Ciao!

My first day in Italy: I've wanted to visit Italy for as long as I can remember. There is something so magical and enticing about Italian culture, food, and people. It was very convenient that I was able to tack on a week of vacation at the end of my Stockholm stint to explore a bit of Italy with Lauren. The romantic, glorious Italian vision didn't exactly capture me at first sight, though. Well, in order to start my Italian voyage I first flew to Heathrow, where I spent an hour going through security and customs even though I was coming in from a connecting flight. Super fun. The flight to Rome was actually quick and painless and we found our express train quite easily that would take us to Rome Termini, so we could switch trains to Naples. After throwing our 50 pound bags up the steps to board the train, we then had to find a place to store them. The small overhead luggage racks were made for laptop cases and the walkways were tiny. And we quickly realized that people just continue to push by you, even if there is really no space to do so. The fact that I was trying to maneuver my luggage must give people the right to not care and just run me down. It was a good thing I hadn't learned any bad words in Italian yet. Then we got to Rome Termini and had to find the train to Naples. Easier said than done. After riding up and down on the putrid elevator twice due to bad signs and confusion, we found a ticket window where an incredibly rude Italian ungraciously helped us buy a ticket. I schlepped my two bags up a steep flight of stairs and found the train. Lauren and I plopped into what we thought were our seats in a small cabin, and a kind person (finally) helped us put our luggage in the overhead rack. Five minutes later we realized we were wrong. The first clue was probably the fact that about six Indian guys tried squeezing into the area made for four people. Communication with them was definitely out of the question. And moving our bags to the right seats was nearly impossible when all six guys blocked the walkway. I don't think there is any air on public trains either. I tried opening a small window and a lady complained about being cold. The dripping sweat down my back just continued to drip. It was at this moment (when I was so hot I could scream) that I discovered I didn't have my jacket. Hmm...Yep, definitely left it under the seat on the flight from London to Rome. On the bright side, it was one less thing to carry and my sweaty back could use all the help it could get. Needless to say I would have paid 30 Euros for a shot of tequila at that moment. I'm also pretty sure that I caught some kind of virus from the guy that sneezed 19 times in a row from the seat across from me. After finally getting off the train two hours later (we accidentally boarded the train that took twice as long), we proceeded outside the terminal to find a taxi in the pouring rain. The cab driver quoted us 20 Euros to go 3 km and we were too tired to argue. Grazie. Welcome to Italy.

The rest of my time in Italy: ...was amazing! Despite the first day debacle, which makes for a funny story now, Lauren and I had a great time exploring and sightseeing. We were in Naples for three nights and saw the Pompeii ruins, the island of Capri, and the whole Amalfi Coast via a scary bus ride along the cliffs of the coastline. Then we spent three nights in Rome and toured the Colosseum, the ancient ruins, the Vatican museums, and took a day trip to Florence. I felt like my six days in Italy were only a taste, and I am hungry to go back again one day. And pretty hungry for more delicious seafood pasta and wine. We were never short on wine, that's for sure! Here are just a few pictures that can only hint at the beauty of Italy!

Pompeii.

Having a beer in front of a castle in Naples.

The island of Capri!

Positano on the Amalfi Coast.

Colosseum.

The Forum.