Just to give a brief recap, part 1 was about going to Toledo, Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia where we visited stellar churches, missed our train, got stranded in Madrid, and I dry heaved on the streets of Barcelona.
Part 2 begins on a train headed to Naples, Italy.
My two friends and I decided to travel through Italy for our week break, and our first destination was Naples. The train was advertised as a 2 and a half hour ride. Right away, the train stopped for what seemed like a half an hour at a routine station. Then it stopped again. And again. Then again in the middle of nowhere in the pitch darkness. Then again in the middle of a tunnel. 5 hours later, we were sitting on the same train, dehydrated, hungry, confused, and alternating between laugher and frustration at the situation. We eventually had to jump on a bus that the train company had chartered for us to take the rest of the way to Naples.
I think we arrived in Naples around 9, 4 hours later than planned.
Naples: the city where the prodigy of pizza was born. Also one of the top ten most dangerous cities in Europe with a strong influence of the mafia. We definitely weren’t aware of that second one until our taxi driver warned us with his minimal English vocabulary- “very bad.”
Very bad indeed.
The next day we made our way to Pompeii, which was absolutely breathtaking. A tragic history definitely exists there, but it was the beauty of it all that captured my attention. There were a lot of classic autumn trees there, something my Minnesota soul needed since I’m usually surrounded by palm trees in Sevilla. The combination of the trees and the ruins of an ancient city in the foreground of a mountainous horizon caused my heart to burst with beauty and joy.
It was dark when we got back to Naples after Pompeii, so we decided to take a taxi again to avoid any peril. Our taxi dropped us off at a location and told us our airb&b was right around the corner.
Um. It wasn’t.
He had actually dropped us off at a random location that was farther away from our place than we were initially. If it was a mistake or on purpose, we will never know.
My friend Hannah had 27% battery on her phone, and since my phone and Katrina’s couldn’t do directions, her phone was our only hope. We hustled through the streets, followed the directions on Hannah’s phone, and tried to mask our fear of being stranded in the ghetto alone at night. We successfully made it to the address after about 20 minutes, and Hannah’s phone hadn’t even drained a percentage. Praise the Lord.
However, as we stood relieved at our sketchy gate, we encountered our next problem: our key was not working, and we couldn’t get in. That’s when my heart started to pound for real because what were our options at that point?
Our options were to ring every bell in the building until someone let us in. It worked. Praise the Lord.
Besides a 60-euro fee in one of our train rides, the rest of the week went smoothly. Our crazy, adrenaline-inducing adventures ended when we let Naples and headed to Florence the next day. Contrast to Naples, Florence was warm, clean, safe, and overall so lovely. In Florence, we were able to see a lot of famous art and admire the beautiful city. We ate some authentic Italian food right by the duomo, and it was wonderful. We also went to an American restaurant one night because we couldn’t find anything else, and I finally satisfied my almost 2-month craving of nachos, which was also so wonderful. It’s definitely okay to be an American once and a while when you’re abroad; that’s one thing I’ve learned and accepted here.
Rome was the last stop of our week’s journey. We saw the Colosseum, the Vatican, and the Trevi Fountain. The Trevi Fountain had apparently been under construction for years, and it had just reopened the week we were there. The construction must have paid off because it was a marvel, and we sat and stared at it for a long time. Of course, we also had to throw coins over our shoulder and make wishes.
Through the week, I felt I was able to taste a piece of the culture that is Italy. We were able to immerse ourselves in each city for at least 2 days, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. There is a beauty in historic tourist attractions and notable art, but I discovered what really makes my heart spring to life is simply walking through the streets and seeing life being lived in a way that is uniquely theirs. I got such a thrill from observing and experiencing in these Italian cities; even in Naples, a smile could be found on my face as we were wondering through the city (during the day). I got the same gusto from seeing nature and awe-inspiring views. Both the ancient city of Pompeii and the view of Florence from the autumn tree-lined streets above took my breath away, and I was left wanting more. I think I will continue to seek after cultural and geographical beauty for the rest of my life.
The solitude of spending time in these cities also provoked me to think and reflect. It was really a perfect opportunity to step back from my normal life and stare back at it from a different perspective. I thought about how I’m going to be returning to Minnesota soon, and I envisioned myself fumbling with American money after being so accustomed to euros and habitually saying Spanish words instead of English. I pondered how I might even feel like a stranger in my own country for a bit when I returned. Then I thought about how indescribably incredible this experience has been and how many crazy adventures I’ve had. It has been a blur of blessings, exploration, growth, bliss, and insight. Sincerely, what a semester it’s been.
As I was thinking of these things and preparing to depart Italy for Spain, a realization hit me.
Like. Wait.
It’s not over yet.
It’s not over yet.
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