Buenasera!
Good evening everyone. Today was our day trip to Pompeii, but I had something big in mind for that so I thought I would save it for Friday, when I am actually getting graded on my post. What I can say is that we went into Naples briefly in order to obtain frankly delicious pizza. Naples made me appreciate Rome so much more. Rather than being a little dirty, having people intermittently trying to sell me ugly hats or selfie sticks, and playing host to a wonderful menagerie of buildings, Naples was very dirty, full of people selling everything from knockoff purses to used shoes, and consisted entirely of poorly maintained buildings that looked like they were built in the 70s. The pizza was delicious, but I felt more like I wanted to go to a pizza place that makes that the woodfired pizza in Minneapolis, rather than like I wanted to go back to Naples for the pizza.
One thing I will say about Pompeii is that I actually preferred our trip to Ostia yesterday better. In Ostia, you could climb through villas and temples. In Pompeii, there are tourists everywhere and things are closed off. That is much less fun.
See that rope? That rope sucks.
Halfway Done? Or Half Left?
Today marks the halfway point of my trip. Right now I am really happy I came here. All of the walking around makes me feel like I have been in Rome walking around for ages. However, there are still things that I am not used to.
I have probably mentioned this before. I am still not used to the heat. The average temperature in Rome is probably 85 degrees Fahrenhiet. That is pretty ridiculous when winter is only just ending in Minnesota. In spite of this temperature, Romans still wear pants, long sleeves, and hot-looking layers. I just do not understand that.
This is me, wishing that fountain was functional.
I am still not used to the language. I feel as though my pronunciation is okay, as long as I know what I am saying. However, I will stumble over food orders at restaurants and occasionallywilltry to greet an Italian with "grazie"-- thank you.
This is partially due to my study abroad program's schedule, but I am not used to the Italian schedule. In Italy, people eat a later breakfast, lunch, have a snack after siesta around 4, and then a late dinner. I have stuff to do! Waiting until 8 to eat feels ridiculous, probably because I never get a snack at 4.
Suzy is trying to wait patiently for the restaurants to open at 7:30 PM.
The Gelato
Another thing I am still not used to is how AMAZING the gelato is here. My mate George and I went and got gelato today. He had caramel meringe, and I had cheesecake. The cheesecake had a nice hint of orange that I was not expecting.
Stay Tuned!
Tomorrow is a free day! That should be exciting. Also, post about Pompeii coming up Friday.
Ciao!
I think you would have really enjoyed Herculanaeum (sp?). That is smaller than Pompeii, but not as many people go there, so it's not as crowded. Unfortunately, our tour was set up for mostly retired individuals, so we hit both places in one day, so didn't see that much of either place - just some of the highlights.
ReplyDeleteWe also had pizza in Naples, but at the waterfront, so we didn't experience the true Naples.
I'm really enjoying your blog! Did you say that you regularly write one? You do have a way with words!
Above was written from Sherry
ReplyDeleteGood post Morgan! That trip to Pompeii was fun and interesting. My favorite parts were seeing the Mt. Vesuvius and the whole city in general. Oh, and the bodies that were buried in the ash was really something to see. What was your favorite thing about the trip?
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