After the recent posting about chalking many things up to “I’m in Italy now” I realized that it doesn’t give you the best explanation of what I’m actually experiencing out here on the day to day basis. For this reason, I’ve decided to talk you through my typical commute for work and just some of the sights that I see from my window, when I’m not trying to get a few more minutes of sleep or taking an afternoon nap.
Immediately outside the gate (since we never stop at the stop sign) the bus heads over Suicide Bridge. As if the name doesn’t give you an idea of just how narrow it is, let’s just say you really don’t want to meet the bus heading the opposite direction if you are in a car larger than a Fiat. If you’re a runner or biker- you better say your prayers and look for the best place to jump the rail as you head into the curve should you meet 2 cars traveling in opposite directions. Don’t worry- the vegetation is pretty lush right now so the landing wouldn’t hurt too much.
After merging onto the hi-way (which let me tell you, reminds me of driving in Salinas from time to time and I’m not even the one doing the driving) it’s pretty straight shot and little traffic since it’s 0615. Like I mentioned before, there are agricultural fields, some stores, and lots of half built buildings. The basically look like parking garages with the outer walls complete but all windows and doors left off. They started off to be (and maybe one day will become) houses or stores. I’m still not sure on the story of these- I’ve heard two reoccurring explanations. The first being that property taxes don’t have to be paid on buildings still under construction- which I’d believe considering the number of practically finished places I’ve seen with one random room still being built. The second explanation is that construction is happening without permits and the government (read Comorra AKA the mob...well maybe I'm killing the spelling/name but the Mob is what I'm going for here) are going in and shutting it down until payments are made. Again, completely plausible as where I’m living is pretty close to the highest known population of Comorra members.
There is one particularly open area of fields that I just love watching the sun light up in the morning as birds fly through the sky. Mount Vesuvius is among the topography in the backdrop and much closer, old brick/stone buildings are over grown with green vines. It is pretty- even the small amounts of liter along the road side seem to fade away.
Of course as we head closer to Naples the signs of a crowded city increase: road signs, commuters, stores, garbage, on ramps. The IKEA sign is my marker that we’re almost exiting to the sketchy part of the drive. I’ll still never forget driving in the first day, sleep deprived and all, thinking where in the world is this lady taking me and do I have my cell phone with me. Through making this drive practically daily, I now realize that it’s not so much scary as just industrial. Yes, the garbage does seem to find its way to this stretch of the road in great quantities, but it’s often off in a side street. The road we take goes under the hi-way and the cement pillars are plastered with various ads and posters. Billboards line the street and even the middle of the round abouts.
Two things make me smile when I see them on this stretch of road- two dogs. The first one is at the gas station- seriously, his dog house in tucked away by the office door. Most mornings he is sniffing around the property while his owner sweeps away debris near the gas pumps. The second dog is often spotted on a soccer field enclosed by a chain link fence, just sitting near the center basking in the sun. He has the option to explore the rest of the patio design store, but I guess he just likes the grass.
Time to take the turn down another alley with a crazy curve—but there is a mirror to look for oncoming traffic. After this last curve around a tall concrete wall, plastered with posters and a little graffiti thrown in for good measure we come across the dry cleaning man. I’m pretty sure his sign says his name is George and apparently he is the best. I’ve been told that he just takes clothes, cleans them, and then returns them to the proper person without ever taking down names or phone numbers. I know- sketchy right? Well, my coworker is among his customers and she’s had no issues.
So that’s the typical morning commute. From time to time though, like this morning, there are still things that make me do a double take after rubbing my eyes to make sure I really am seeing what I’m seeing. This morning I saw a horse pulling a middle aged man on a cart looking thing right before we turned down the last alley. Yep. A horse on a paved street. I’m telling you…a few more months here and nothing is going to surprise me anymore.
Oh and yeah, Ravi did arrive just yesterday but for now, he's gotta stay in the lot. Why? I need to let the Italians know that he is here, get my insurance switched over, and pass that stupid test so they can hand me my license that is already made....apparently I'm in the 10% that doesn't pass the first time. Nope. Nothing is ever easy with me.
Immediately outside the gate (since we never stop at the stop sign) the bus heads over Suicide Bridge. As if the name doesn’t give you an idea of just how narrow it is, let’s just say you really don’t want to meet the bus heading the opposite direction if you are in a car larger than a Fiat. If you’re a runner or biker- you better say your prayers and look for the best place to jump the rail as you head into the curve should you meet 2 cars traveling in opposite directions. Don’t worry- the vegetation is pretty lush right now so the landing wouldn’t hurt too much.
After merging onto the hi-way (which let me tell you, reminds me of driving in Salinas from time to time and I’m not even the one doing the driving) it’s pretty straight shot and little traffic since it’s 0615. Like I mentioned before, there are agricultural fields, some stores, and lots of half built buildings. The basically look like parking garages with the outer walls complete but all windows and doors left off. They started off to be (and maybe one day will become) houses or stores. I’m still not sure on the story of these- I’ve heard two reoccurring explanations. The first being that property taxes don’t have to be paid on buildings still under construction- which I’d believe considering the number of practically finished places I’ve seen with one random room still being built. The second explanation is that construction is happening without permits and the government (read Comorra AKA the mob...well maybe I'm killing the spelling/name but the Mob is what I'm going for here) are going in and shutting it down until payments are made. Again, completely plausible as where I’m living is pretty close to the highest known population of Comorra members.
There is one particularly open area of fields that I just love watching the sun light up in the morning as birds fly through the sky. Mount Vesuvius is among the topography in the backdrop and much closer, old brick/stone buildings are over grown with green vines. It is pretty- even the small amounts of liter along the road side seem to fade away.
Of course as we head closer to Naples the signs of a crowded city increase: road signs, commuters, stores, garbage, on ramps. The IKEA sign is my marker that we’re almost exiting to the sketchy part of the drive. I’ll still never forget driving in the first day, sleep deprived and all, thinking where in the world is this lady taking me and do I have my cell phone with me. Through making this drive practically daily, I now realize that it’s not so much scary as just industrial. Yes, the garbage does seem to find its way to this stretch of the road in great quantities, but it’s often off in a side street. The road we take goes under the hi-way and the cement pillars are plastered with various ads and posters. Billboards line the street and even the middle of the round abouts.
Two things make me smile when I see them on this stretch of road- two dogs. The first one is at the gas station- seriously, his dog house in tucked away by the office door. Most mornings he is sniffing around the property while his owner sweeps away debris near the gas pumps. The second dog is often spotted on a soccer field enclosed by a chain link fence, just sitting near the center basking in the sun. He has the option to explore the rest of the patio design store, but I guess he just likes the grass.
Time to take the turn down another alley with a crazy curve—but there is a mirror to look for oncoming traffic. After this last curve around a tall concrete wall, plastered with posters and a little graffiti thrown in for good measure we come across the dry cleaning man. I’m pretty sure his sign says his name is George and apparently he is the best. I’ve been told that he just takes clothes, cleans them, and then returns them to the proper person without ever taking down names or phone numbers. I know- sketchy right? Well, my coworker is among his customers and she’s had no issues.
So that’s the typical morning commute. From time to time though, like this morning, there are still things that make me do a double take after rubbing my eyes to make sure I really am seeing what I’m seeing. This morning I saw a horse pulling a middle aged man on a cart looking thing right before we turned down the last alley. Yep. A horse on a paved street. I’m telling you…a few more months here and nothing is going to surprise me anymore.
Oh and yeah, Ravi did arrive just yesterday but for now, he's gotta stay in the lot. Why? I need to let the Italians know that he is here, get my insurance switched over, and pass that stupid test so they can hand me my license that is already made....apparently I'm in the 10% that doesn't pass the first time. Nope. Nothing is ever easy with me.
no pictures? :(
ReplyDeleteNope! You have to come and visit and experience it first hand. (That and if I were to post parts of this drive, no one would come visit.)
ReplyDelete