To Napoli or Not Napoli...

...that was my question. After a semi-late night of free wine with my new friends from the English Inn Pub, I was pretty tired. (Plus, I had figurd at the onset of my trip if I could make it through 56 days in Italy without getting crapped on by a pigeon or pickpocketed, I'd consider that a success. So with over 50 days under my belt...I kind of didn't want to jinx it.) But in either case I was going to have to check out of the hostel and make my way to the train station.

Unfortunately, this proved to be a bigger task than I might have originally anticipated because I now had 5 bottles of wine to cram in my already very full bag (not to mention the limoncello!). Hmmm. After some significant rearranging, I managed to squeak it all in...although now I could hardly lift the dang bag. Something told me I wasn't under the airline 50lb weight limit. But for now, it was all in one bag; I'd deal the weight-limit issue when I got there...

In the mean time, I tightened up my money belt, loaded & locked my bags, and began towing my now boulder of a bag toward the station. I figured I would see how I felt when I got there and decide if I was going to store my bags and do the three-hour-RS tour, or just head straight through.

Once I boarded the train, I was quick to set up camp with my bags crowded protectively around me (theivery is more prevalent on this commuter train from Sorrento to Napoli) and then immediately whipped out David Copperfield. I think I've mentioned that I've been reading it, but lately I've had the strangest sensation that I've read it before. It's the most unusual thing! Normally, this does not happen to me. To my mom: yes, all the time. But to me?? Nooo! But I'm over 100 pages into this 700 page book and I still can't decide if it's new to me or not. (Although now - in real time - I think I've decisively concluded that if I have read it before, I didn't finish it.)

In any case, the 75 minutes to Napoli went by in a snap! and when we pulled into the station, I tried to act like I knew where I was going and what I was doing and to walk with a certain confidence. I don't know if this particularly had any effect or not, but I did notice there were quite a few more people begging at the station than at Rome's Termini station. This was my first red flag.

From the commuter train I headed upstairs to the "real" trains and based on the number of people approaching me for money - I just wasn't comfortable. I wanted to get out of here (and with my wallet contents in tact) more than I wanted to "taste and see" the real Napoli. It was just going to have to wait until I had either a) a travel companion or b) a local to guide me through the chaos. Rick said to listen to my gut in terms of my own safety and I wasn't feelin' it.

So I made a bee-line for Fast-Ticket automated machines (the quickest and easiest way to get a ticket), but unfortunately, this involves getting money out; and this attracts attention. The first person to approach me was a haggard looking old woman. She murmered to me in Italian, but I told her I didn't understand and just kept doing my thing (a little bit quicker...) in the hopes she'd get the picture and go away (which seemed to kind of work).

As I was finishing my transaction (and thus tucking my funds away) a man came up to me. I tried the same routine on him (only this time it included walking away as I was finished), but he didn't seem to like that none to much. In fact, as I quickened my pace, he too quickened his pace! So I ducked into a café in the terminal and thankfully there was a policeman/security guard in there, so I stood right next to him. My next course of action was going to start making a big deal with lots of pointing and explaining, but fortunately it didn't come to that. When creepy guy saw the "cop" he gave me a kind of dirty look and kept on walking. Needless to say, I stayed in that cafe, close to the security dude until I could board my train. I'm happy to report, all possible catastrophies were avoided (whew!)

I passed my ride to Roma with David Copperfield and upon arrival found that I was not only relieved to finally be in Rome (it's about a 4 hour excursion from Sorrento), but that I was actually kind of giddy about it. I knew my way around, I knew how to use the transit, and compared to Napoli, it seemed like the safest place on earth when I got off the train.

Upon reflection on my way back to the hostel, I decided that even though Sorrento really appealled to me, and I thought I'd really enjoy the downtime there...something about it was off. Either I was in a funk, or it strucky me as funky, or I don't know what. But I did know that it felt really, really good to be back in Rome and I actually wished I had come a day earlier. But I wasn't going to dwell on that little fact; I was just going to enjoy my last 36 hours.

After checking into the hostel (only 18 EU this time!) I had the energy, so I completely rearranged all of the contents of my bags so that the weight was (hopefully) more evenly distributed. Then I made a plan for the rest of my stay: tonight I would have dinner and do the last RS stroll and tomorrow I would really, truly spend the day shopping and finish off my gift list.

So where did I head for dinner? None other than my favorite hole-in-the-wall father/son duo pasta joint near the Pantheon (where the Dad kept cupping my face and I thought the son would ask me out). Excellent decision. Not only did I get another good meal, but this time Romeo was much more flirty (and I was much less of a goobery-idiot). I didn't get my meal for free, but I went home giddy with an invite to go out with Romeo after his shift tomorrow night. Sounds like the perfect way to end not only Roma, but Italia, eh?