Italy part 2 (Rome, Naples, Sorrento and the Amalfi coast)

While traveling and meeting people in hostels you get a lot of mixed reviews about certain cities. Most people are eager to tell you about a certain place if they had a really bad experience and really try to convince you not to go if it's in your itinerary. Vice versa with cities they loved...makes sense. I've learned to accept the bad and the good and decide for myself.


Everyone I spoke with had extremely different thoughts about one ancient city in particular. It was extremely popular amongst certain people and shunned by others. That city was Rome. As I've been doing with most cities I booked a hostel in Rome for 2 nights and if I decided to stay longer I would take a chance there would be vacancy.I screeched into Rome on a high speed train from Venice mid-morning so I had a good part of the day and decided to go to Vatican city and the surrounding area first so I could do a full day in central Rome the next day. Rome immediately reminded me of Athens.


Ruins displayed nicely and proudly along the city and it was busy with a lot of traffic yet had its quiet pockets with nicer non-touristy areas. If I can, I usually try to get hostels outside the main tourist areas to get a feel of every day life. Unlike Athens, I did get to use the metro system in Rome. A lot! 1.20€ for a one-way ticket is a pretty good deal. My first metro ride to Vatican city took me through a route I would familiarize myself with the next few days. I visited St. Peters basilica first but almost didn't as the queue was about a football field long. Surprisingly, 10 minutes later I was gazing up at a stupendously beautiful ceiling and taking in the history of Italy's largest church (not cathedral).


Mom will be proud to know I did find a quiet spot away from the mass tourist groups to pray for a few minutes letting me leave the basilica feeling very happy. I walked around the small city for a few hours and realized I was too late to go into the Vatican museums to see, amongst other things, the Sistine chapel. It would have to wait until tomorrow. Next day I left a footprint in most of central Rome. I probably walked in one day what most people do in 2-3 days. Not sure if that's a good thing but I felt good about it. I started with the coliseum.

Our guide sucked (we almost boo'd him) so I went off on my own and imagined bloodshed, carnage, triumph and the sun-drenched oval stadium in all its glory thanks to, of course, the movie Gladiator. As impressive a structure as the coliseum was it didn't impress me as much as the Palatine area which was just a stones throw away. This was an introduction to how ancient Romans really lived. We saw roman toilets, sun rooms, and central heating all while having access to the biggest stadium in town!


Really though the every day life of the ancient roman and how they lived somehow interested me more than the action-packed spectacle just a few yards away. The rest of the day was spent touring most of the cites around central Rome and eating local cuisine. That evening I went out with a few locals and an Aussie hostel friend. The night ended with us sneaking to the rooftop of our hostel to have an impromptu roof-top party. As they say, 'when in Rome...' Had a blast with you guys, see you soon Erin and Marcelus!


Next day I went to see the magnificent Sistine chapel and then took my hangover to the pizza capital of the world, Naples. Naples was supposed to be a gateway to the Amalfi coast and Pompei but it proved to be much more than that. The hostel I stayed in had a great living area and provided the rest I


was searching for after 2 months of being on-the-go. I watched 2 movies one night, did mass laundry, and slept like a log. Now I was ready to see Naples, Sorrento, the island of Capri, and the Amalfi coast. Naples can be summarized as a welcomed surprise full of busy streets and


Italian character (and characters) in the way of food and outdoor markets. Pompei was tragically beautiful but not as dark as I thought it would be and Capri awakened my senses with the scent of lemon, olive trees everywhere and stunning blue waters.


We weren't lucky enough to see the blue grotto (where Tyler almost lost the engagement ring right before he proposed to Courtney) while in Capri but embraced the atmosphere. Congrats again you two. The real highlight for me was riding the amalfi coast on a scooter.


I can describe it as a combination of Big Sur's dropping cliffs with some of the colorful houses you would see perched in Oahu's mountains mixed with a formula one driving pace. There was a picture to take around every bend and just when we thought we had the best view another dramatic cliffside jaw-dropper would appear.


You couldn't stare for long because every car, moto, and bus on the road seemed to be trying to get somewhere...fast! I had the pleasure of enjoying this with my new Aussie friend Tahlia. We had quite the adventure dodging traffic, eating mysterious food, and literally riding into the sunset. Hope London treats you well the next few years Tahlia and have fun traveling with Sarah and Kirin.


As I continue to chase summer I keep reminding myself of how lucky I am to be able to do what I'm doing. I'm enjoying every moment (even the boring ones) and truly cherishing all these experiences (even the small things like the joy of having a drawer at a hostel) because who knows what will happen tomorrow.


Now I'll say ciao to the Euro and begin practicing my math skills with the Kuna...hello Croatia!