12/8/2014 We like to Move it Move it We arrive in Bari and are reawakened to the recollection that Italians like to start their day at 10:00am, so after waiting around for a while our train assistant advises us to go to the bus station for the next leg of our journey to Napoli. Tickets bought we meet some young Aussie backpacking girls and assist them with the time and travel connections, we share lunch and a relaxing bus ride to the city of filth. Which is such a shame as despite arriving in 40degree heat and being welcomed by a small fire on the sidewalk we dont feel safe or at ease. Our hotel is nice but I had the urge to leave the streets which are covered in rubbish, hawkers and cobblestones which were extremely difficult to manouvere luggage along. The highlight of Naples was the food which is quite fortuous as everywhere we turned the restaurants were closed or totally unappealing, and the we stumbled on Fratelle La Bufala its window full of fresh food and bright colours we choose a fresh salad with fruit and pasta infused with lemon and shrimp absolutely delicious. We observe the entrees arriving to the two ladies besides us, one is served in a cone with fried delicacies toppling out. They indicate which dishes they have chosen and we are envious. In Italy they expect us to order starter, entree, first plate, second and desert, so when two large pizzas arrive at the ladies table I am intrigued wow I will get to see some real champions here and watch slyly waiting to be impressed. But alas instead comes some shock and giggles and our friendship is formed, our new friends Maria (lol) and Jelise here on a training excercise cause us to endure another bottle of red :-) little bottles unfortunately. This once quiet restaurant soon became extremely lively and we talk loudly and excitedly exchanging stories of our adventures of our travels and our beautiful homeland. They barely touched their pizzas but took them home for ron lol. Its sad saying farewell to our new friends but we all have busy days ahead and we hugged and exchange facebook details. I never expected to make friends on my travels and Maria who had never previously succumb to the facebook craze is now happy she did. At one stage Maria and I had discussed not telling people how amazing Australia is as we are frightened because of the litter in europe that people may not respect our country, but I would personally love all these people to come over and visit our family property of which I have gushed about. I miss the farm!!! 13/08/2014 Fast train to..........Rome Im sure we slept in PREGGO this is my favourite word, and I love hearing it.......no worries take a fast train to Rome, book accomodation and off we go. Then we venture out to find our first authentic meal in Rome, we pass McDonalds the Old West Steak house and walk and walk and walk finally settling on the other open restaurant in this direction, napoli a Japanese Chinese Italian restaurant, well when in Rome? 14/08/2014 Dora the Explorer We have a map! So off we go the Trevi fountain, The Spanish Steps the Pantheon, look we have destinations. Maria get out of that shop, no, shop later. Unfortunately in Rome the signs dont necessarily lead to the right destinations. Wow The Trevi Fountain how exciting? and no scaffolding as I had been warned, it doesnt seem very grand, Oh but look theres more. We find the Trajans column and they have taken photographs of the engraved drawings that wrap around the column and have displayed it spread out in succession so that you can follow the complex engravings that form a picture of Trajan history of fighting, conquests, sacrifices eras old. We stop for a break of bruschetta and cocktails, my waiter who I chase out of the toilets with my sun hat makes an awesome pina colada. OK thats enough food off to inspect the archeological ruins excavated before us. Grand, structures made to last endure and impress. We spy the Colosseum in the distance and head for the symbol of the bravest, comparable to the hunger games. A structure I have only seen in movies but the queues before me are too extreme and we cross the road ready to explore the Palantines and Roman Forum. We spend hours walking, photographing, touching these oustanding structures so much of which still stands showing great architecture and design, a history of people who enjoyed ecorationing and luxury. These ruins on this scale leave you feeling in awe. Seeing where Julius Ceasar was laid to rest was mind boggling. Standing amongst fallen columns, seeng history you had forgotten and much you have never known. Rome an ancient city within a modern metropolis. Next we venture back to the Colosseum hoping the queues have lessened well at least on the outside they have. We now learm that having bought our tickets across the road to the Palatines and forum we now have fast track entry and bypass the exterior and 50meter interior queues altogether.......We have a Map.....haha.. Here we are looking down where slaves and men fought for their lives Maria and I sit on fallen marble columns which are scratched with ancient graffitti, names in a language foreign to us. Here also are artifacts on display and dioramas that show how animals and even palm trees were hoisted from the dungeons below into the arena. Skulls from all manner of beasts that were killed here, stories of the arena bring filled with ostriches and being decapitated by arrows. kenny & rachel 15/08/2014 Our feet still aching from our Roman expedition we have a late breakfast and decide it would be nice to spend the morning around the pool, Maria refuses the swimming cap but I don it proudly as it looks like a lifesavers cap. I cant comprehend its purpose though as it isnt waterproof and if it is for some kind of sanitary protection seems pointless as most peoples hair is still protruding from their napes of their necks. Even though there is more hair exposed in other areas not covered its hard to stop Maria offering disposable razors. Its time to venture to the city with food in mind as we havent eaten since breakfast, as its still a holiday there are no cars just hoardes of people and mobile crap vendors, I say mobile as the first time we saw this was in Venice peddlers in the streets that lay there goods on white table cloth like material with pulls at the corners. When the police patrol they draw the strings and pull the goods into a bundle and move on spreading out again when the police pass, it is repeated over and over again. Sometimes they bother you other times you respect their right to enterprise. Well we didnt get food we started shopping until I finally decided carrying so many bags too uncomfortable and we should look for a decent meal.......where is my kitchen! The waiter says to sit over there where a very handsome young man sits, I exclaim oh yes! there next to my boyfriend, I thought then I should behave, so Maria and I confused each other with our meal which was yet another disappointment (you were right Marie Borg Witenko). I was trying not to disturb my boyfriend as his real girlfriend Donya appeared but we all discussed the bad service and food and then we were off running at the mouth that is. Our other couple on the other side from australia too were enjoying our tales and I started giving out our facebook details of course Donya told me she would see to it that Ben got them. Matia Ben and I got gelato, Donya wine, she wanted photos as we ended the night with the woman who stole her boyfriend....but he went home with his love.....xxxx
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 08:43:06 +0000
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