Sorry for the lack of update, Kate and Ted were in town this week and they took first priority. But now that they have headed back to the good old U.S. of A. I'm going to fill you in on their stay:
The first night she was here was Kate's Birthday so that night we had planned a dinner in Trestevere, however I met them before hand right after my drawing class which happened to take place in the Forum. We decided to meet in the Piazza of the Capitoline Museum right next to Marcus. Maybe it's a sign that I've really come to love Rome and all it's crevaces because Kate and Ted got lost in trying to find me.
If I remember correctly her exact words were:
"Why did you pick a museum that's impossible to find?"
I completely forgot that I was in a foreign place and that they speak a different language and so naturally assumed that she would be able to find it no problem. Up the hill...hidden behind a huge building...in a busy part of a strange city. The fault was mine, but it was a surreal feeling. Especially because i'm leaving in a week and a half. So after we retreived one another we went into the Capitoline. It does have the best view of the Forum...ever. Man I bet those guys who worked in the Tabularium were lucky. After that we went to a photography exhibit and got some lunch. It was at this point I decided to take the rest of the afternoon off. How many times do I get to see my sister in Rome? Answer: Not a lot. We walked around a little and I showed them some churches, Piazza Navona and, of course, the Pantheon we took our time in each place and I caught up on the news from home.
For dinner that night we went to a restraunt in Trestevere and did Kate's 25th up right.
The next day we left early from the Termini station heading to Naples. Naples is an interesting city..i'll put it like that. Parts of it are interesting and intriguing. Other parts make you fear for your mortal being. Their tram system I think was my favorite, it's less like a tram and more like a sideways elevator that goes through the mountain by means of a pully system. We walked around the downtown area and while the opera was only 10 euros, it started in 2 min and lasted 4 hours so by my math it was:
4h(10e*3/ 2m)= meh.
Instead we went into the Castle Nuovo and checked that out. There was actually a number of really cool things in there. There was one part where they had done restorations on a catacomb and had put glass over it, a few skeletons were prominently displayed. A "memento mori" if ever you saw one. The main hall was where the city council of Naples meets. We read the description of it which was paraphrased as:
There was once beautiful frescoes: destroyed by fire
Amazing mosaics: stolen in war
A choir loft: hit by cannonfire
and a spiral staircase: now in disrepair.
It leads me to think, man, what a great movie that would be if it happened all at once. Also what a creul thing to do to promise beautiful things just to deny you a colon later..lame Naples, lame. We walked out and at this point realized that Naples after dark is very different from Naples in the light. The city at nightfall turn to a ghostown were the shadow people eye you and grip with the decision on whether or not to turn the night into a story they tell later. In short; i'm glad Ted was with us. Fed up with maps eventually we just grabbed a taxi, got some dinner and went back to the hotel. It should be noted that one of the places we ate at gave Kate and I menus that did'nt have prices on it. Ted got one with prices on it. This was clearly done on purpose and it may be the most sexist thing that has ever happened to me.
The hotel we stayed in was amazing. If for whatever reason you find yourself stranded in Naples: San Francesco al Monte. Remember that. San Francesco had once been a monasatry, but after all the monks moved out it was converted into a hotel high in the hills. The view was spectacular and from the top floor balchony you could see the castle, the historic distric and (after it had finished raining) all the way to the other side of the bay. That night I took a bath, I havent had one of those in months and let me tell you the awkward fitting shower I have in Rome never seemed less appealing after that bath. There were jets in the tub as well as bath salts. I felt like a new person.
The next morning we were having breakfast when we heard a commotion comming from a few streets down. Ted asked me what I thought it might be, I said I thought it might be a strike because the person on the megaphone sounded oppressed. ( I learned about foreshadowing in high school and always thought it was a little rediculous of a concept..until now. )
After that we went downstairs to ask the conceirge what was the best train to take to Pompeii. He replied:
"Small problem today, there is no transportation."
"In Naples?"
"In Italy."
"ahh..I see."
Transportation Strikes...all across Italy...all day.
So when Kate came to Italy she only really wanted to see one thing, that one thing you ask? Pompeii, everything after that was icing. A few years ago she had tried to go and see the ancient city however scene and situation forbade it. Naturally this second time she would not be denied. We went through the options and decided that the best route for us to take if we wanted to see the Pompeii and get back to Rome in one day would be to rent a car. and drive it. in Naples. awesome.
Kate took the reigns of the car because she was the only one of us who could drive stick. Sitting in that car was probably in my top ten most terrifying experiences of my life. The only reason anyone should ever drive in Naples is if they are training to compete in a demolition derby. (This is a thought shared by the Fromer's guidebook.) The streets were tiny, people were moving unbelievably fast and the hills are steep and unforgiving. Eventually we made it to the Autostrada and went to Pompeii. The Autostrada reminded me a little of Mario Kart 64, specifically the Princess Peach level. We just had to watch for the green turtleshells and we'd be fine.
We finally made it to Pompeii and thanks to the Transportation strike, we were three of the total 20 people who had come that day. Having the whole place to ourselves was unbelievable. I loved it. Kate got a little teary-eyed and Ted believes in a past life he was a Pompeiian wine bartender. The first time around the ruins had been impressive but now that no one was there it was more etherial. Suddenly there was a sense of loss that I had not had before and the whispering hisses of death crept into my thoughts. Then Ted tripped on the stones and I was back to reality.
We headed back to Rome. By the time we got into the city it was pitch black Kate was nervous, I had bit my lips so much that they threatended to bleed and Ted was doing his best with the map. Eventually we got to Termini Station and tried our best to find the Avis sign, only later to discover that the car drop off was three blocks down in a parking garage on the seventh floor...oh Rome.
After that experience we decided to drink til it was funny.
The next day we went to the Villa Borghese and I loved it all over again. Kate is a huge Bernini fan and Ted was starting to get into it to, Her favorite was Apollo and Daphne, Ted's was Pluto and Proserpina. Then we went to the big sites off of the Via del corso, The Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain. We then walked back along the tiber towards Castle St. Angelo and towards the Vatican. That night reminded me that walking at night in Rome is amazingly different from walking alone in Naples, as in, i'm not fearing for my life.
On Sunday we went to market in the morning. Originally there had been some bus miscommunication but that was bound to happen eventually. However when we got to the market my sister was impressed with the amount of stuff they had there. She was exspecting it to be much scarier than it was, I specifically avoided those areas of the market.
We met up for dinner later and they told me about the Forum and the Colloseum and I ate lasagna.
On monday we made our goodbyes, I wished I could have spent the day with them, as they were going to the Vatican but I had to unfortunately go to class.
I'm sad they had to leave, but I'll see them again soon and I'm pretty excited about that. I'm really missing some things back home, drive-thru Taco Bell, the Simpsons in english and yes...bathtubs. It hurts to think of leaving sunkissed Rome, but it has to be done. Then back into the open arms of Winter Washington go I.
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