Alex, You're Not in the US Anymore

Per the new policies for staying at Casa di Nico, all visitors must submit a guest blog. To make this requirement easier I decided to provide a list of questions to be answered. No, it's not quite as fun as having someone journal their experience, but it's something rather than nothing. Bonus? It helps pass the flight back home or combat the jetlag that strikes at 3am.

My first interviewee? Alex. (And no, that's not his legal name. Leave it to me to pass that along to my friends doing a huge favor by picking him up at the terminal to discover first. At least the "Alex is actually MIA" text was resolved within 15 minutes.)

Alex and I met back in Monterey in late 2008 when I was still at NPS and he was at DLI. He was part of a larger group, primarily DLI students that I met through the church I was attending at the time. This group was at our apartment weekly (if not more) for a weekly Bible Study or game night. When I was home last year for my sister's wedding, I learned he was at DLI, learning another language so we met up to watch the Giants annihilate the Tigers in game 3 of the WS. When he decided to take some major leave time, he took me up on the offer (extended to everyone), and decided to come visit!

Not only was this his first trip to Italy, but out of the US. Eek!

If it hasn't been incredibly clear, southern Italy isn't exactly the most first foreign trip friendly location especially when your host is stuck at work so you're out and about solo. Luckily, Alex has a gift for languages, and knowing Spanish he was successfuly fumbled through the many adventures he had...like getting off at the wrong train exit for Pompeii during a local transportation strike.

I realize that I'm becoming very immune to all things Life in Naples, but that doesn't mean others aren't. Given that this was his first trip out of the states I wanted to see just how much of an impact Naples had on him and make sure all those "Italian" things that really aren't normal were documented in his trip reflections.

Katie: What was the biggest shock being outside of the US for the first time?
Alex: Probably how the size of everything is reduced from cars to homes. Waking up and hearing voices that aren't speaking English is a bit of shock when you're not accustomed to it.

Katie: What was your favorite Italian dish/food tried?
Alex: This is a tough call being Italian food is my favorite gastronomically. Probably would have to say I can never enough pastas, especially anything with fettuccine.

Katie: What 3 words best describe Italy? Why?
Alex: Beautiful- for obvious reasons, everything from the ocean views to volcanic mountains to densely populated modern yet historical cities.
Community- Italians are very family oriented and extraordinarily friendly and helpful. People you meet in Italy are not likely to be cold or reserved.
Loud- car horns, moped horns, shouting is considered normal communication, and my personal favorite church bells.

Katie: Most frustrating "culture shock" moment?
Alex: There were a couple. The lack of AC. The most frustrating was having to constantly swivel  your head to look for mopeds and motor bikes zipping by within inches when walking around.

Katie: What is something you will never forget about you 2013 Napoli trip?
Alex: The sheer amount of history the city has.

Katie: What did you learn about yourself during this trip?
Alex: Big changes in my environment kind of make (me) expect the worst. This feeling goes away pretty quickly though after I figure things out and get acquainted. As I age I have less reservations with talking to complete strangers.

Katie: Sum up your trip in 30 seconds or less.
Alex: A one-of-a-kind eye opening experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life. The sights, sounds, taste, smell, and the feel of Italy have made a tremendous impression on me. Would not have been possible to make the trip without the considerable hospitality of Katie O.

Katie: Any advice for future visitors to Casa di Nico? To Napoli?
Alex: Just remember if you take Space A [Military Air] you should probably buy your ticket back to the states if you're traveling during a busy time of year. Also, don't forget to get your passport stamped. Naples is large and needs more than one or two days to see everything. Lastly, Nico only does the opposite of what you want him to do.

Katie: Next time you head to Italy, what's on your "must see list?"
Alex: Probably Venice, Milan, Verona, and Genoa. I would also like to visit Rome again.

Katie: Anything else you want to put on "record" about your trip?
Alex: I'd love to do it again! I definitely need at least one more visit before I'm mildly satisfied. Only thing that was really annoying was the overall lack of AC in buildings. Thank you so much for having me and helping me plan my trip! 

Jammed Packed 48 Hours

In the past several months I've discovered many things about how I travel.

I travel light.
I travel cheaply.
I'll sacrifice a meal if that means I can fit another site in and a gelato stand is located.
And if I'm traveling- I'm definitely a go getter. I'm going to climb the towers, check out the churches, visit shops, spend time in a museum...well, you get the point.

Turns out my cousin is very similar with her methodology so when I picked Tink up with one of her friends early on a Saturday morning at Port of Bari telling them our itinerary, she didn't even bat an eye.

Maybe that's because she was being too entertained as I talked back to the GPS  to get to our first destination of Alberello as I heard all about their Croatia travels in the week prior. We finally found the part of the town we were looking for, hit up my favorite trullo for some fabulous liquor samples, and explored the church. The trulli neighborhood isn't all that large, so once our arms were full of shopping bags we found a place to grab lunch.

They were healthy.
I wasn't.
They ordered salads.
I ordered fries.
They got a huge bowl of green lettuce.
I got fries.

We then proceeded to cut across to my side of Italy. Our route looked something like this and let Ravi explore a bunch of new roads. I can only say something like that too because whenever I thought I was going the right direction, somehow it turned out being incorrect. Oh well. It's all part of the adventures and the girls got to experience first hand drivers in Southern Italy. We stopped in Positano for a break in driving, a touch of shopping, and gelati. When in doubt, gelato is the correct answer.

After ending up in downtown Naples on a Saturday evening, Ravi kissing the bumper of a car in front of us, and fighting a ton of traffic...we finally made it home to Nico. He was a little wary of the extra two people walking in with me, but a peace offering was given and all was well with the world. From that point on he was a goof and decided he could hang out with us as we enjoyed 4 pizzas prepared for us (by Joe of course) over hearing about the latest neighborhood drama.

A few short hours later, rested, showered, we trekked back out to Ercolano, another community destroyed by Mt. Vesuvio. It was a treat to have someone else telling me about what we were looking at, even if a lot of the Italian was Spanish sounding. Once we explored every nook and cranny within the escacvation site it was time to head back to Naples for the speedy tour around the Old Town.

We may have sat and ate for some time, but so much of the Italian culture is built around the tradition of eating and sharing meals, it seemed appropriate. As far as specific reactions and some of the crazy experiences, well I'm going to let Tink share those with you. Why? Well, at this point I think I'm immune to some of the craziness of Naples so it's more fun to read about a first timer's reaction than mine.

My City on the Bay...Just a Different Bay

As round two of Italian class comes to an end, it's field trip time! The various classes met up early last Saturday despite the dark sky to gain even more culture and history of the place we're currently calling home.  Although we treked through many areas I've already seen, this time around we were lead by locals that new the history of the city. Instantly the buildings and streets came alive with stories from the past. And don't get me wrong...when I say "past" I really mean past...like 2,500 years ago!

Our first stop was a castle, now transformed into a B&B, to see what a typical Neaopolitan house. Once again I had the feeling that I was born in the wrong country, in the wrong time period...

The outside of the building was being restored and as we walked under the scaffling into the entry way it looked just a little sketch. Just for a moment though because as soon as we climbed the stairs, faded frescos and mosaic tiles greeted us before one of the members of the family that owns it. We toured the beatiful building while being told the history and on several occasions that it was used for a scene in a Jack Lemon film.

Our next stop lead us through Piazza Dante where the statues overlooking the piazza were explained and also how the different parts of the city used to be separated by walls and gates. We stood in a parking lot where they unification of Italy was announced. After hearing history, we then proceeded through one of the old gates (now Book Alley). Orderly. Not breaking down the gate like they did in the old times when the plague hit the city.

It this square we stood next to a 2,500 year old Greek wall (Greek because they stack stones on top of eachother like that) while being surrounded by modern buildings.

Then it was off to a church. A church that I honestly can't remember the name of but someone really famous in church history used this place as his library. I want to say it was St. Agustine, but don't quote me on that! We snuck inside the church moments before a wedding was starting and truth be told, the red ball gown being worn by one of the guests is still what I remember the most. That and a NY Catholic official in burried there as he apparently died when in Italy, with his Italian girl friend. Oops.

Through the exit of the chuch we ended up near the Univerity and stopped for coffee. We stopped for coffee and the rain started to pour. Within minutes the semi crowded streets cleared out, and my to my regret even the two Santas playing African drums moved out. We booked it up the hill to the Museo Cappella Sansevero where some of the most amazing statues I've ever seen were. Check out the link because pictures aren't allowed so you have to look at the professional ones. The ceiling of the chapel was beautiful in brillian greens, blues, reds. Legend has it that the artist Raimondo de Sangro  used bile, blood, and other biological "pigments." Like I said, the art was amazing. Symbolism, technique, all of that but the most interstesting thing? As we left there were two skeletons, a male and female that still had their vascular systems. Again, legend says that an imbalming agent was injected into the live subjects to preserve the system while the flesh decayed. Well, I explored a little more (since it didn't look quite right) and I guess a study back in 2009 found that parts of the skeletons were actually contructed of silk and wax.

Another great day in Bella Napoli and even more fabulous new places to take visitors! Best part? I didn't even have to speak Italian.

VISITORS!

My second official visitor group to Bella Napoli were my aunt, uncle, and cousin from Indy. Their ship left them in the port early this morning and eventually they got off the port to meet at our designated spot.

Of course I wasn't there as planned (I run on Napoli time these days) and as I climbed the stairs I heard my dad's voice on the phone held to my aunt's ear. We assured him everything was okay and let him get back to sleep since it was close to 0100. Stinkin' time difference. So why was I late? Well I have the tendency to forget that driving at 0800 is a little different than 0500. That compounded with not being 100% sure where I was going and being on a train into town with what appeared to be a bunch of protesting students...like I said Naples time.

After being handed the most glorious bag of peppermint items (have I mentioned lately just how much I am in need of a peppermint fix?) we ventured out a piedi with no real destination in mind other than wanting to see a few new things. After a cornetto break, we wandered through some back streets while migrating towards Christmas Alley. I had given up my map at this point (I get too distracted looking at everything that I forget to check where we are...hey didn't someone once say it's all about the journey?) At any rate, we walked through some seriously narrow old streets. I'm sure we gave the old ladies hanging out their windows something to talk about for at least a little while.

We continued to wander off the typical major roads in downtown and quickly found ourselves in the neighborhood 2 of my coworkers had told me the day prior to be wary of. So naturally that's where we ended up right? Well, it wasn't too sketchy and I had to see Il Duomo one of these days- so why not on a day I wasn't touring solo? Walking inside the church, I'm sorry- cathedral, we really didn't know what to expect- but I think the vaulted ceilings with golden ornate images and marble everywhere really weren't in our mind. Attached to the main cathedral there were several side chapels, also decorated with statues which pretty much blinded us as the sun came pouring in the windows. We joked that I could never attend church there on account of it being so distracting! Well actually, the fact that I'm not Catholic would already making it tough and the language issues are sort of strikes uno e due. In this chapel is where the skull and vials of blood from San Gennaro blood that liquifies three times a year. Well, the city prays that it liquifies because the years it hasn't has resulted in catastrophic events for Napoli.

When we were duomo'ed out we headed back to the street and continued our walk to Via San Gregorio Armeno in search of  Christmas Alley. As the presepi became more and more frequent along the street vendors we figured we had made it. Turns out we passed our turn when we checked out a fish vendor. Yeah, fish. It's a very common view in the markets and along the streets- tubs of clams, muscles, octopi, squid--all still alive! The fish are already dead at this point, but you know just a few short hours prior they were swimming along. If you're picturing an aquarium in your head, you aren't that far off. Just like we weren't that far off of the correct street to see some of the largest and some of the smallest nativity scenes I've ever seen. The presepi are all handcrafted with tree bark and moss (preventing me from being able to take one home!) and then custom occupied. Il bambino Jesus, Mary, Joseph, livestock, shepherds, wise men, and angels predominately lined the shelves but among the traditional items/characters there were others. Should you want a Pulcinella, Santa Claus, or Bart Simpson you could easily find one. How about a pizza oven to add to your manger? Got one of those, look for them between the lamp posts and mini pizzas. It really was amazing to see all the accessories lined up and yes, I do love living in a country that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving- BRING ON CHRISTMAS!

With our one destination reached, the stopping in stores back to the main road continued and I found a few great deals. I'd write about them here but should they end up as presents (as in, I don't keep them for myself) I don't want to have the element of surprise ruined. Before hitting the main street again we were by Santa Chiara. This church was recommended to visit by my Italian instructor so I had to check it out since it's her favorite. This Gothic church was much different than the ones we had seen previously. It was only in this form though after being bombed during the war and being almost completely destroyed. When the decision was made to rebuild, they restored it to its original style (even after it had been "updated" to Baroque style well after its 14th century construction). My favorite part was the stained glass windows, for now. Next time I'm going into the museum area to see the rest of it.

As promised, we made our way to Via Roma/Toledo and once again joined the fast paced city. It's really amazing how just a few streets off from the main roads you can be transported to what Italy must have been like earlier on. On Via Toledo, the vendors promised great deals even if every other one had the same items. Business suits walked by at a fast pace while older women took their time with their produce from the market. Coffee shops were busy- even if by American time it was time for pranzo...not another coffee break. One block found us across from a sea of people. Just what was the commotion? A new H&M was opening. Craziest part? It actually looked like people were lining up on the sidewalk.
Katie's tour now took them to Galleria Umberto, Palazzo Reale and the likes. I figure if these are a few of the sights that made me fall in love with the city, I have to share! It was a success and we even had a ton of carabinieri heading to the Palazzo Reale. Nope. Still not sure why but since we're sort of going through some political changes I'm sure it had something to do with that. Well, maybe not since I find that the most logical explanation for many things here couldn't be further from the truth.

With several kilometri under our feet and almost an acceptable lunch time for the locals, we went in search for a place my aunt and uncle had eaten at last time. Apart from knowing the general location and that it was a 2 story pizza place "with baskets" we had nothing. But guess what? They found it. We also found a guy willing to give us a great deal on an iPad along the way.

No. We didn't buy it. C'on. Electronics from the street?

Lunch was pretty good. It was nice to choose from pizza options other than what my pizza man makes but I still like his best. I'm not sure if it's the electric oven or what. This place was super cute though and since the kitchen was upstairs, they used baskets on pulley systems to send up the orders. Dopo il pranzo, siete andati per gelato. And it was almost more difficult to find than the restaurant! I guess we were a block past were we spent most of our day and as the old heart of city gelateria were not part of the original city plan? It was very odd. As the search continued we walked towards the closest metro station so I could eventually make it to soccer practice. Not only did we find our gelato, but we also found a coffee bar right next to the station. Not really wanting to head off to see my team (the season is almost over), sleepy, and impressed that we weren't just at any bar but at the 3 Gnome/Dwarf bar I had to have un caffe! Only as the sun began to set behind the tall buildings did I realize it would take me a while to head back...so that's what I did.

On the train back  I couldn't help but smile at what a wonderful day I had with my relatives exploring and sharing my new home with them. Sure there is trash on the side of the road, traffic, a ton of people, poor air quality but that's only a portion of this place, and the coffee, ancient history, beautiful buildings, friendly people and amazing views out weighs all those "cons." Shoot, I'm not even sure if all of those things are even cons...I think they are still in the "quirk category" in my book so they are a few of the many things that make Naples Bella Napoli. I'm sure the onlookers thought I was crazy  with my hair getting further out of control in the wind as I stood bracing myself with a pole as we made our way down the track with graffiti and sunbeam covered buildings but I don't care. Sure my attitude changed a tad when I pulled up to practice with 10 minutes left (it was on my way home) due to traffic but it quickly adjusted back while I ran inside an extinct volcano.

Seriously. 

How did I get so lucky to have this be my life?

Can someone please pinch me to make sure I'm not dreaming?

To Market, To Market

One huge perk about American holidays these days (I mean, apart from the 8 hours of holiday pay) is that the Italians still go on with business as usual. This means markets, businesses, schools, and the likes are all open and for once I'm able to live the Italian life.

Today's destination was Shoe Alley. Yes, I have been there before but not for months! My coworker and I had been talking about needing boots for a few weeks and we made the plans late yesterday afternoon. (What else would 2 government employees be talking about late in the afternoon before a long weekend?)

With my coworker taking over directions (my GPS and I are still working through our issues) I drove my car closest to downtown Naples it's been. The drive proved to be entertaining and the traffic at 940 suggested it was still early in the work day. We arrived without incident and I even backed up onto the sidewalk for a very Italian parking job. By the way, Ravi is really learning to love some of his all terrain capabilities in this urban center.

The sun shone down on the shoes causing buckles and bling to glisten like treasures. The stacks of boxes reached several meters high, each containing a pair of shoes. Like two pros, we wandered back and forth between the stalls in each row- careful not to to miss any! In today's search for boots nothing really caught our eyes until the 3rd row. It's here I found the first pair of suede wedge with a little faux sheep wool lining- super cute but just filed away as we continued our search.

Our search for boots was temporarily detoured as I realized I want to find a few scarves since I'm determined the key to dressing like an Italian is to accessorize. My research has concluded that the reason the women always look so fabulous in their outfits is because they've layered and accessorize everything on their person to be art. Granted, it could just be the shoes but I'm not willing to give up my flip-flops just yet.

Row after row we searched. It wasn't until the very back that we finally found one of our favorite types of stalls- cinque euro! Although the selection wasn't too fabulous, for 5E you can buy a pair of shoes and if you don't like them after 2 or 3 wears you pass them along or not feel guilty as they sit in your closet. My coworker found her (only) pair of boots here, but I was still on the hunt for something similar to the ones I saw previously.

And then I saw the most adorable dress ever. Okay, maybe not ever but marked 10E it was pretty fabulous. After checking it out I was 99% sure that this body with my "no carb left behind" Italian food plan was not going to squeeze into it.

Onward!

I finally found a pair of boots. No, they weren't like the ones I saw before (and despite going back for a second look still didn't come home with them) but they looked like something my shoe collection was missing. As we made our way back I once again crossed paths with that dress. Feeling optimistic (I knew it would fit, but it was the "how would it fit" that was the mystery) I tried that and another dress on. And this is how the  clothes shopping at Shoe Alley happened. The original dress was a no go, but I found another one. The only problem is I have a feeling I'll be checking Nini's closet for it should it ever go missing.

So today's trip was successful: boots, a pencil skirt, a dress, and a top all for way less than the holiday pay I was paid while I was outside enjoying the sun rather than in my dungeon.

Day 13: I Found Love!

Today was the final day of orientation- Intercultural Relations Day II when we took to the streets of Napoli to see just what's out there. So what's out there?

My new home and I think I'm in love!

Downtown Napoli proved to be home to so many alleys, markets, and breath taking sights. The view my eyes were taking in finally matched the images I had in my head when I accepted this job. (Nothing like having to wait two weeks...)

After a super early departure, we traveled to the base we where it's recommended that we leave our cars prior to catching the Metro. The Metro "right there" turned out to be around the corner and under the bridge. Not exactly the cleanest area or somewhere I plan to be walking at night but at 0800 it was just fine (assuming we stayed on the side walk)!

A few stops later and a funicular ride up the hill, I found myself in the streets of Vomero. No, we didn't walk all the way to the top of the hill to the castello and monastery but we did find an open air market! As soon as we learned there was a mercato we headed straight in that direction. Well, maybe not straight but we found it and thankfully one of the streets was named Via Luca Giordano so I just thought "Frank's last name- I got this" and we made it out and back with no problem. (Yay for my internal compass working in this city while on foot...driving is a whole other story.) 

The produce and fish were absolutely amazing. The colors, scents, and sounds that filled the street we a million times better than Monterey's Farmers Market even on the most picture perfect day. I fought back the urge to buy two heads of lettuce (for only 1 euro) because I knew in the remaining 5 hours we would be exploring it would wilt. Not willing to walk away without something green, I settled for some fresh olives. The nice man looked at us three American women like "what in the world are they doing here?" as we tried to figure out what the difference between the 2 containers of green olives. We all ended up with the same kind and they were fabulous! 

The other find in this town was an amazing bakery. We knew it was going to be good when we smelled the pane e pasticcinis from a few storefronts away and the place was packed like sardines. Kate, for you and you alone I had them venture in there to try something. We left with rolls, mini graffas, and that oh so tasty, crispy, flaky, sweet pastry shaped in a heart. As we wandered back up the hill we took in all the stores there- Sephora being one (so happy they will ship here). With the few minutes we had left we had to stop into the bar (coffee bar) for due caffès, since the 3rd member of our group apparently doesn't like coffee? Ha. I give her 3 months.

 

Back on the funicular we headed back down the hill to Via Toledo which leads to Galleria Umberto, Castel Nuovo, Palazzo Reale, San Francesco di Paola, Piazza Plebiscito the sparkling blue ocean, and about a million little streets filled with bakeries, coffee shops, butchers, pizzerias, shoes, produce stands, scooters, and people. I had to keep reminding myself this was a recon trip, strictly to start getting the lay of the land because the time allotted wasn't nearly enough time to see everything. I managed to make a huge loop through and around the Galleria, castel, water front, and into Chiaia.

While exploring these streets so many strange and wonderful things crossed into my field of vision: couples wearing matching pink shirts, middle aged men walking 8 dogs at a time, kids riding in the lap of their mother while she navigated a scooter through the street. As the cruise ship port the number of languages I heard was also impressive, yet I still seemed to always hear the English first. The quote of the day? "Guido, Guido." As we were exploring off the beaten path a father started calling for his son. It was one of those are you kidding me? moments and we both waited a good 5 seconds before giggling at what we had just heard.

I think it was on the same side street that I found a cute little pasticceria/gelateria called Katia, so once again doing as Kate challenged me to do- we went in. This is where that swirly bar pastry came from. I'm still not sure what I ate but it was good. I think it was brown sugar and maybe almond? Again, it was sugary and yummy so you don't think about it too much. Probably not the best thing to eat within an hour of lunch but you know what? I'm still in TLA so my "no carb left behind" motto can last for a little longer, plus we had a ton more walking to do.

As we headed down into Chiaia, something else caught my eye. No, not a guy, cat, or shoe store- although there were plenty of all of those today- but a garbage truck. Yes. A garbage truck! I know some of you may not believe me so I snapped a picture. Check it out in that next collage. I actually guess that's another thing I can mention about today. In the two sections of town we were in, trash really wasn't an issue. Again, it was really refreshing to see something different than what I'd seen driving around potential neighborhoods...although I don't think I'm up for city living!

Shortly after noon the group met up again as we trekked back up Via Toledo to get to a pizzeria for lunch. We must have passed 20 on our way up no more than 10 blocks. Why did we eat at the one we did? I'm almost wondering if our tour guide knew the family that owned Ristorante e Pizzeria da Attilio. At any rate, the place was full of charm and their brick oven was fired up and ready to cook our Margherita pizzas. While we waited for them, we studied the framed napkins with customers' drawings on the walls in the room we were dinning in. Pizza was (of course) fabulous. 

Hey, I just realized I still have my pizza Friday tradition continuing. I actually don't think it will be that big of a challenge as I'm still searching for Italian food that I can't live without. I'm talking real food here- espresso, gelato, and all these pastries don't count.  I think that if I were to try Margherita pizzas from a different place every day, I still couldn't try all the local spots in three years. Do you think they'd let me sign on those extra years just to finish that goal? 

Well, more or less that's how orientation week ended and it was a great last day. I got to see more of where I plan to be spending my free time and doing my 5pm-5am life. It also gave me an idea of what there is to show all my guests once you all start to arrive. I'll make sure to take the time to learn about this wonderful new place so when you visit you too will fall in love.