When in Rome...

...Attempt to find free wi-fi connection. Unfortunately in this, I did not succeed. So, once again I am at the ever-present internet cafe, posting updates. I might hold off on the pictures until I get back to Pommyland on tuesday.

But anyways, last time I posted was in Florence, six days ago, the night before we were heading off to Pisa. Well, we made it there easily enough, although the one kilometre walk dragging a suitcase wasn't that enjoyable. I didn't mind it that much, but there were howls of anguish from the terrible two. (Sisters.) The hotel we stayed at was actually a former monastery, which had been converted into a hotel, but still with all the old buildings etc remaining. Very interesting place. Pisa was not so interesting - apart from the tower, there isn't a great deal else to see. The tower was, well, it's a tower really. It's more a monument to Italian engineering incompetence, as opposed to a tremendous work of art. It does however, come equipped with it's very own Stewart McKensie-Fowle - that is, a definite lean to the right. (I'm only chaffing Stewie, honest!)
I skipped the traditional "look at me, I'm pushing it over, ho-ho" photo, principally because there were a billion yanks doing the same thing, and I didn't want to lump myself in with that crowd.

After Pisa, we boarded a train for the trip down to the Amalfi coast, on the Mediterranean. We detrained at Salerno, and hopped on a bus to Amalfi, then Praiano, the town which we were staying at. The trip to Praiano was unique - the coastline is basically one long cliff, and the road winds it's way along the side of the cliff. Whoever designed the road had never heard of things called buses, since they take up well over half the road, and as a result they constantly need to stop or alternatively, force oncoming cars to stop in order that both can get by. The locals, being no fools, ride scooters, and cut in and out of traffic with almost suicidal abandon. I don't think I saw a single car without a dent on it. Props go to the man I saw driving a Chrysler 300C V8 Hemi along the road - a car almost as wide as it is long.

The ride was well worth it though. Praiano was fantastic. The swimming is brilliant, and the med is clear to the point of being almost transparent. I've got some great photos, which, as I said, I'll upload when I get back to England, as they're stuck on my laptop. We stayed there for 3 days - on the third day I made my way down to Willy's pub in Amalfi, as they had English Sky Sport, and I managed to catch the second half of the State of Origin. What a game. What a game. There's really not much to add beyond swimming and relaxing - that's pretty much all there is to it.

Naples however, was anything but relaxing. For starters, the city looks like arse. Seriously. It's a dive. Everyone we spoke to before getting there said never to leave the hotel after dark, and stay in public areas. I think we saw beggars and homeless pricks there than the rest of Italy combined. By the end of the two days there it actually gets annoying. I know I sound heartless (and doubtless, to a lot of people who know me, I am) but there's only so many sob stories, so many hands thrust in front of your face, so many sponges wanting to carry your bag before you snap and tell the latest one whose bothering you while you're trying to cross a busy road to just "Piss off!"

Honestly though, Naples, is a dive. Pompeii actually seemed in quite good shape by comparison. At least it was clear of rubbish. Looked like a bomb had hit the place though - ruins everywhere. As I said to Glen in an sms "I haven't seen this much devastation since I saw the results of Laurie's liver scan." Well worth the look - there are truly amazing remains. Again, I'll show it in the photos, but for me, one of the most interesting things was the fact that as we were about to leave, a truly titanic thunderstorm that had been brewing for some time opened up and started pummelling the place. I got a sense of what it must have been like on the day of the eruption, since you had people running everywhere, trying to get out of the place and back to their cars, trains, taxis etc. Kudos to the enterprising Itie who rocked up at the entrance with a wheelbarrow full of umbrellas.

And now I'm in Rome. We're staying at some hotel just near Termini station - this afternoon I plan to just go for a walk around Rome, check the place out. Tomorrow being Sunday we might go and see what Benedict is up to at the Vatican, and after that who knows. The flight back to England is late on Tuesday night, so we have three and a half days to amuse ourselves here.

Well, I might go and grab some lunch, and then head off for a stroll. Hopefully I can get through this afternoon without murdering a beggar - or one of my sisters - both are proving to be extremely annoying of late.

Cheers.