My Roman Holiday Day #7

We have traveled to Amalfi, on the southern coast of Italy. It is a gorgeous tourist town with the city built into the rocks and grottos on the sea. It is sunny today, surprising since our trip has been marred with crappy weather. It took longer than expected to get out of Rome secondary to a city wide strike aimed apparently at the present Berlusconi government. The Prime Minister is just too powerful and too corrupt to really give a rat’s ass so we sat in traffic for an hour and a half. No big deal because I had nothing else to do. I am just enjoying the trip, not worrying about the destination (in a literal and figurative sense). So we arrive late and have dinner. Wow. The food is delicious and the locals seem to have a thing for lemons. There are lemons, pictures of lemons, drinks made of lemons (limoncello is extraordinary and worth the taste if you see it in the States. From what I can tell they make it with fresh lemons and pure grain alcohol. No way to screw that up.) The size of the lemons are also gigantic. They grow ‘em big here, boys....



We went to Pompeii at the foot of the enormous volcano, Mount Vesuvius. To say that I was blown away is truly an understatement. Our tour guide, Gaetano Manfredi, was phenomenal and really knew his stuff. The ancient Romans really were stupendous engineers-especially when it came to plumbing and running water. Why some countries still don't have these basics is beyond me. If people figured it out 2500 years ago, no need to go and invent the wheel again. Just pick up a history book and follow the path of the Romans....

A few more of my observations on Italian life thus far....

1) Lunch in most places is ala carte. You order, they give it to you and you stand at the counter and eat it. It is called “take away” and they charge you less for take away than if you plant your butt down and have the same thing sitting. Interesting... I also apparently stick out like a sore thumb here because I caught a worker behind the counter making a face at me. Luckily I caught them and gave them a hard stare knowing that they knew that I knew that they were busted. They tried to cover up with a broad grin. I was not amused.

2) The advertising for political posts is out of control. Posters go up along a wall and they assume you didn’t see the first one because they plaster 12-15 more, exactly like it, along the wall next to it.

3) The drivers here deserve some sort of award for their prowess behind the wheel. There are lanes but no one uses them. They pass people in other cars and miss hitting them by a fraction of an inch. They don’t even do the typical American “I am going to crane my neck and say a prayer that I don’t hit them” look. They just zoom by at the same speed....And the interesting part is I have yet to see a traffic jam because of a fender bender. In fact, I hardly see any dents on peoples' cars. Truly amazing.

4) Dinner here doesn’t get going until at least 830pm or 900pm. My tummy is not happy with me...

5) Speaking of food, I seem to swear off eating every time I finish a meal, saying “I am so full and bloated, I never need to eat again.” Somehow, I end up bellying up to the table and gorging myself again a few hours later. Not good for the old waist line....

6) For a true coffee lover like myself, I find it comforting that I can get coffee, I mean good coffee, anytime, anyplace. Even McDonalds (Not that McLatte shit. The good stuff. Espresso. Short and neat.)

7) I still have yet to try the bidet but am considering it everyday.....

8) I stopped at the Autogrill on the Autostrade (rest area with a mini grocery store/restaurant on the highway) and they were selling beer by the bottle. Now I am not saying I don't like a cold brew every now and then, but to pick one up for the road may be a little much, especially considering my comments from #3...

9) The restaurants in Amalfi had their fish on display in a cooler case at the front of the store. Big freakin' fish with eyes staring right at you. Glad they didn't have the meat specials there too....Creepy....

Well, good night all. I head to the Roman Forum tomorrow as well as the Colosseum. I gotta say that I am pretty stoked about being in the Forum on the Ides of March. I will be extra careful when there and make sure no one tries to knife me through the toga I'm gonna wear...