faith and dedication!

We all look bad in this picture haha but this was the church building slash bed and breakfast we went to :)

After church, Emma and Daniele drove me to the train station. I got a Napoleon goodbye from a man five floors up on his balcony who came outside, started singing, “America! America!” and promptly flashed us…I am now on a bus headed toward Taranto to visit my friend Gaia (whom I love and adore!) and couldn’t be happier to be out of the Napoli train and bus station—it’s a creepy place! I trained from where Emma and Daniele dropped me off to Napoli Centrale alone because the rest of my group was going back to Rome later in the day. It took me a couple minutes to locate where the buses were; once I did, I got directed to information to buy a ticket. As I was going to buy mine, a man started following me and stood less than a foot from me, just staring, as I was purchasing my ticket (I definitely reached in my bag, and got the money without pulling out my wallet); he was just out of sight of the man selling me the tickets—which made it creepier. I completely ignored him, and was somewhat relieved when the station employee motioned me to the other side of the building, so that he could direct me to the hotel where I would have to catch a bus. Turns out he was less interested in showing me the direction I should go, than he was in pulling me towards him, calling me ‘Miss America!’ and inviting me into his office (where he was alone) to ‘wait’ for my bus with him. Eww. I shook him off, said ‘No grazie’ and made my way to the hotel, and tried to blend in among a group of senior citizens. I have never been happier to be inside a bus!  (And don't fret Mom, I'm not going back to that train station anytime soon!