Oh Yea, There's the Italy I Remember

Heads up! Three blogs in one! I just posted three new entries, so the fun continues after this one!

Catalina and I decided to get up really early in Livorno and hop a train to Pisa. I was instantly reminded of why I didn't like Italy to begin with. We had to get a shuttle from the ship to the bus stop where we caught a bus to the train station just in time to have doors of our train close on us and pull away. Fantastic. Then we get on the next train a half hour later only to be given a ride a block away to where they park the damn trains. A lovely janitor directed us back to the station where we could make our third attempt to get a ride to this stupid tower.

Luckily more of our friends - one who speaks Italian - were also on the train. We got to Pisa and Catalina and I decided to walk through the town of Pisa. Yea... if it weren't for the Leaning Tower no one would ever go to Pisa. We had mediocre pasta for lunch and were charged 4 Euro for a half litre of tap water. Not to mention the 2 Euro charge just for sitting at the table. Grazie Italia.

I did see the Leaning Tower. So there's the silver lining. I illegally walked on the grass - kiss my butt Italy - and took the cheesey tourist picture of me pushing it over. I carried a backpack around the city. Really all I needed was the Hawaiian shirt and the camera to be hanging from aroung my neck to look more stereotypically American. Oh, and a fanny pack... never forget the fanny pack.

In Civitavecchia I had port manning. I'm ok with it. It's the gateway to Rome. Been there, done that. I'll probably try to go in once while we're doing this tour, but just to see the Sistine Chapel and the Trevvi Fountain.

Then there's Naples. Oh boy if you people want me to like Italy we're really going to have to work on where we're sending me. Naples was rainy, dreary and just sad. However, I went out with a large group of friends to a small restaurant the Youth Manager Karen had visited when she worked on Disney. It was sweet. We sat at a sidewalk table (noticing my affinity for sidewalk tables?) and had pizza and the best house white wine ever. After everyone got up to leave Brianna, John and I spent some extra bonding/wine time before we dragged ourselves back to the ship.

And now back to Barcelona to start it all again.