Believe.Go.Love.Travel.Learn.Think.: Rome, to Naples to Pompeii to Naples to Florence.

Rome, Napoli, Florence, All in one day, night?

Well, today was interesting, to say the least. And that is an understatement.

After our Hostel experience, which turned out to be not sketch and free, we also got an extra hour of sleep because of the moving back of the clocks one hour this weekend. However, when I adjusted my clock on my phone (not automatic), I changed the time from 1:18 to 12:18. Kaitlyn Fail. Should have said 00:18 because that is midnight here. Or 24:18. But not 12:18. Because I just put myself 12 hours ahead. Basically all this to say that our alarms did not go off at the allotted time. We got more sleep?

So we woke up and rushed to the Vatican. The only thing we had on our list to do before we headed to Pompeii for the afternoon. We get to the Vatican at around 10am and um. Wow. I can honestly say I have not seen lines that long in my entire life. It is kind of silly because on Sunday’s the Vatican is usually closed. Except the last Sunday of the month, this was today. Where not only is it open, but it is free, and only open until around 2:30 pm. The lines we saw could easily take 2-3 hours, making it almost useless for the people in the back to even wait! We quickly made the logical decision that we would not be seeing the Vatican Museum, Chapel, or St. Peter’s Basilica. Sad. But I mean, we’ll be back someday and will see it then! So we went, got some post cards, took some pictures, enjoyed watching the people waiting, and then ran off to catch our train to Naples!

Well…we were around 2 minutes too late. As we are trying to rush and buy our tickets at the train station, we realize we are not going to make it. So we settle, buy tickets for the next train (in 1 hour), and get some lunch in an Italian style Cafeteria upstairs. Delicious. Mmm Pasta and fresh veggie salad with Olive oil and vinegar. So we got on the next train and headed to Naples (Napoli in Italian, I use them interchangeably). I pass out on the train, and sleep fine except for the occasional head nod that wakes me up, and which Chelsea notices and giggles at me. There had been an Italian man sitting next to me and at the end he started talking to us about where we were going. Turns out he lives out in the same direction, so he said he would help us find the train we needed to take to get to Pompeii. Super niceJ. So we found our train! And 30 minutes or so later after getting in Naples, we were in Pompeii.

It was SO insane being there. The city was so well preserved. Definitely saw some well preserved human bodies, wall paintings, tiled floors, a bakery, a brothel, a theatre, a restaurant (ancient style) worn tire tracks in the stone paths, stray dogs (Pompeii welcomes them because in ancient days they were there too), not too many tourists, and Mount Vesuvius! We got to spend a couple hours there just wandering, following Rick Steve’s guide, and just enjoying the ruins of an ancient city. Wow.

So then, it was time to go. We had 1 hour before we had to catch our train to Florence! Perfect. Half an hour back to Naples, then just enough time to buy our tickets. Well…so we thought. I think we have just underestimated how long it takes to get places, that and on the way back to Naples, the Train stopped at 3x as many stops as on the way out. So basically we were at the same thing. Buying our tickets with 2 minutes to spare, and then realizing we wouldn’t make it. Well, guess we will just take the next one! When is the next one though? Oh, not for two hours, and it is twice as long, and half the price. Basically saying that we are not going to get into Florence until 1:44 am…uh..Well we have no choice. So we bought our tickets, and went to find some authentic Italian pizza (it was invented in Naples), and some Wi-Fi to get the phone number for our hostel that we would be arriving at late.

Well directly across the street from the train station was a mini bar, restaurant, so we just popped inside. Kind of sketch. But honestly that is where you get good cheap pizza! Sure enough big pizzas were only 5 euro. So after some horrible communication with the waiters, we sat down in a corner, and tried to get tap water, then switched to café. I got Latte Macchiato, and the other two got Cappuccino. So, Chelsea went to the bathroom. While she was gone, mind you this is a small restaurant, and we were taking up a 6 person small table, a different waiter came and sat this older woman in the corner of our table. He actually moved Genesis’ backpack to make room haha.

Anyway. This lady sits down. With a whole chicken to eat, that and half a baguette. And well, I’m going to honest, I am 90% sure she is a prostitute. She just attacked her chicken and devoured the whole thing like she hadn’t eaten for weeks. Using her bare hands.. HAHAH and also flung some chicken skin at Chelsea on..Well accident. And..Stole Chelsea’s cup of water. Awk haha. We just enjoyed our pizza and coffee and smiled at her, having no way at all to communicate. Our waiter was super nice and so we had an awkward but grand time. Side note, there were a few slot machines on the wall and this older man was playing some of them, and I honestly thought it would be entertaining if he won something! I mean I’ve never seen it happen. So I prayed “God, if you want to, you could make this man win some, it would be super fun to watch!” And lo and behold, 3 minutes or so later, he won! I’m guessing 50 to 100 euro. Hahaha. God has a sense of humor.

So we paid headed to the MacDo across the street to get some free unlimited wifi! And an ice cream cone. As I am trying to connect to the internet, it won’t let me! So Chelsea goes to ask someone downstairs if we need a password or something, and in the mean time I find the log in page, asking for my name, email, passport number and phone number. Chelsea returns and says it has to be an Italian number. So we use one of our Italian friend’s cell phones. Turns out they text you the password. Oops. I quickly text him explaining haha, and he texts back saying he deleted it! Dead end. I took drastic measures and texted some people explaining our situation and that we needed our hostel phone number to inform them of our tardiness. And graciously we got a quick text reply J.

We made it to our next train, and well…I think that Naples is a great place, someone told us the culture is much more Mediterranean, but from what we saw at the train station and surrounding area, I was not impressed. And our train, well, smells a tad like public restroom, and does not have an overall clean feel. But I mean, what you going to do. The seating for our nice 6 hour train ride, was designed like the 6 seat rooms, except no fold out bunk beds, just seats. And a nice older Italian man joined our room! He spoke only like 2 words of English, and maybe 20 words of French, but we still had lots of fun with him, all through body language. He was very nice and we felt much more comfortable with him in our room, just the safe grandpa figure.

So we start getting comfortable on the train, and he slides his chair out to lean it back some! Whattt, they convert into semi beds! But before he props his feet up on the seat across, he motions to his bag and reaches for it. Oh, I whisper, he wants to eat a sandwich first. He had spoken some Italian, and by extrapolating, I was pretty sure that was what he said. Until he pulled his newspaper out. Ohhh he wants to read the newspaper first! Until he hands a sheet to me. Oh..He wants me to read the newspaper in Italian? Until he puts it on the chair where his feet are going to go. Ohhhhhhhh they are to protect the seat from our dirty shoes! Perfect.

So that was entertaining. I start blogging, Chelsea is journaling, and Genesis is doing homework. And our old man friend is sleeping. However, the light is on. He opens his eyes, rustles around, and we realize that in around 10 minutes (with Genesis’ awesome interpretations) he would like the lights to go out for sleep time! Um. It is 8:30 pm. But he is nice, and the eldest, and so, 10 minutes later, the lights are out. Pitch blackness except for any light that comes out the window. Or my laptop. And about 30 minutes after that, he motions to close the blinds too hahahaaha. SO funny. He was nice, and he wanted his few hours on the train to be as good of a sleep as possible.

But then, I mean, it got interesting. We were in a giggle mood. Now we were all whispers and silent giggles, but come on. It was like 9:30 pm and we weren’t even in a sleeper room, haha, but he most definitely shushed us by saying “ahh, parlo parlo parlo, no dormi dormi” which can easily be translated to “wow you talk a lot, why no sleeping” hahaha. What. So we got quiet. What else do you do.

Shortly after, we stopped at just another train stop, I think it had to be Rome though because there were A LOT of people getting on. Our old man got up to stretch his legs and when he came back in, motioned that his back was hurting from his chair bed. HAHA, then he motioned that Chelsea switch with him! Ok, that would put him in the middle of the three of us, in a dark room, sleeping. She didn’t move just laughed, but he was like insistent! Hahaha, so she moved. But like, 3 seconds later people opened our room to take the remaining seats, and our old man left because he knew he could not get any more sleep haha. We laughed for like 10 minutes after that. After thinking about it some, we realize that we got scooped by that old man. Yes he was nice and friendly, but he also knew we would be prey to him being able to convert a normal room into a sleep room. Haha, such an interesting train ride words cannot describe.

We get off in Florence in a deserted station. Realize quickly we will have to take a taxi, and a nice girl from Italy, needed to borrow my phone, and after helped us call a cab. He knew where our hostel was and bam, we got there with no skin off our backs. I cannot believe we made it here in one piece. It is now 3:30 am as I finish this, just got done showering in a very nice hostel, and am ready to get going tomorrow! This hostel gives wonderful breakfasts, free tours, and free dinner. Should be a good 2 days here J

Yes, this is long. I ramble; I think I’ve given up trying to write short ones because I’ve failed every time haha.