They Threw Stones Over My Head …

I GOT HIT WITH A STONE!

Napoli was my most foreign cultural experience thus frar. No other city has shocked me the way this place did. Congested, sticky, dirty, poor - those are the first adjectives that pop into my head when I think of it. The number of inhabitants makes it feel like there simply isn’t enough of space for everybody, yet the pedestrians who walk the streets with as much confidence as if they owned them, non-chalantly balance between cars and Vespas, balancing on the line of life and death on a daily basis. The way to regonize an “outsider” is to look for the slightest hesitation in the way they place one foot in front of the other - this undoubtedly will give the foreigners away. 

The windows and the doors to the lowest apartments are often wide open, almost inviting the passers-by to peek into people’s households. The lack of a physical barrier into people’s most intimate spaces caused me to dance beetween utter shock and curiocity, mixed with a blend of guilt and keen interest. Because one needs to find a way to use every bit of space in the city, these people would often take their lives out on the streets, making it an extension of their house. 

The vibrant night life could not be ommited in the description. Because bars are often right next ot the household and because people in Napoli can get particularily loud, people have developed ways of quieting down the crowd - such as throwing stones over their heads to make them shut up. Sofer vesion includes bucket of cold water, or more creatively, potatoes and grapefruits. 

Oh, and in case you’ve been wondering - yes, the pizza there is NEXT LEVEL so you GOT TO GO! 

I CYCLED UP A VOLCANO!

And almost didn’t make it to see it. If you ever consider visiting Vesuvius, you need to know that the ticket that you buy expiries and although I thought people there were going to be pretty lenient about it - this was not the case and I was asked to purchase another ticket… Which woudn’t be that big of a deal had there been an internet connection there … or had I actually carried any physical money with me … 

Either way, I figured it out (North star is watching over me as always) and Vesuvius turned out quite special. Not only does an idea of a vulcano sound extremely exotic, therefore exciting to me, but also, spiritually speaking, I felt like it was a place with a big presence. I took my time to really take it in, and was probably the slowest person on the trail. One thing is certain, the natural wonders definitely strike me more deeply than the treasures I can find in the city. 

A VISIT TO AN ANCIENT POMPEI 

This one was meant to be a pretty exciting visit. Yet frankly, things went south very quickly as the moment I arrived I was chased off by the guard who at the very sight of my bike repeadly waved his hand and me, and refused to have a have a conversation with me. Instead he kept shaking his hand and saying ‘NO’ to me. It was EXTREMELY frustrating to find out that after cycling for over  9 000 km (!) people were not only not willing to accomodate me (I have send them an email about my visit, however received no response), but also didn’t think I deserved to be heard. The most frustrating part of the story was that I was not informed by the person who worked for the site that I could just bring in my stuff and store it for free within a facility - if not for the guy who runs the cafe outside the place- I would have probably needed to leave. I have seen this on a VERY FEW occasions in Italy, but every so often, just because I speak a foreign language people do not even consider talking to me … 

Either way, on the same day it turned out that I had to find another phone network so I could not fully relax and enjoy my stay in Pompei … Well, maybe  I  should come back for another visit? 

I CHECKED SOMETHING OFF MY BUCKET LIST

And got disappointed. The Valley of the Deep Mills have long been on my list of things I wanted to see. Frankly, one of the reasons why I wanted to go to the south of Italy was to see IT. Sadly, as many stories go, reality did not live up to my expectations, as the sight had recently been renovated and lost almost all of its appeal … I thought the location was still beautiful, but instead I will remember Sorrento for its stunning wild beaches and the gloriously warm sea water that was one of the most (if not the one) pleasurable swims I have ever had in my Life. 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Well, I guess I’m going to Sicily. I say it with a little bit of doubt in my voice as if I am to be completely honest, the temperature does make the cycling quite challenging. I try to wake up as early as possible, and take the break in the heat of the sun, 40C (105F) does make me question my choices a little … According to the plan though, I should be reaching it by the end of the week. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

ola

xx