Pompeii and Napoli

Thursday, my cousin and her friend were in Napoli. It was their last stop on their cruise before going back to Roma to catch their plane to go home. Fortunately, I had the day pretty much free so I had planned to go with them to Pompeii and possibly other sites in the area. Unfortunately, the day before we had found out that there was a general strike for public transportation throughout the country. My luck. BUT, I was told that some trains and things may be working just not as frequent as they usually operate. So, on Thursday morning, I went to the train station and waited for a train. There were a lot of people waiting for a train as well. It felt like a normal day. So after waiting around 10 minutes I got on a train to Napoli. Then I checked to see if there were trains going to Pompeii and if they were being affected by the strike. They were all operating. I called my cousin and tried to explain to her how to get to the train station. Unfortunately, the taxi wanted to charge her 50 Euro per person just to get to the train station from the port. She decided to walk, obviously, but with that I don't know Napoli very well to give her directions. I told her to find a map and then I would try to tell her how to get where I was. Luckily, an older Italian gentleman who only spoke Italian, tried to help them. I gave her phrases to say in Italian over the phone and then he was able to send them in the right direction. Long story, but she was sent to the train station but not the one I was waiting at, luckily it was near the one I was at though. We ended up finding each other among the protesters in the square outside of the train station. We only had to wait 20 minutes for the next train to Pompeii. In that time, I told my cousin and her friend that they had to try Sfogliatella. We got three sfogliatelle to eat on the train. When we were on the train, they ate the sfogliatelle and I had the sandwiches that they brought me from the ship. I didn't have breakfast so I asked my cousin to bring me some food :) I even had cheddar on the sandwich!

We arrived after 19 stops and 30 minutes later to Pompeii. Side note, I discovered this in Roma too, if you are an European citizen between a certain age you get a reduced price ticket for museums and archaeological places. We got our tickets and then went on our way to Pompeii. It was only my second time in Pompeii with my last visit being 11 years ago. Things looked very different to me as we were walking through. I remembered certain places but some things seemed bigger 11 years ago. I guess I was still looking at things through a child's eyes back then... :)

Mt. Vesuvius

They had these large rocks in the middle of the road in Pompeii. From what I remember when I was 13 years old, these were for when the road would be either flooded or filled with crap and people didn't want to walk in the filth so they would cross the road by using these large stones. 

A view of Mt. Vesuvius from the train

We cut our trip short at Pompeii because we were worried about getting me back home in time for work because we weren't sure if the trains would be working or not since there was apparently a strike going on. Also, they weren't feeling that good. They hadn't been sleeping well and after 10 days on the ship they were exhausted but still pushed through for their last day! They did great! After Pompeii, we decided to get lunch. I asked what they wanted and they both said PIZZA! They said we are in Naples, we need to have pizza from where pizza originated. So we returned to Napoli and started looking for a pizzeria. I took them to where apparently the best pizza is in Napoli but the line was long and we were still concerned about the time so we opted for the pizzeria located across the street from the "best pizzeria." The name was Pizzera del Angeli. I said it must be good pizza because it is made by angels. :) It was very good too!

After lunch we went to find gelato. We never managed to get gelato when we were in Roma. Well, I did but they didn't. We got gelato and window-shopped while walking and eating our gelato. Then we said our goodbyes. They went right towards the port and I went left towards the train station. I managed to get a train about 45 minutes after I got there. All in all, I had a great day with my cousin and her friend and ended up not being affected by the so called strike.

My first experience at an Italian hospital

Yes, I went to the hospital today. And, not to visit anyone. I needed treatment. Yesterday, while I was at Linda's house, I hit my head on a window in the bathroom. I keep thinking about it and I don't know how I could have not seen the window, but I admit it I 'm not the most coordinated person on earth. I have had my fair share of run ins with walls, doors, windows, and floors. For some reason they like to attack me. I don't know why. I've never done anything to them. But, anyways, as soon as it happened I had a sharp pain. I knew it might get worse so I immediately took an ibuprofen and felt ok for the rest of the day. As it got later into the night, I started to feel pain again. Once I got home, I took another pill but my head was still hurting really bad. I woke up this morning and I can't remember if I took one or not. I went to school to meet Linda for lunch and it was still partially hurting, mostly in other places on my head not where I had initially hit my head. We went to her boyfriend's parent's house for lunch. We joked last night and somehow we found out that I liked meatballs so his mom was going to make me meatballs today for lunch. So we went there for lunch. We had pasta and sauce then meatballs and salad. It was all very good. I wasn't feeling too much pain either which helped. But as the afternoon continued on my head started to get worse and worse. I arrived back at school and told Ipolita that it was worse. She said that she would cover my class and that Linda would take me to the hospital. Luckily for me the hospital was just a few feet from the school.

We entered the building. Other people were waiting. There was a buzzer and we waited for someone to open the door. Finally, we got someone and they put our name on the list. We were next or second to next on the list. We waited. As we waited, I saw two separate ambulances drive in and bring people in. One person I saw had a neck brace on and tomato sauce on her shoulder. I'm thinking something happened in either making or cleaning up after the meal. We waited about 30 minutes then finally we were allowed to go back. We had to wait for an empty bed. We walked into the room and the doctor (maybe nurse) felt my head and pressed on it. He said something in Italian and the next thing I know this other girl comes in and sticks a needle in my butt. They said it was to calm me. I am assuming a muscle relaxer. Then Linda left me to register me. Afterwards, she comes back and says that I need to sign something. She took my coat and purse from the room as we went to sign the forms. Then she is telling me to put my coat on. I thought, wait, that is it. It took two minutes. I didn't even use the bed that we were waiting for! Anyways, the doctor just said to take ibuprofen twice a day for 3 days. I hope that it will feel better. Overall, I felt the facility was clean and there was order, no chaos. Even though, he didn't take any scans I felt he did what doctors in America would do. We wait forever then we are told we are finished in two minutes and charge us a fortune. Instead in Italy they do the same thing but it is free. :) I walked out not as angry or frustrated as I do in America partly because I didn't have to pay anything.

 As, I write this my head still hurts. I really do hope the pain will go away soon. Prayers are appreciated. Thank you :)

Linda's house

Yesterday, I went to the new secretary's house for lunch. She lives in a nearby town called Maddaloni. She picked me up around 10:30 in the morning and we had to make a few stops before we went to her home. We went to her boyfriends' aunt's house. I met aunts, uncles, and cousins. Then we went to her sister's new house, where I met her parents and her sister. Then, the 6 of us and her dog, Chaney, drove to Maddaloni. We got real close on that car ride. :) We arrived at her house. She lives on the top floor, on the terrace. It had great views! The apartment was cute too! Linda hasn't had much experience in cooking so she said that we would cook together. And, we did! We made a bolognese sauce to go with the pasta. I threw in a few things, then she would put a few things in and then finally we had a decent tasting sauce. We ate the pasta. Then I started cooking the second course. I was in charge of the grill. It was in English but I don't think it matters what language because the pictures describe the process quite well. But, nonetheless I was on grill duty. I cooked sausage and pork chops. Linda was inside cooking french fries. :) It was a tasty meal and I was quite full by the end. Afterwards, we cleaned up and waited for her boyfriend's parents and grandparents to arrive. The grandparents and mother had spent some time in America living and working so they were happy to speak English with me. We had a nice visit. Afterwards, we took an evening stroll and headed towards her parents house. Along the way, we walked passed some older women on the street and I said "Buona sera." And they replied back. Linda was impressed that I had spoke to them. We visited her parents for awhile and then headed out again. We took a stroll through the town. It is a cute and quaint town. We stopped at a bar near the main church "corpus domus" (something like that) and had hot chocolate. It wasn't a normal hot chocolate. It was about half filled of a regular sized coffee cup and it was pure chocolate, but hot. It was thick like syrup. But, it was delicious! Pure chocolate! Loved it! :) Afterwards, they took me home. I ended up coming home with not just myself but a bottle of wine and a scarf. Good day! We had fun, laughed a lot, and enjoyed trying to understand through the language barrier. Linda kept saying how happy she was that I was finally able to see her house and meet her family.

It was a great day and I thank Linda and Filippo for being great hosts!

The Christmas season has arrived in Italy!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, stores have started selling Christmas items and decorated their stores. But, last night I saw the decorations outside of the main shopping center. When I saw them I got very happy. :) Then I was given mandarins/clementines from my boss' house. As soon as I started peeling them I smelled Christmas! :) Now, I have a big bowl of them on my table a sign Christmas is just around the corner! :)

Roma

This past weekend, I went to Roma. I left Saturday afternoon after my morning lessons. I took the train from Acerra to Napoli and then took the Freccirossa (Fast train) to Roma. I arrived around 4p.m. As soon as I got off the train I headed for my hotel. Since, I had traveled the same area a year in half before with my aunt and uncle, I knew my way around. I had my iPod playing, my bags tightly gripped and I walked with much certainty and confidence that no one bothered me (street vendors that is). I arrived at the hotel. I was a little nervous prior to booking the room but was surprised by the spaciousness and cleanliness of the room. It had a nice view of the street, wifi and satellite TV. I was good to go! I dropped my backpack off and headed out! It starts getting dark around 5pm so I wanted to get a head start before I was in the dark. I walked down the main road, via Nazionale, and passed many shops. One particular store caught my eye so I went in and looked around. I ended up walking out of the store with a purse. Go figure. Then I headed down a road I had never been down before. I found myself at the Piazza Quirinale. It had some nice views.

Piazza Quirinale

 Then I pulled out the map! I don't like pulling out the maps in major cities because then I look like a tourist. Yes, I know I am a tourist, but I like to pretend I am a local :) Especially being a single female I like to blend in and not stand out. So I pulled out the map and found out that the Trevi Fountain (my favorite spot in Rome, well one of my favorite spots) was just a short walk away. I headed in that direction. I came from a different road than where I usually come from. I saw people on the right of me standing on steps and taking pictures. I thought that it was a good idea so I started up the steps. As soon as I got to the top and looked straight, I was looking at a church. I thought, "when did they build this?" I've never seen this before? So I decided to walk in and look around. It was beautiful. How did I not know there was a church right across from the Trevi Fountain? Anyways, I sat down and started to say my prayers ;) Yes, I have to say my prayers! I have to thank many people for keeping me safe! :) Then I pulled out my phone and started chatting with my mom. Yes, I know I shouldn't be texting while in church... :) I was telling my mom how I felt very happy. And, I was. It was a great feeling. I was in Roma! One of my favorite cities. The history, culture, and architecture is rich in beauty. I enjoy it all. And, now I was in this beautiful church across from my favorite fountain. I was enjoying my day immensely.

The Trevi Fountain

The inside of the church

After a period of time, I returned outside to take pictures of the fountain. Then I decided to get something to eat. I found this cute little pizzeria near the fountain. I ordered a glass of wine and a slice of zucchini and onion pizza. They were delicious. While, I was sitting and eating my dinner. I was listening to the people next to me speaking. I couldn't tell what language they were speaking but every now and then I heard them using Turkish numbers. I do know a little Turkish :) But nothing else was Turkish. Who knows! After they left, three girls came and they were speaking English. So I asked where they were from. They said Saudi Arabia. Then asked if I was from America. I said "How did you know!" She said because of my accent. But her accent sounded American to me! Hmm...Interesting. After I finished my wine, I left and went for dessert, not that I was hungry or anything but because it is tradition! I must always eat gelato from the corner gelateria on the right hand side of the fountain. I have been going there since I was 13 years old! I can't break tradition! So I ordered a small chocolate and mint gelato. Then I went to stand near the fountain and eat my gelato. I was happy :) I was still talking to my mom and she was asking what kind of gelato I had with the next sentence asking me about bills or bank cards...such things to think about while gazing at the beauty of the Fontana di Trevi. Anyways, after I finished my gelato I needed to throw the coin in the fountain. You must always throw a coin in the fountain to ensure that you will return to Roma! I threw in 20 cents compared to my normal 5 cents. I hope that it increases my chances of returning sooner rather than later. :) 

Gelato!

Throwing my coin in the fountain!

After my time at the fountain, I found my way back to my hotel. I didn't want to return to the room yet because it was still fairly early so I continued to walk down the street. I found a book store and saw "INTERNATIONAL" on the wall of the store as I was walking by. I stopped, turned around, and walked into the store. I went directly to the "INTERNATIONAL" section and saw many books in English. I thought, I should buy a book. Incase, I get bored at home I will have something to read. So I browsed but didn't know what to buy. I decided to instead look around at the rest of the store. I found another section of the store and saw classical novels written in Italian. But, decided against classical novels. So I turned my head and looked up. And I was instantaneously in a movie. In my head. I looked up and had the sensation that I was in heaven and excited because of how large the store was and all the books they had. I also kept envisioning Christmas decorations hanging from the ceilings. I felt like I was in either Elf or Home Alone. This may make no sense to any of you but just get from it that I was very happy! :) I stood there and let the happiness feeling sink in for a few minutes then continued to browse the Italian books. One caught my eye, although I don't remember the name in Italian, but they had the English name in the corner. I saw it and ran back to the International section to see if they had it in English. There were a lot of books in English. I felt hopeless because there was no alphabetical classification going on at all! I just scrolled over different titles and then Boom! There it was! Ok. I haven't seen the movie, just the trailers from this summer. The book is "One Day." I haven't started reading it but I hope I enjoy it! After I had the book in my hand, I thought "maybe they have a cd/music section." Of course they did! I walked in and went directly to the J section under the heading Jamiroquai and found my cd. Jamiroquai's newest (a year old) cd titled Rock Dust Light Star. I was excited! I had been wanting to listen to that cd ever since I knew there was such a thing which was only about a week or so ago. :) I made my purchase and decided to return to the room before I did any more damage to my debit card. I returned to the room, got comfortable and started flipping through the channels on TV. I watched the Cosby show in Italian, part of an Italian movie, and Italian game shows. I ended up going to bed fairly early because I was tired from traveling plus I would have to get up early to meet my cousin at her hotel in the morning. I woke up though, only after 2 hours. I actually thought it was 6am because I saw light through the curtains but then I looked and realized it was only the street light that I saw. I couldn't fall back to sleep, I don't know if it was the thunder or rain that woke me up or who knows what. But, I couldn't sleep. I finally put the TV's radio station on, channel 884 (the Vatican channel). It was playing jazz music although in the morning it was playing classical music. Anyways, I finally slept but had an awful night's rest. 

View from my hotel

In the morning, I got ready and headed across the street to another hotel. The hotel where my cousin and her friends would be staying. I didn't know exactly what time they would arrive so I sat and planned the day. I also had enough time to people watch. :) They arrived and got checked in. We dropped all the bags and then headed out for a day of sightseeing. I was the tour guide. Our first stop was the Colosseum. Then we headed towards the Pantheon but along the way we passed by a museum that I went to with my aunt and uncle last year. I told them that they had really good views of Rome from the terrace where the cafe is if they wanted to see it. They asked if we had to pay, I said no. So we went up, walked past all the people eating their food and headed for the terrace. We looked around, took pictures then continued on our way. (Little secret for those of you who are interested in getting a great view for a cheap price!)

The view

Then we passed by the area where Julius Caesar was killed. 

We made it to the Pantheon and saw Raphael's tomb. Then we headed for Piazza Navona. 

Raphael's tomb

Piazza Navona

After the Piazza Navona, we continued walking towards the Vatican. We crossed the Tiber River and arrived at St. Peter's Basilica. The museums were closed on Sunday but we had planned to go inside the church. We saw the line and freaked out! It had been a long day already that we were tired and the idea of standing in that long line we decided against it. Instead we went shopping and bought rosaries. Then we were smart and took the metro to our next stop on the tour. As soon as we got out to go to the Trevi Fountain, it was down pouring. We unfortunately didn't account for the rain so we didn't have any jackets or umbrellas. Well I had mine but I was still soaking wet so I don't know how much good it actually did. We walked in the rain to the Trevi Fountain. We went to a restaurant nearby to get something warm to warm us up before tackling the wet outdoors again. We sat inside and drank our hot chocolates for as long as we could then we braced ourselves for what laid ahead. We ran to the fountain. I got out some coins then we took turns throwing the coin in the fountain in the pouring rain. We had decided to take a taxi to the restaurant where we were supposed to eat dinner and meet the rest of the group. We walked to wear the taxis usually are all waiting but none were there. So then we kept walking looking for taxis. We made it to the main road and saw a taxi stand. But first, we spotted a church and mass was just ending. We looked around, I said my prayers, and ran outside in the rain to the taxi stand. But, there were no taxis! So we stood there waiting for a taxi. No taxis ever came. Finally, we saw a taxi a few feet away stopping and letting someone out. My cousin was in front of me and I said RUN Jamie RUN! So she ran and we asked if we could get in the taxi. The guy said yes so we climbed in as fast as we could! He took us to the Colosseum where we were supposed to meet the other group. It just so happened we were worried that we wouldn't find them but after about 5 minutes of sitting in one restaurant trying to get warm they appeared! We had dinner. Then returned to the hotel to sleep! The others fell asleep almost immediately since they were still on Pacific time. I stayed up and watched Charlies Angel's in Italian. Then I fell asleep. 

The Bridge on the way to the Vatican

Castel Sant'Angelo

The Vatican

The next morning, we got up and got ready to leave. We went to an interesting little Irish/Italian pub that served American breakfast. The place was called or associated with a place called Bed and American Breakfast. We ended up just getting sandwiches from the bar area. By the time we finished eating and talking it was time to go. I said goodbye as my cousin and her friends headed for the cruise ship that will take them across the Mediterranean for the next week or so. I headed for the train station so I could catch my train back home. 

The train ride was fine. I got to Napoli and my train to Acerra was cancelled or delayed. Apparently there was a problem with the final destination of the train. Not sure what but I ended up waiting an hour for the train back home. I arrived at the train station in Acerra with a few minutes to spare before my class began! I was racing but luckily my boss was near the train station and picked me up! 

Overall, I had a great weekend. I was very happy and was reminded of how much Italy makes me happy. I love the history, the quaint streets, the buildings and the culture of Italy. I am very glad I decided to come and live here ;) 

Halloween 2011

Ok, it is now November 1st. I can't slack!

Halloween! As you read in my pumpkin carving post, I carved pumpkins :) Then on Sunday, I joined Ipolita and her mother to make pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake. It was a day for baking! We baked around seven pumpkin pies and one pumpkin cheesecake! They tasted great! Of course we had to taste them before giving them to people :) Here is the finished product.

Monday, Halloween day, I woke up early because I still hadn't adjusted to the change in time due to daylight savings time from the day before. I made made the Rice Krispie treats for the Halloween party at school. Then I started to watch Practical Magic before I went to work. I got about half way and then I needed to get ready and do my make up to be a witch. I went to school and was impressed with all the costumes! The children really got into it! We played games, did arts and crafts, and did other Halloween worksheets. Then afterwards the children got to eat all the snacks we had for them. There was pumpkin pie, rice krispie treats, chips, popcorn, candy bars, donuts (a parent brought them- how generous!) and drinks. Overall, I think it was a fun night! :) After the party, I returned home and finished watching Practical Magic then once it finished I watched Hocus Pocus. 

My Rice Krispie Treats

Today, November 1st, is All Saint's Day. It is a National holiday in Italy. Everyone had the day off (well most people.) I had lunch with Ipolita and her family. Afterwards, we went to Naples. Here are some pictures of Naples. 

The Galleria

Naples Coast

Castle dell' Ovo

 Overall, we had beautiful scenery, tasty gelato, and great company! A wonderful way to end the day :)