Arrivederci
Category TravelA long time passes...and I am almost back. I've been in Naples, Italy with a client for the past week, and the week prior was a mass of preparation. So sorry, no blogging. Naples is not the prettiest city on earth, until you get outside town and focus on the landscape and Mt Vesuvius. There's quite a bit of trash on the sidewalks, and sidewalk vendors of trash and trinkets (ladies - remember - Louis Vuitton NEVER has the initials LV on the seam. guys - don't ask me how I know). An almost-bought, though, was a 14' fishing pole that collapsed to a size I could have put in my duffel bag. Then I thought to myself, how funny would that look at my little fishing lake in Kansas, pulling a sunfish out with a 14' pole.
The taxis are largely run by friendly but overzealous entrepreneurs who, despite millions of English and American visitors each year, haven't managed to learn how we say "Ramada" (so I add "statione centrale" which is a block away). Throughout the week and 10 taxi rides, we've encountered everything from friendly folk to a mad, crazy driver. Their favorite trick is to get you in the car, start driving, then quote a fixed extortionist rate. It's 12.50 Euro fixed rate from the airport to Ramada, so halfway through the ride they quote you 30. Once, we agreed to pay 15 at the end and endured a tirade of "no possible, no possible!", after which the driver tore the bills in half, shoved half of them in my colleague's pocket, took them back "sorry, mi bambino", then pointed to each of us "you-a crazy, you-a crazy, you-a crazy!" He chose not to pursue it, perhaps impacted by the fact that the money was handed to him by a former marine colonel and the looks he gave the driver...well, you can imagine.
While the taxis and sidewalk scenery left something to be desired, of course there was one redeeming quality, the food. I've consumed five entire pizzas in six days (a pizza is a meal here for one - very thin crust), each better than the previous. Tonight, a group of five had pizza at a famous pizzeria recommended by the hotel and serving pizza since 1870. They did two kinds - margherita and marinara. Delicious. Every other meal has been pasta, of course! One word fellas. Sansabelt. I refuse to weigh in this time until 4 days have passed - my usual timeframe for losing travel weight (which can vary from a couple pounds to last month's massive 9-lb gain in 23 days). Once I am cooking my own meals, it goes away fast. Possibly a reflection on my cooking, but I choose to believe it's the ingredients and portions.
So, my flight home leaves in 4 hours then - 18 hours later - dinner and sleep. I think I'll have Chinese tomorrow night.
P.S. Thank you Skype - Happy Birthday Carl Tyler!
