Italy at Last

After over 24 hours, more like 2 days, of travel we finally arrived in Naples. But first we spent 8 hours in Chicago lounging around the country's only aeroponic garden. I am not making that word up, although O'Hare airport might be. Nonetheless it was a lovely place to spend an 8 hour layover.  Thank you American airlines, watching herbs grow in an airport terminal totally makes up for losing a day in Italy.

The flight was interesting. Somehow they ran out of water in the lavs in the low rent cabin, where we were. Their coffee maker broke between dinner and breakfast service and quite a few people's audio systems wouldn't work so they could only watch the movie but not listen to it.   Once in Rome it out took over 45 minutes for our luggage to come out because the ground crew forgot one of the containers out on the tarmac.  Really American, really?

Finally we hoped a train and arrived in Naples. We are only staying over one night here before heading on to Amalfi, this is probably one night too many. The city is far dirtier than I remembered it and it kinda sinks. The only reason to stop over in this place is for the pizza if it's not a Sunday and every damn thing is closed. Again, thank you American for our day delay.  So mom and I made the best of it by finding the least touristy tourist place to have pizza and a beerpitcher, yes I said beer pitcher, of house wine.

It's not classy service but it was actually good house wine for 3 euros!!!

And of course we had to people watch and make fun of them. Here is our favorite of the evening. The hats on these guys are just so humiliating. I mean really? Is anyone actually threatened by a soldier in a fedora with a feather?!

Tomorrow we get that awesome pizza, shake the Napolitano dirt off and head to Amalfi

Ciao Italia 2013!

Finally finally returning to Italy this summer!  Mom has decided to come with me so there will probably be more responsible behavior than in trips past, but being that I'm not 22 anymore that is not a bad thing. Our plan is to hop a train to Naples the day we arrive and spend a night or two eating pizza and maybe visiting the town my family is from, then heading to Amalfi for awhile before going to Tuscany for our week long cooking school!!!!!!  It is this part of the trip I am pee my pants excited about. According to the school we cook, we drink, we drink, we cook, we dance, we drink, we cook, we drink. Get the picture? On the half days we aren't having cooking lessons we are going on little excursions to other hill towns in Tuscany and we will spend a whole day touring wine cellars.

Here is the run down at the moment:
06/29 Napoli
6/30 -6/05 Amalfi
6/05 Roma
6/06 - 6/13 Seriano Cooking School
   Sat - arrival and dinner in a converted monastery
   Sun - 5 course cooking class and a trip to Pitigliano, dinner in Seriano
   Mon -  Montelcino (Brunello tasting), Pienza (cheese tasting),
                Montepulciano (wine)    
   Tues - 5 course cooking class then dinner in Viterbo
   Wed -  Assisi and Deruta
   Thurs -  An olive mill and winery, The Dying City, and Limoncello,
                  Gelato & Biscotti,  Ricotta Cheese making class.
   Fri -  market day in Soriano, Orvieto, and pizza making class
   Sat - Home :-(