** Automated Posting **
We're on our flight back. We going directly to LA and then getting on an Alaskan Air flight to Seattle. I hope the truck starts after sitting in the parking lot all this time. We end up in New Westminster on the same day we left Rome. It'll have been a long day!
Saturday: Holy Cow. Okay, there was no cow today but a lot of Holy. The breakfast at the Hotel Luciani was meagre but the several coffees plus an initial one in the room got me going. The weather started blue but turned gray and occasionally rainy very soon.
The red line subway dropped us as close on the Metro as we could get. So, as usual, the crowds marched to the side entrance of the Vatican. The line up wasn't unbelievably long to get into the Basilica. I remember having mixed feelings the last time I was there. It does not feel very spiritual to me. I wonder what all the art has to do with the Christian beliefs I possess. I respect even other religions, so I should be a little more relaxed with a sect of my own. As far as all the decoration, even public buildings in certain eras try damned hard to be grandiose.
We waited in line to get into the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. We had to wait a half hour in the one kilometer queue. They sure know how to move through large groups of people at 14 Euros a pop. I'm happy we went. I didn't know the ceiling version of the Creation of Adam would be so high and small. We exited after two hours only having really seen a small part of what was on offer.
On the way back we succumbed to a Big Mac meal, the first from the McD franchise on this trip. After getting back to the room and a cup of coffee, we headed back out just to explore. This time I put on my jacket! The day pass tickets meant we went back towards the Colosseum exiting a stop or so early. This allowed us to view another cathedral and the beginning of a public demonstration against discrimination. We walked and walked more. I wonder how many kilometres we've actually put on walking around this trip. The number is certainly in the hundreds.
In the late evening, we even rode one Metro line to its end just to look around and get our money's worth out of the day passes. Rather than pizza for our final meal, we ate kebab plates at an Arab/African shop near the station.
Tomorrow we're up at 5:00 am for our flights back to Vancouver. Alitalia should get us from Rome to Los Angles. Then, Alaska Air will get us into Seattle. It'll be up to me to drive us back after 7:00 pm tomorrow. Can I spell Y-A-W-N?
I felt a little sad leaving Naples. It was a fun big, robust, and a little untamed. It felt weird knowing that I may never see it again. If I wait as long as the last time I was in Italy, I'll be a hobbling, 71 year old man. Considering how much of the world there is left to see, chances are I may never get back here.
The train trip was uneventful but, in retrospect, I do see why folks cough up the extra cash for a IC or ES trip from Naples. The slow trains seem to stop in every single village station.
We checked into the hotel at 3:45 pm. We walked around quite a lot. As were were in Rome three nights when we arrived, the city now seems like old hat. We ate a late dinner and will be in bed by 9:15 pm.
Thursday: I'll Isle. I was here once. There aren't too many places in the world where I've made a second visit. I came to this part of Italy when I was working in Saudi Arabia in either 1985 or 1986. At the time, I did most of the trip by tour group. I vowed to return to the Isle of Capri again. I thought if I were rich, I'd fly all my friends here for fun trip. It is 22 or 23 years later and I did make it back.
Today, we were in no big hurry to get up. First we had to figure out how to get to the Marine Terminal at the waterfront. Napoli's Metro system doesn't make it there yet. We did find out that it is Bus #1 from the area in front of the main train station. We also found out that tickets can be bought from any tobacco shop. The rush hour is horrific and it probably would have been nearly as fast to walk but too tiring.
The cost of petrol has pushed up the prices of the ferry / hydrofoils to Capri. Our 2008 Lonely Planet said 10 to 12 Euros. It cost 17 Euros now for both types. So to get to the island and back today cost us about $100.
I wish I could say it was worth it, but I guess I am not as impressionable as I was close to a quarter century ago. There were a few picturesque views. It is now considered a shopping mecca and everything was too upscale for us, even the restaurants. We went to a grocer and bought a chunk of good cheese, several baked breads, and some mango juice. We ate lunch overlooking the houses which overlooked the sea in Anacapri. We took the funicular, and busses up. We took a bus to Capri proper and walked down to the port for our return.
After getting back in a very fast half hour as it was an old hydrofoil, we walked to Plaza del Plebiscito. Then we walked up Via Toledo past the Spanish Quarter. The subway system we got at Plaza Dante must be quite new. It was clean and bright. We switched lines and came out of Line 2 back at the station. It's not late.
Tomorrow, we will catch a 12:30 regional train to Rome. We have already reserved two nights at a hotel there. On Saturday, we'll go to see the things at the Vatican. On Sunday, we'll have to fly back home! I guess Alitalia is still in the air even though it has some financial trouble.
Wednesday: Today was in ruins. This morning proved to the one of those overcast days when there are patches of blue sky too. It did seem warmer though, probably about 25C.
It takes about 40 minutes to get to the Pomeii archelogical site on the train which travels to Sorrento. The commuter train is clearly marked for Pompeii Scavi. Scavi means ruins and I expect it comes from the same root as our word for excavation. This train line and Naples in general are plagued by a lot of graffiti. Now speaking of words, that sure looks like an Italian one doesn't it? Some of it is art but most an eyesore. It must be endemic. It's hard to change behaviours that become entrenched, I guess. The old trains that ply these routes do manage to move hordes of people. Getting to the Pompeii site couldn't have been easier.
In the great eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. the city was quickly covered in ash. It caught its residents by surprise and entombed them and their way of life. It is humbling walking on the very same street stones that people did 20 centuries ago. It is more reassuring, though, to see that these people were people just like us. They had bakeries. They had brothels. They had sports and entertainment. They drank wine. They were taxed. They tried to make their homes nice. They were involved in agriculture, government, and business. It many ways I envy their city planning over the sprawl the constitutes many urban centers today.
We walked around with a brochure-type guide and map. We entered at about 10:20 am and left at around 2:20 pm. We had overpriced pizzas just outside the gates before coming back into town. Our new hotel room faces the street and has a sizable balcony.
Jay is off checking a spa now. I'll enter this here earlier than usual. All the clouds are gone and it'd be nice if it stayed that way. I'd think we should go to Capri for the day tomorrow.
Tuesday: Not 1929 Years Ago. Naples is my kind of town. Somewhere south of Rome, when coming here, our train apparently left Europe! All the things you might have heard about this city are right. Naples is a little rough. One does take one's life in one's hands when crossing the street. The city center might not be a place to bring children but that's exactly why I like it. It reminds me slightly of a mix between the Middle East and Mumbai. It might be a bit rough but it's vibrant and full of life.
We were pleasantly surprised by the continental breakfast at our hotel. It was filling enough to get us off to a good start. We had to find the local rail lines which are located just on the other side of the main railway station. We bought tickets to go to the stop Ercolano. It's an easy place to find buses that shuttle visitors to Mt. Vesuvius. Although our guide books were from 2008 all prices are higher than published. The tickets to the park itself are Euros 6.50 and the combined bus trip right up to the main parking lot and access to the rim are another 10.00 Euros. It seemed like quite a ways. It definitely wouldn't have been possible to take public transit to the base as it's many kilometres up the hill to the place to start the little hike. The sky was blue and although the sun was hot down in Naples it was pretty cool up there. We had about an hour and a half to walk the last 1.5 kilometres to the crater. It really was up. The views were pretty stunning both towards the crater and the sea.
After, from the Ercolano station it's only about a half kilometer walk to Herculaneum. Both this city and Pompeii were covered in the big explosion of the mountain in 79 A.D. On the way we stopped for more pizza. (That food is beginning to be a habit.) We decided to forgo going into the excavations and save 11.00 Euros and focus just on Pompeii on another day. We might take three or four hours to see it.
With plenty of extra time, we boarded the Circumvesuviana train and continued further south. The line ended in Sorrento. That is the more polished resort for people who don't want to really get involved in the confusion of downtown Naples. Things were expensive. Tourists were aplenty. And we were not impressed.
Tomorrow we'll either visit Pompeii or the Isle of Capri depending on the weather. Let's hope it stays as nice as today has been.
Anyway, the change of scenenery from north to south was interesting. The whole day was sun until just before pulling into Naples. There were gray clouds.
Today, although we spent around the same 70 Euros as ever, we're staying in a very nice 3-star called the Eden Hotel. It's about the second hotel from the station. It has wifi, although not free. Hence an entry today!
Tomorrow will depend on the weather. Perhaps we'll do Pompeii.
Sunday: Doing the Five Villages. We had the pass. We had had bread, jam, cheese, and juice in the room. We were ready to join all the other tourists who'd already headed onto earlier trains. It was after nine o'clock.
As long as we weren't winded, we figured we'd take on the next village. A brochure said it would take one hour and ten minutes. The path was a little more like I expected a path to be. Still, it was not at all difficult in sandals. We found that Corniglia was a hill top town. We walked to the station area right when a bus was due to take tourists to the top. I'm not one to ignore fate. The pathways between buildings in Italy are by now nothing new. I still found them interesting between the buildings nestled together at the top of a mountain facing the sea. It was, by then, after 1:00 pm. We were ready for something to eat. Oh mama mia, a shared pizza was masterfully created before our eyes. We also availed ourselves of reasonably priced gelato. Everybody was; it was warm outside.
At last, to board a train seemed like the right thing to do. The trail to Vernazza would have taken too long. I was impressed with the easily accessible station and the picturesque walk to the harbour. This place had a small beach making it perfect. I'd probably have to vote for this town or Manarola as those I'd like to see again.
We continued back to Monterosso just to make it all Cinque Terre towns in one day. It has extensive beaches but it a little too crowded and new.
Coming back was a bit of a zoo. The train was late in arriving so the tourists got backed up. As it was the weekend, there were many local Italian visitors making enormous crowds today. By the time we got through all five cities were were nearly an hour late. We're back now and have eaten. We even paid for the hotel tonight, so we won't have to goof around in the morning. We have reservations on the train to Naples. It leaves at 7:59 the earliest we've had to be on the road on this vacation so far.
Saturday: Southward. We slept very little and poorly last night. Our hotel room overlooked not the main road where I figured we'd hear traffic. Rather, we were nearly three floors above an alley way which, unfortunately, had a rather popular bar. The Friday night revellers were out in force.
Nevertheless, the were up early enough to have breakfast at the hotel and walk a block and a half to the Genoa Principale for the 9:13.
It was a nice train heading to La Spezia down the coast. We saw lots of tourist at some stations and wondered it being the weekend if we'd have trouble finding a hotel there. It wasn't really, although Jay walked around a bit before we checked into the Albergo Parma. It would not be mistaken for a 4 or even a 3 star hotel but it is sufficient. The station is literally a two minute walk across the street and up some stairs. We got a city map.
We walked to the sea. On the way we made our way through a Saturday farmers' market full of fruits, fresh cheeses, and the such. On my map things looked closer and I suggest we walk to places which were definitely too far. We had kibabs on our way back to the hotel.
We went back up to the station to get some information about seeing Cinque Terre. For some reason we thought we'd have to take a train from somewhere else. Then we noticed the names of the five cities of the National Park. We had already been through those stations prior to getting off the train here!
We took our map and knew we still had the day left on our train passes. Which city did we want to see first. Rather than starting with the closest we went to Manarola. I thought I remember the name as a picture of the city is on my home computer as Vista wallpaper. After we get back, I'll know.
Knowing that most of the cities are only five minutes by train, after walking around Manarola we decided to go all the way up to the final town on Monterosso. It was getting late but the sun really set behind a mountain there rather than over the water. We did buy some goods for breakfast so as to avoid paying the hotel 5 Euros for breakfast. The train from there back to La Spezia took approximately a half hour.
We had dinner not far from the hotel and a nice pizzeria. Imagine, Jay looking forward to pizzas now! It's so nice to have a wine or beer for the same price as a Coke. We got our Cinque Terre Park cards at the train station for 8 Euros. They allow one to walk any of the trains as well as unlimited train travel within the park. That's how we'll spend the whole day tomorrow.
Friday: Tripping Up. The 9:12 arrived about fifteen minutes late into Torino but it was still just a bit after 11:00. As long as we were in this neck of the woods and are unsure when and if we'll return, we wanted to take in Turin too. We got off the train with no clear clue as to what to do or see. As we really hadn't planned on seeing this city, we, or I should say Jay, didn't do the usual planning.
We were hungry and got two whole fast-food pizzas trying to stay authentic to the trip. Then on the way back we located the Museum for artifacts from ancient Egypt. In the decade after the turn of the last century many Italian archeologists were uncovering ruins from the upper and lower sections of the Nile valley. Therefore, many antiquities have ended up in the city.
We took too long to get aboard the 3:20 back to Genoa. We got on the regional 5:20 which didn't get into our local station until 7:35. I'm still impressed with kilometre-long tunnels on the route here.
It was nice to walk to the hotel knowing that our stuff was already safely inside. We, then, went to get something to eat although we weren't too hungry after the earlier pizzas. We got several chicken kebabs. The Moroccan seller was very friendly and we spent more time guessing each others' countries than for him to get the sandwiches ready. His brother teaches plasma physics in Reno, NV. He hopes to immigrate to Canada. This parents and immediate brothers and sisters have lived in Genoa for nine years. He's Muslim and went on the Haj in 2005. Everybody has a story. Some people have many. Travel is interesting as one's path cross with so many more than during an ordinary day in one's life.
Thursday: Slight Adjustments. We scanned the train schedules at the Milan train station yesterday. We found two options: an 8:14 timing as suggested by the info desk and a 9:14 which had a tight connection through Genoa. Naturally, by the time we had eaten breakfast and checked out of the hotel the first wasn't a possibility.
We walked about three blocks to the station. We wondered why everybody had seat numbers and even spent a bit of the trip in different compartments as people came in for specific seats. Then, when the conductor looked at our pass, he informed us we owed another 13 Euros each. We were in an ICplus train rather than simply an ordinary Intercity. They require reservations which can be had at the station for 5 Euro with our passes. When purchased onboard there is an extra charge based on the distance travelled. That was a lesson learned.
It appeared our connection wouldn't be possible, so when we got to Genoa, we saw that the next train to La Spezia was in a little more than an hour. That was enough time to pop out and look around. The sun was bright and things seemed beautiful. Genoa hugged the side of a mountain from here. We quickly decided that it'd make a nice stop. So, I sat with the bags in amongst the scooters in front of the station, and Jay ventured out to see if there were any close-by hotels. He found a clean and reasonable place just a few steps away. It cost just 50 Euros per night but includes a phone, TV, and the best towels we're seen in Italy. For some reason, the average bath towel in this country is more like a super-sized kitchen towel.
Jay paid ahead for two days at the hotel. We were all checked in a little after eleven. Next, we started walking up the steep hillside with a tourist map in hand. We puffed our way too far up. The advantage of having a map when walking is that even if there's a language barrier, it's pretty easy to indicate that one wants to know where they are at that time. We were so far off, that we bought bus tickets to get back to the hotel area and had a very late lunch.
Tomorrow, as we have extra time before going south, we'll take a morning train to Turin. It takes about two hours on a train that will be free with our passes. We'll just spend a bit of time there and come back in the late afternoon.
Wednesday: The Big City. Yesterday, we bought breakfast things at a supermarket. So, we ate bread, jam, and bananas after getting up. Then, we went right to Central Station to get a 24-hour Metro pass. The main cathedral and famous covered market were just a few stops down the Yellow Line. We paid the 5 Euros rather than 7 to be able to walk up on the church which has hundreds of statues with dozens on each spire. Somehow, without the effort of climbing two-hundred-something twisting stairs, the experience wouldn't have been earned.
Milan seems like a very big city. It has a big city feel but few things for tourists. Later in the day, we used our Metro tickets to board trolleys and busses. From the windows most of the streets looked frighteningly similar. The only standard conception we brought along might have been true. The people here did look more stylishly dressed.
In the late afternoon we made use of Uno Club card by spending time at the Royal Hamam.
We'll head off towards the west coast tomorrow. Most probably we'll go all the way to La Spezia for a subsequent day seeing the cities of the Cinque Terre.
Tuesday: Go West, Young Men. We filled up on breakfast and walked aboard the 9:14 to Milan. It was an IC (Intercity) train but getting here seemed to take awhile. I know there were sections where we were roaring along at 140 kph because as I could see the rail speed signs along the way. Our car was comfortable with separate six-passenger cabins. They always remind me of how train travel should be. They're the type where short fiction takes place or the scene from a movie occurs. Nothing dramatic happened on our way here though.
We're in a hotel called Charly. It's two blocks to the green line on the subway. I guess we'll hang around tomorrow and see several famous things, like cathedrals. Milan feels a little more typically European.
Monday: Not Merchants of Venice. We were tourists for the whole day. This hotel started our day off with a nice spread for breakfast. I'm even happy knowing that's how we'll start before tomorrow's travels towards Milan. We had to take the train to the end at 1 Euro. Then we started by buying 14 Euro water taxi tickets at the terminus. These tickets were valid for unlimited travel for 12 hours.
We stopped at the Rialto stop and walked around. Eventually, we, as all tourists, ended up at San Marco. The lines were long and the pigeons thick. We bought tickets for the Campalini bell tower. During today there were a few times when whispy clouds could be seen but overall it was a mostly blue-sky day. The view from the tower was great.
We finally called it a day after ten or so hours. We trained back to Mastre and bought beer, juice, bread and cheese, yogurt, fruit at a supermarket. That was dinner.
Maybe we'll stop in Verona on the way across the north tomorrow. I doubt we'll bother to see Romeo and Juliet's balcony considering the play was a work of fiction and the prized landing just a clever tourist trap. We don't know if there's much to bother with in Milan. Yet, we'll decide more as the days come to pass.
Sunday: Regional Trains to Venice. There's something else on my list that people should do if they have a chance. The list has things on it such as to stand on the edge of the Grand Canyon, look at the Mona Lisa in person, and drink a huge glass of beer in Munich. Today, I have added a new one but not until after we did it. The newest thing on the list is to get lost in Venice.
To use our rail passes we must stick to regional departures. That meant to get from Florence this morning we had to board three trains. I am appreciative actually. We went up into some hills which we never would've seen on the Express routings. We left a 8:36 and got to Mestre station at 1:55. We're staying here rather than on any of the islands mainly for cost but also for convenience.
After a late lunch we took the last 10 minutes of train ride left to the station in Venice itself. Rather than buying tickets on the public boat to San Marco Square, we walked. We followed the twisting pathways following the signs when we spied them. It was very nice and a feeling I've not really ever experienced. I never really thought the people should live in separate dwellings in the suburbs. If I had the chance I'd much rather live in between walls and alleys.
We're back at the hotel in Mestre. We ate in Venice and didn't get here until after 9:00. We'll probably spend the whole day tomorrow getting lost in Venice.
It was time for lunch. At the other exit, we walked what we figured we the the alternative way back to the train station. It was. Eventually, we made our way back but were quite far down the river. I am sure we walked more than five miles.
Jay was also interested in visiting the beach as long as we were closer. He'd read of a resort called Viareggio. It had a completely different feel than places we'd been. We literally walked around for hours. We could have spent more time looking around the area but we wanted to get back to Florence. It was about a 2-hour trip back, but interestingly not via Pisa. So, we saw different scenery.
Getting to the station felt like home. We will be leaving tomorrow though. It is hard to think we will have been in this hotel for three nights tomorrow.
Just like last night, we went to a supermarket next door. Inside, there's a deli where the staff will make sandwiches by slicing off pieces of any type of bread and adding anything. Did you know that Swiss cheese goes very well with roast beef? I had a beer. A tiny can of Pepsi is 1 Euro but my local 660 ml bottle of local beer was only 15 cents more.
Friday: Hey, David. It was pouring when we woke up. It was pouring after breakfast. It was pouring when we walked outside. So although I brought along an umbrella, Jay bought one for 3 Euro in front of the train station. We retraced some of last night's walk and found the line at the Galleria Dell'Accademia. We didn't leave our names as graffiti while waiting although years of people had. It wasn't long before we paid 10 Euro to enter. Our 2008 guidebook had said it was 6.50. I wouldn't have missed it for anything. I sneaked several pictures that'll be on Flickr even though it was not allowed. I think the restriction is just for silly people who do not have camera on which the flash can be controlled. It was tricky hiding Jay, so he could get a few seconds of video.
After we walked around more of the city. By the time we'd crossed the Ponta Veccio, it was time for lunch. We ate an Italian 'tourist special' near the bridge which was actually Pakistani/Indian/Mediterranean.
After going back to the hotel and having a nap, the sun had come out again. We walked around more. Eventually towards 7:00 we came back to the hotel area. We bought dinner at a supermarket deli where an Italian guy made sandwiches for us. I drank the bottle of wine that was in the Rome hostel and which I'd put in the luggage.
We heard about six of nine labour unions which have not agreed to Alitalia's bailout. Now we're hoping that the airline will still be solvant enough to have our Rome to LA flight operating on October 5th.
Tomorrow, we plan to go to Pisa for a day trip.
Thursday: The Slow Train to Florence. We got up a few minutes earlier than the alarm clock. This must surely be proof that we've now on this time zone. We went back to the main building of the hostel, ate breakfast, and checked out by 8:30.
Our Italian Rail passes allow unlimited daily travel for eight days. We are using the first allowance this morning. The train was at the station when we arrived and after a few minutes it was ready for boarding.
The trip lasted from 9:12 to 12:51. It seemed as if a quarter of the trip was through tunnels. They must have some of the most qualified tunnelling engineers in the world! We passed some hill towns along the way.
By 1:20 pm we were all checked into a nice little hotel close to the train station. Twenty minutes later, we were eating kabab plates at a Lebanese restaurant.
We then walked along the tourist filled streets. Heading to the Duomo was easy as one could easily peek at it between the narrow streets. We headed towards it and leisurely around it. Next, we stood in line for a few minutes in order for tickets to climb it. There were 436 steps and a closer view of hell inside the dome. The outside view of the whole valley was fine!
A planned nap at nearly 5 o'clock turned into a three-hour sleep. We got up after that and went out to the well-lit streets. We patted the bronze pig statue in the market and found the building where David is. We passed so many hotels; it's clearly a city set up for tourists.
We picked up a few calzone for a dinner / snack. We went back to bed at 11:00.
Wednesday: Roman Holiday. After seeing so much yesterday, we knew today would be less intense. We got up, again, at about 7:15 and walked to the main Freedom Traveller Hostel building for breakfast at 8:00.
Then we took our little blue cards and headed for the Vatican. Little did we know it was going to be an extremely busy day for the Wednesday audience. We waited in a line up in the middle of the square for several hours in total. Nothing was very well organized and most people didn't know which line was going where. We did sneak into different lines that made it through security but not into the hall. Still, there were no announcements nor any other way to figure out was was going on. I guess over twenty-five thousand had shown up when there was only room for six thousand.
The Protestant in me finds being there a little disconcerting anyway. I respect people's religious beliefs but, to me, it hardly seems much like a holy place. The hierarchy and obvious politics keep rearing their heads. Such art doesn't belong in a place of worship. It was just a way to keep the masses enthralled 
Knowing that it would be too crowded to see the museums and all, we left. We decided to do an extra day in Rome before our return flight. We stopped at a few new subway stops. Once back to the Trevi fountain and another at Popolo.
In the evening we went to a sauna club. In addition we activated our Italian Rail Passes. We are going to bed relatively early as we're checking out in the morning and hopefully will be on the 9:12 train to Florence!
