Pompei

    

Napoli sits in the shadow of Mount Vesivus, which is famous for destroying the city of Pompei in 79AD. Thankfully, the volcanic ash presevered the city almost perfectly, which means that we can see a 2,000 year old Roman City today. I got to do this a few weeks ago, and it was very interesting.
     I want to emphasize that Pompei is a CITY. It is absolutely huge, so when you go, make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes and clothes and have plenty of water.  Don't bring anyone who would have trouble walking on paving stones, up very steep hills, or who can't climb stairs because there is a lot of that in Pompei.
     There are a lot of things to see in Pompei, all of which are spread out in different areas of the city. It is absolutely essential to grab a map at the very least before coming into the ruins. There are quite a few tour guides that you can grab right before you come in, who speak a variety of languages, and it definitely enhances the experience quite a bit. We grabbed a guide about halfway through and we got to see some of the best parts of the ruins, some of which were in areas closed off to the public.

     One thing we found entertaining about Pompei is that there are penises absolutely everywhere. They apparently had a very famous lupanare (brothel) in the city (which you can still go into and see the beds, and some very naughty old frescoes). There are road and street signs literally shaped like penises all over the place. The guide also said that this had something to do with the Roman god Priapus, which the citizens of Pompei held in high regard. This made us chuckle a bit, it is hard to imagine advertisments in modern time for escort services like this. Gotta love the Romans.

     We were lucky enough to be able to see some new casted remains from a newly excavated area. Our guide took us through a closed gate and up near the remains. I took some photos to share with you, however, keep in mind that they could be considered very disturbing. These individuals died in a horrible way.

Our guide was nice enough to point out that the roof caved in on one of the guys and decapitated him. Thanks, Giovanni, for the nightmares.

Pompei is full of ruins of people's homes, shops, inns, bathouses, temples and other areas of interest. I particularly enjoyed the temples and the ampitheatre. Our guide, who had worked at Pompei for 39 years, told us that Pink Floyd played a private show in the ampitheatre just to use the natural acoustics, and Frank Sinatra played his final concert there as well. It reminds me a great deal of Redrocks in Colorado (except for the fact that the ampitheatre in Pompeii is manmade)

It's very easy to get lost (again, it's a CITY.) Thankfully, I had friends with me who could countermand my terrible sense of direction.

It was worth the trip, definitely, but I don't know that I will go again for awhile. It was hot and there were a lot of people.

The Amalfi Coast... So Pretty!

The Food

     I have been here in Italy for a month, and there are literally a million things that I could talk about. The people, the landscape, the art and history.. Interestingly enough, the thing that I get asked the most about is the food.  I figured this was as good of a place to start as any. Wine and other drinks are a whole separate category, so I won't be covering them in today's post. I will be waiting until after I go to Tuscany.
     Napoli, is in the province Campania, which is famous for both spaghetti and pizza. Both are native to Campania, and both are very different here than in the US. Spaghetti tends to be very plan, with a simple tomato sauce seasoned lightly with some basil and salt. The noodles are cooked al dente (a little firm, if you're unfamiliar with that term). The sauces that we have in the States that are loaded down with garlic and oregano are not common here in the home of spaghetti.
     One thing I have found interesting is there are several different tomato-based sauces that are used for different dishes here, but in the States, they are all "spaghetti sauce" to us. Ragout sauce, Bolognese sauce, Marinara sauce..... all spaghetti sauce.
     Another point worth mentioning is that you will not find any dishes made with Alfredo sauce, except, of course, in Rome at the restaurant that it comes from, named Alfredo's. You can visit their website Here.
     Pizza here is more like homemade pizza, and not anything like the pizza places I have been to in the states. I am sure they make it somewhere, but I have yet to see a pepperoni pizza. Margherita pizza seems to be the favorite, which, again, is quite plain with tomatoes and mozzarella with a simple tomato paste. Not that there aren't fancy pizzas out there. I had lasanga pizza the other day. Each pizza shop seems to have its own specialty.
     Eating here is a big deal. Going out to dinner in Italy consists of several courses and takes several hours. I have seen other Americans get very upset when their food and drinks don't come out right away, but this is not the Italian way. It takes awhile to get used to, but it honestly makes you appreciate the whole experience a lot more.  You get to really relish each bite, and also the company that you're with.
      As I mentioned, it comes out in several courses. The first being Antipasto, where you can expect to see things such as Calamari, Bruschette, and Proiscutto e Melone (Proscuitto ham and melon). Primi, the first course is a pasta course and Secondi is the meat course. I generally do not eat one or the other, because it tends to be too much for me. After secondi, THEN you have your zuppa (soup) or insalata (salad) and then desert.  However, people order them in different orders and skip courses.
     Keep in mind that your server will put in the order for one course when you are done with the course before it; In American Restaurats, all courses go in at once. Italians would not be satisfied with the presentation of the meal if all the courses came out too close together.
     There are a few regional favorites that I have experienced that are worth mentioning, because I honestly don't think you can get them in the States. The first is mozzarella di bufala, which is  moist, fresh mozzarella. It almost (ALMOST) has the consistency of cream cheese. and is very tasty. It's great in Caprese salad (tomatoes, mozzarella and basil). The second is Proiscutto crudo. Honestly, I could probably do an entire entry on this subject alone. This salt-cured ham is so good I can honestly say it's the best meat I have ever had. It's not cheap; $12.00 a pound, and that is at the commissary. You don't cook it, you eat it right off the slicer. If I could eat this all day every day I would. No, really.
     I could go on and on about food; don't get me started on gelato. Real Italian food is amazing, and in suprising ways. However, I am going to stop here. If you have any questions feel free to ask and I will try and address them.