Tuesday, November 2, 2010

ZZZZZzzzzzZZZZzzzzZZZ

Sorry folks.  Lack of internet coupled with computer issues had led to a severe lack of communication and blogging.  I sincerely apologize.  We had internet at our hostel in Naples, but my computer wouldn't connect, and I wasn't able to figure out the problem and didn't have time to do some serious problem solving.  THEN, in Rome we were hit with some crazy internet nazis who vastly limited our internet using capabilities.  We were told it was "illegal" to provide free internet to tourists because the government needs to have a way of monitoring who goes what and does what on the internet.  Apparently the only way to get internet in Rome is to either hand over your passport and complete all the paperwork for a sim card, which costs lots of money and takes lots of time, OR sign your life over and pay an arm and a leg for 15 minutes worth of internet at a grungy internet cafe.  These people are no joke.  They looked at my passport, copied down all the info off my I.D. into a computer, and then had an entire screen of my information, computer usage, time, websites visited, etc.  It's borderline communist crazyism.  These internet laws are supposed to be in effect all throughout Italy, but the convent turned hostel we're staying in now in Naples has free wi-fi and no scruples.  Haaaa-lle-lu-jah!!


We have been going non-stop since we landed in Rome, and there's no sign of stopping anytime soon.  We pretty much leave the hostel every morning by about 7-8, and don't return until anywhere between 8-10 pm.  Needless to say, sleep is precious.  We have seen and done so much since the last blog post that I don't even know where to start.  Naples was an amazing city with so much to offer.  I feel like we didn't even get to scratch the surface of exploring Naples with the short time we were there.  We definitely took advantage of the pizza capital of Italy, and ate at the "best pizza place in the world" for both dinners we were there, and we've been craving it ever since.  Gino Sorbillo's really is the best pizza in the world, and there is no way on earth I could come up with a just comparison to anything served in America.  The pizza is so thin and is topped with just the right amount of ingredients that it's impossible to pick it up and eat it with your hands.  We kept wanting to return to our natural instincts and pick it up, but it's just not possible.  



Connie ordered the original calzone, which apparently was invented by the Sorbillos.  Giovanni (the head of the hostel) said he didn't know if their claim was true or not, but from the taste of their calzones, I'd believe it in a heartbeat.  The girls in the back were staying at our hostel too.  They go to school in California, but are studying abroad in England.  They had a week off for fall break, so 5 of them went on a trip through Italy like us.  We met at the train station on our way to Giovanni's for the first time, and pretty much had the same itinerary the entire first day in Naples.  We've met lots of cool people, and seen lots of even cooler bits of history.  There is so much to share and my eyelids just don't have the willpower to even breach the surface.  We have an hour train ride tomorrow to Lucca, so I'll try to type away and organize my pictures so that posting a blog is easy tomorrow night (if we have internet).  Until then, use this picture of Capri as a "preview" of what's to come.


Sorry for the short post, but somehow we get back to the hostel, get ready for bed, and then time just flies and next thing I know it's almost 11 pm and I've got to be up in 7 hours.  Will try my hardest to post more tomorrow.  There's lots of catching up to do.


Top five moments of the day in no particular order:


-Laying eyes on Michelangelo's "David" 
-Picnic in downtown Florence (picnic = semi-free lunch = happiness)
-Stumbling upon a quintessential Italian cafe this morning, and enjoying cappuccino and 2 (yes, I ate double the recommended amount) of the best pastries my taste buds have ever experienced.
-Not getting lost for the first time on this trip (due in part to some friendly locals who showed us the way)
-Actually being able to piece together works of art, and connect works from one museum to another

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