Benvenuti in Italia!

Naples

Friday we traveled all day.  Our flight to Rome was followed by a three hour lay-over for our connecting flight to Naples.  Once we arrived in Naples, we realized that we were in for an interesting experience here.  Many friends and family warned us all about Naples with an analogy that the city is like the Detroit, MI of Italy---but worse.  We drove through some beaten down neighborhoods and finally reached our hotel.  Greeted by the concierge, he looked us each in the eye and advised our professors "To keep the kids inside tonight."  Oh great, that makes me feel very comfortable in the Mafia capital of the world.  But no worries, I put a good word in to the Corleone family before my arrival.  Sketchiness aside, the Neapolitan dining that night (in our hotel to avoid stepping foot on the dangerous streets I suppose) was phenomenal.  Our maitre d' ran quite the show for us and we couldn't stop laughing, nor shoveling the pasta down our throats.

Saturday we visited the Basilica of St. John Lateran (San Giovanni in Laterano).  There is a relic housed inside with the supposed blood of San Giovanni.  Every year on this Saint's day, it is said that if the blood becomes liquid, the people of Naples will have good luck (Like Groundhogs Day... but different).  After the church, we toured the Archaeological Museum of Naples that housed unique artifacts from the ancient ruins of Pompeii that we would see the following day.  After the museum, we headed to a nicer section of town via public transportation.  Lets just say I will never take personal space for granted again, and praise all who wear deodorant and shower daily.  After the bus ride, I had the most delicious pizza at a small tucked-away pizzeria called "Pizza Bruno," and we walked to the Catacombs of St. Genaro!  How interesting it was (and eerie) to see how Christians prayed in secret and buried their dead for years in underground catacombs.  That night, we ventured to the waterfront of Naples for a group dinner---and walked back to the hotel for and hour and half.  Oh well, it was good for digesting all that pasta!

Pizza Bruno in Napoles, Italia.

Pompeii

Sunday morning we left on the bus for Mt. Vesuvius.  The climb up had my calves screaming, begging me to take a break on the 30 minutes straight of an incredibly sharp incline on loose volcanic gravel!  Nonetheless there were wonderful sights at the top, a chilly breeze, and it was my first volcano that I have ever seen, let alone summited.  Here are some pictures of the views from the top.

See the gases creeping their way out of the volcano from the core of the Earth?  Yes, this is an ACTIVE volcano.

A beautiful panoramic view of Naples from the top of Mt. Vesuvius.

Me ... falling into the depths of the (non-existent) boiling lava of Mt. Vesuvius.

After you climb Vesuvius, it's only right that you see the ancient Roman city that was completely obliterated by the volcano years and years ago.  For once, we got to see and understand the vastness of these ancient cities we have been studying.  For years, it was perfectly preserved by the lava and ash that coated it.  Like a time capsule, bodies were preserved in their somewhat original state, lending lots of information to historians and archaeologist as to how Romans lived their lived, dressed and ate.  From the forum to the amphitheaters, and the temples of Venus and Zeus to the brothel and the famous Roman baths--we saw it all!

An ominous view of Mt. Vesuvius from the center of the Forum in Pompeii.

Abbey-Roadin' it across a street in ancient Pompeii.

A nice aerial view of the city of Pompeii.

Vietri Sul Mare and Amalfi
Unfortunately our day touring the coast of Amalfi was a rainy one.  However, we were lucky to capture a few photos when the sun was out!  We started the day in Vietri Sul Mare, the ceramics district/ capital of Italy.  Beautiful tiles lined the walls of each shop where the artisans work and showcase their creations.  After our quick stop in the side-streets of Vietri Sul Mare, we took the windiest roads along the coast to Amalfi.  Once we arrived it started to downpour, but we made it safely to the Duomo of Amalfi!  In the basement of the Duomo is the Shrine of Saint Andrew.  We all marveled at the ornate walls and chandelier coated in gold which delicately hung the most beautiful crystal.  Alex, Kathleen and I ventured through the side streets to look for a non-touristy lunch atmosphere.  We sure did find the perfect place to eat!  I had a delicious eggplant parmesan, followed by gelato at one of the most famous gelato shops in Italy.  After our tours of the Amalfi coast, we went to the train station back in Naples and headed off to Rome.

A view of the Amalfi coast.

Alex and Kathleen (and my plate of Eggplant Parmesean) at our humble little restaurant we found off the beaten path.

Roma

Our first day in Rome was spent touring Vatican city.  The amazing collections of art and artifacts can be found in the Museo Vaticani.  It was interesting to be back in Rome after seven years, this time without my family.  I remembered a lot of the basics of the city and ruins but gained some new perspectives and learned some facts along the way.  The breathtaking St. Peter's Basilica never gets old, neither does the Vatican post office--I love the fact that the Vatican is its own country!  After touring the Vatican for about 3 hours (quite exhausting), we had a group lunch and opted for an additional walking tour of the city with our professor.  We saw the Spanish steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and stopped in the Piazza de Navona.  Afterwards, Alex took us to another famous gelateria nearby the Pantheon---QUE RICO! I was in heaven with my white chocolate and raspberry/blueberry gelato with a dab of homemade whipped cream on top!  After dinner that night, we headed to the section of Rome called Trastevere for some nighttime adventuring and ended up at a karaoke bar called "Scholars" before returning to the hotel.

St. Peter's Basilica 

Alex and I making wishes at the Trevi Fountain!

Fontana di Trevi.

Our second day in Rome was filled with a tour of Roman ruin after ruin.  We covered everything:  The ancient Forum, the Temple of Romulus, ascended the Palatine hill (Palatine means palace) and then made our way to the Coliseum.  Did you know that the Romans even had a shading system like today's super-domes, to keep spectators cooler in the afternoon heat?  Sea battles, animal fights and gladiator duels also took place here too, but it was not all fun at the theater; these games revealed the social hierarchies of a typical Roman city at that time.  At one point, different colored marbles were what made up the building. However, poorer people were seated up top in the "nosebleeds" on imitation marble. What we see today are the bricks which were once covered in plaster and then topped off with a slab of marble.  Then we enjoyed a delicious meal of mushroom risotto and sparkling wine in a terraced restaurant overlooking the ruins.  Followed by lunch, we had free time before driving to the airport.  A few friends and I went on a little walking tour of our own to Tiber Island, tucked in between the Tiber river which divides Rome from the district of Trastevere.  We took a cab back to the hotel, gathered our things and headed to Fiumicino airport together by bus.  I started that day with Roman ruins and ended it in my Spanish bed in Madrid--how unreal.  Until my next adventure....

El Coloseo.  Imagine it ALL in marble.