NAPOLI!

This morning we woke up super early and caught a train to Napoli! The first train we got on, from Fondi to Formia, was like any other train I had been on in Italy, each grouping of seats is in a group of 4, 2 and 2 facing each other with the isle right down the middle of the train. You may ask what other kind of train is there? WELL, the next train we got on, from Formia to Napoli, made we think of the trains in Harry Potter! With the separate cabins with 4 to 6 seats in them, with the sliding doors to enter the cabins, and the walk way through each car was on the left side!

When we arrived at the Napoli station, I was pleasantly surprised with a station similar to the one in Rome, I wasn't expecting such a big station, I was picturing it more like the Fondi station, just 2 platforms and a building, no huge central station with a metro and stores, etc. After we got off the train, we bought a metro ticket and followed Maria to where ever she was taking us. After we got off at our stop we walked through several levels of escalators and moving sidewalks then we come to these metro police who were checking peoples tickets. We give them our tickets, and they seemed to have some sort of problem with them. Thank God we had Maria, otherwise it would have been a horrible experience. Apparently we have to get the metro tickets stamped, for the date that you use them, I guess when you buy them that isn't enough, and Maria and I did not know that because in Rome the Metro tickets do not have to be verified, so we didn't think anything of it. Well, the metro police did, they weren't going to let us pass, and Maria was very upset, we had to show our forms of ID (our passports) and pay a fine. I guess the typical fine is 40 euro, WHAT! But Maria was able to talk to them (and when Italians have serious discussions with each other they also sound like they are fighting) and she got the fine reduced, so we got a metro ticket for 10 euro, which I am pretty sure those metro police just pocket.

The packed street

After that, we exited the station and there we were in the middle of Napoli, again, I was surprised at how big of a city it was! I was picturing it all wrong, it was very similar to Rome, and not at all similar to the smaller towns around Fondi. Through several different changes in weather, from hail to rain to sunshine, we walked down the streets, popping in and out of little stores; we had no clue where we were going, but I guess Maria did. At one point, she turned to us and told us we were going to see the "principe" (which I have determined in something to do with baby Jesus). So we turned down this street and on both sides were shop after shop of nativity scenes, Santa's and Befana's (see previous post for explanation of Befana) some famous icon of Napoli, and several other shops filled with little pointless items that were not being purchased. Again, not at all what I expected.

All of the wax figures 

We came up to this one shop, where she told me I was going to want to take a picture of it, and there were tons of people crowded around video taping what was happening in this store. As we get up to the store, it is filled with wax models of world famous people, from singers to soccer players, the Pope, our Presidents, etc. It was crazy, so I took a picture.

Found Michael Jackson

Pizzeria da Michele - In Eat, Pray Love

Pizzeria Trianon! AMAZING! 

And of course since I have read Eat, Pray, Love and so have several other people, I had to find the little pizza place that she talks about! So as we were walking to the pizzeria we stopped and walked through some shopping area that was elaborately built and decorated, and into this beautiful square similar to the ones in Rome. There were several brides getting their pictures done and even one wedding happening, and I saw the doves released, it was awesome! Then we hopped on a very very very very crowded bus and got off right buy the pizzeria. It was PACKED, just like described in the book and by several Italian people that have been there. But no worries, one of our friends told us that if it was too busy, there was another pizzeria across the street with wonderful pizza as well. So we turned around, and headed over there, and that place was packed too, but it was only about a 10 min wait and they were right, THE PIZZA IN NAPOLI IS THE BEST!

Piazza del Plebiscito

Us in the Galleria Umberto

After that we headed back to the train station, along the way we stopped at a couple more stores to purchase gifts. When we got the the train station, things went more smoothly then before, no tickets, and we headed back to Fondi!

Italian/word or phrase of the day: regalo  "gift"