Captains Log...

 The Naples Coastline. We took a ferry like boat out to the main Enterprise Saturday Morning. The Enterprise is the oldest ship in the US Navy, and has been commissioned since the 1960's. It holds about 5000 people on board. It was huge, and pretty darn awesome. It will port in Newport News, Virginia in December after nearly 50 years of service. 

The USS Enterprise

 This is the anchor that is holding it into port in the sea.

 

We were able to see the flight deck, the anchor, and all the awesome planes that were on the ship. I was incredibly impressed with all of it, and have a newfound respect for the Navy. They are so awesome. Every Naval person I met was kind, gracious, and pretty darn cool.

The Gardens at Caserta

The gardens at Caserta

On Sunday we headed to Caserta Palace. This Palace was built by the Bourbon family and was lived in during the 1800's. It was built to resemble Versailles. And boy, did it. The architecture was amazing and it was hard to believe that people had actually lived there at one time. In addition, this Palace was used in Star Wars Episode I as Princess Amadala's Palace. It was truly amazing. 

However, unfortunately there were people hacking stupid little goods even inside the museum. It was terribly annoying. I had asked about this to one of the Italian interns at my office, and he said they get aggressive here because they cant make any money in Naples. Well, the way they were acting, I would never buy anything from them either.

Well, its been quite a week. Between meeting the Ambassador, getting to ride on the USS Enterprise, going out in Naples nightlife, and seeing an amazing Palace, I was quite exhausted when Sunday night hit. But lets start at the beginning. This week here was crazy. I ate some delicious salmon soaked in Vinegar, got to meet some NCIS guys and learned some cool things from them, and got to work on the Ambassador's detail. Which was cool. And I was the only female. Why is that? Girls can be badass too. I think in this day and age people would know that. 

Saturday we got to visit the USS Enterprise. It was awesome. What was not awesome was getting up at 6am to do it, but its a once in a lifetime experience. I got to talk with one of the Navy guys who was from NYC and was excited to finally get home in December. My fear of heights was definitely put to the test climbing up those steps on the side of the boat with the Bay of Naples underneath me.  

On Saturday night we went out with one of the other interns who is from Naples. We got to see where all the young people hung out, and let me tell you, it made me feel old!! People just congregate in piazza's and stand around and get a drink of coffee or beer, and just talk and socialize. It was interesting, and I felt like the oldest person there. Then, some guy rode his motorbike through the crowd like it was a normal thing. It was weird. Plus, all the 22 year old boys kept trying to guess my age and then couldnt believe it when I told them. Cause thats awesome. " Oh my god, I cant believe it" Awesome....... cause 28 is super old, right! Maybe its the case of the old Christmas cake once again.

We ( Matt my roomate and I, forwardly known as the other half of we) are wishing that we knew more people in the city, but it is genuinely hard to meet people here. Luckily, we have made friends with the Italian interns and that makes life (slightly) busier. Only slightly. Trying to keep busy in a city where you hardly know anyone and everything closes at 2pm on weekends is challenging. But were trying!!

Our trip to Caserta was amazing. Plus it started out by me purchasing sunglasses. Which Ive been dying without. Apparently my sunglasses disappeared ( goodbye Juicy glasses that made it onto 3 continents)  the first week I got here. But now I have lovely Italian ones. Which help in this Mediterranean sun! Anyhow, we travelled to Caserta, which was the home of the Bourbons ( Francis, Ferdinand) and it was in one word spectacular. How someone lived here is beyond me. Its amazing how many incredibly old things are in sincere shape and are so preserved. At least on the inside. Its sad that they are so beat up on the outside.

Which leads me to my impressions of Italy this week.

Lets start with the hackers at the Palace. Literally in the Palace walls. Selling me old magnets and being really aggressive to the point of shoving the African bongo drum in your face, or as I witnessed, your kids face. ( Luckily I had my new sunglasses on so this did not happen to me) Why the conservators of the museum let this happen is beyond me. It made me angry that they let something like this happen. But I guess everyone has to make a living.

People say that the southern Italian people are very warm and welcoming. Well, I'm hoping to experience some of that soon. Very rarely have we been to places where owners of shops where you are eating will even smile back at you. Now, there have been two exceptions to this, but in general, I feel pretty crappy when I smile at someone and I get an angry face back. Someone said that is just Naples, or maybe its me, but I think its pretty crappy. Even yesterday, I was telling Matt a story at the train station and a man made a straight up face at me when I looked at him. But hey, maybe its me. 

The Napolitano food has been amazing. Everything is so delicious, so fresh, and so desirable. And so expensive. Which sucks, but its totally worth the price.  I am happy to be eating it.

Which bring me to my weekly talk about my struggles with the cobblestones. I think I have finally figured them out and have accepted their challenge. This was after I bought the 8 dollar package of band aids. But I accept this as just another thing I do for the love of the landscape. Which truly is breathtaking. I do feel very blessed and lucky for having this adventure. 

Ciao for now. Hopefully more adventures this week!