1. The people - Almost overwhelmingly the new Navy people I have met and friends I have made are great. It's been a pleasant surprise how the Americans abroad stick together and help each other out. It's a very nice, new, Neapolitan, U.S. Navy family network.
2. My new neighborhood and apartment - First of all, it's about time I finally lived without a roommate (no offense Brett, Joe, Keith, Kevin, Nate, Jason, and Alan). I do like that. My apartment does have a bit of an odd layout, but I love it. It has a great 3rd floor view of Roman ruins and the ocean. That probably won't happen again in my life (and doesn't happen in many people's lives). There are a ton of great restaurants and bars just below me where I can grab a discounted meal, beer, or cheesesteak. Not too bad, for sure. Pozzuoli is the way to go, even if is my longest commute to work ever.
3. Driving in Italy - Of course this will also appear on my list of things I hate about Italy... But it is kind of fun having no rules that need to be followed (except on the Tangenziale, of course). Stop signs are not even a suggestion and you will likely be rear-ended if you actually come to a complete stop. No enforced speed limit, no guilt about cutting people off, and the constant motion and flow (generally, of course) is kind of fun. My inner driving Id is free to go nuts here and that is a blast. And driving a manual transmission is a much more interactive experience. I am only limited by my crappy Naples-beater car (that starts shaking at 120 kmph), the crappy roads, and my strong desire not to wind up in an Italian "trauma" center. Uggh...
4. Travel opportunities - Naples itself is a complete trash-filled, congested, petty crime-ridden dump (yet it does have some charm, I guess). But it does provide excellent access to some great parts of Italy (Amalfi Coast, Rome, Ischia, Capri, etc.) and the rest of Europe. The airport is easy to use and you can't beat parking for free at the USN base at Capodochino, walking 5 minutes down the road, and getting on a plane to somewhere fun.
5. The food - Naples is the birthplace of pizza and it is pretty damn good. Getting a takeout pizza is the ONLY thing that will happen faster here than in the States. OK, maybe you could have your wallet stolen or car broken into more quickly here, too... (Not fair, I know DC and Baltimore come to play). I did eat pizza almost every night when I was staying TLA at the Hotel Agora, so I had to take a break. My new favorite food the spaghetti frutti di mare. And zeppolini... And gelato...
6. Short Italian dudes - I enjoy being out in public and feeling like a giant. I was at Mass at the church down the street last weekend, and I swear that I was the tallest one in the whole jam-packed building. And I'm only 6'0"! As Kevin said, I keep waiting for someone to toss me a basketball.
7. The wine -It's cheap, it's plentiful, and it's good.
8. The coffee - Never drank it much before, but it is good and seems to actually have some effective caffeine in it. Espresso and cappuccino are the way to go.
9. The churches - It seems like there is a church on virtually every block. They are beautiful, calm places to reflect and pray. The ones I have seen so far are fairly crowded for Mass and it sure is convenient just to walk down the street to go. If only the homilies had a translator...
10. The nearby ocean - It's just nice to have it so close. In the summer the water was warm and fun to swim in (not off Naples, of course, but Ischia and Positano). Even in the cooler weather, it's calming and relaxing to have it right there to jog or walk by.
11. The history - Everything is just so much older here. It's interesting to see and go to these places I've read about (Rome, Pompei, etc.). It's just something to think about how things used to be so long ago. Even right here in Pozzuoli - http://www.icampiflegrei.it/visita_pozzuoli_ing.htm
and finally..
12. The lingerie ads - They are everywhere and they are not subtle. It does make standing in line at airport security a little bit easier. Why get worked up and in a hurry when I have that to look at?
2. My new neighborhood and apartment - First of all, it's about time I finally lived without a roommate (no offense Brett, Joe, Keith, Kevin, Nate, Jason, and Alan). I do like that. My apartment does have a bit of an odd layout, but I love it. It has a great 3rd floor view of Roman ruins and the ocean. That probably won't happen again in my life (and doesn't happen in many people's lives). There are a ton of great restaurants and bars just below me where I can grab a discounted meal, beer, or cheesesteak. Not too bad, for sure. Pozzuoli is the way to go, even if is my longest commute to work ever.
3. Driving in Italy - Of course this will also appear on my list of things I hate about Italy... But it is kind of fun having no rules that need to be followed (except on the Tangenziale, of course). Stop signs are not even a suggestion and you will likely be rear-ended if you actually come to a complete stop. No enforced speed limit, no guilt about cutting people off, and the constant motion and flow (generally, of course) is kind of fun. My inner driving Id is free to go nuts here and that is a blast. And driving a manual transmission is a much more interactive experience. I am only limited by my crappy Naples-beater car (that starts shaking at 120 kmph), the crappy roads, and my strong desire not to wind up in an Italian "trauma" center. Uggh...
4. Travel opportunities - Naples itself is a complete trash-filled, congested, petty crime-ridden dump (yet it does have some charm, I guess). But it does provide excellent access to some great parts of Italy (Amalfi Coast, Rome, Ischia, Capri, etc.) and the rest of Europe. The airport is easy to use and you can't beat parking for free at the USN base at Capodochino, walking 5 minutes down the road, and getting on a plane to somewhere fun.
5. The food - Naples is the birthplace of pizza and it is pretty damn good. Getting a takeout pizza is the ONLY thing that will happen faster here than in the States. OK, maybe you could have your wallet stolen or car broken into more quickly here, too... (Not fair, I know DC and Baltimore come to play). I did eat pizza almost every night when I was staying TLA at the Hotel Agora, so I had to take a break. My new favorite food the spaghetti frutti di mare. And zeppolini... And gelato...
6. Short Italian dudes - I enjoy being out in public and feeling like a giant. I was at Mass at the church down the street last weekend, and I swear that I was the tallest one in the whole jam-packed building. And I'm only 6'0"! As Kevin said, I keep waiting for someone to toss me a basketball.
7. The wine -It's cheap, it's plentiful, and it's good.
8. The coffee - Never drank it much before, but it is good and seems to actually have some effective caffeine in it. Espresso and cappuccino are the way to go.
9. The churches - It seems like there is a church on virtually every block. They are beautiful, calm places to reflect and pray. The ones I have seen so far are fairly crowded for Mass and it sure is convenient just to walk down the street to go. If only the homilies had a translator...
10. The nearby ocean - It's just nice to have it so close. In the summer the water was warm and fun to swim in (not off Naples, of course, but Ischia and Positano). Even in the cooler weather, it's calming and relaxing to have it right there to jog or walk by.
11. The history - Everything is just so much older here. It's interesting to see and go to these places I've read about (Rome, Pompei, etc.). It's just something to think about how things used to be so long ago. Even right here in Pozzuoli - http://www.icampiflegrei.it/visita_pozzuoli_ing.htm
and finally..
12. The lingerie ads - They are everywhere and they are not subtle. It does make standing in line at airport security a little bit easier. Why get worked up and in a hurry when I have that to look at?
I thought "Short Italian Dudes" would have been the #1 thing you loved about Italy.
ReplyDeleteyou know, you really don't have to obey the speed limit on the tang. i'll make a rebel out of you yet!!
ReplyDelete