One Day in Naples

     May 4, 2012 We woke up this morning with a little more piece of mind since we did not receive a phone call from the doctor throughout the night. The hospitals here only call if it is bad news, so dreading that phone call is what we have been doing and praying that it won't ring. Antonio called the doctor this morning around 7am to see how he was doing. As crappy as the medical system is over here I have to say that that is one thing that I do like. Here they can call and ask to speak to the doctor and he will get on the phone and talk to the patient or the family members. In America though, very rarely do we get to speak to our doctors over the phone unless we have a really good one. We instead have to go through the nurses for information. The doctor told my cousin to relax because my cousin is still doing good, and that they can come down to the hospital at noon for more information on what's going on.
     A colleague of my cousins left her house here in Naples and went to stay with her mom in Rome, so that my family could rent her house while Gateano was in the hospital. This lady has a computer with DSL (first DSL system I have seen since I've been here), so I have been able to keep up on my blogs and communicate with family and friends. The only thing that still sucks is that being 9 hours ahead of everyone at home I still end up missing a lot. My uncle in the U.S. is wife made a comment on Facebook on my picture of my little cousin here in Italy that completely confused me, so I commented back saying I didn't know what she was talking about. After I replied I kept looking through my news feed and saw that a friend of my cousins in Washington posted a picture of her with him and then wrote RIP Ryan....I had to call my dad from Italy to the U.S. to find out what was going on. I then find out my mom new, but didn't tell me. I called her and asked, "is there something you should tell me instead of me finding out from facebook?" she said "oh my gosh I am so sorry I forgot to tell you." she was actually debating on telling me because of what I was going through with my little cousin in Naples, and then she forgot to tell me when we talked last, so she decided to tell me when I got home. She said she didn't think I had a computer where I was at and she didn't think I would be able to see anything on Facebook. Little did she know I had a faster computer where I was at haha. I wasn't mad I was just shocked at finding out about my cousin online by one of his friends rather than from my family, but I do understand why she was debating on whether to tell me or not.
     I knew that going to Naples I was going for my cousin and him alone, and if I were to get the opportunity to sightsee that would be a plus;however, no one planned on things turning out the way they did. We were basically stuck in the house most of the time. The first day we were at the hospital, but after that we all stayed at home, and then my cousin Antonio and Simona would go to the hospital to get information. There wasn't a reason for us to go because they won't let anyone in the ICU. My cousin Claudia wanted to take me out for a little bit, so that I would at least be able to see a little of Naples while I was there. Antonio's friends were leaving today to return to Catanzaro and I was going to ride with them, but that all depended on the news we would get from the doctor at noon. Claudia and I set out about 9:30am and took the bus in to the center of Naples at Piazza Garibaldi. The view down into the center of Napoli was amazing! I only saw one patch of green grass and that was it. There is not any land anywhere. There are buildings and house so close together that you can only see the roads and all of the building in the city.

     We started walking to a different Piazza after here, and I saw a pastry that was a giant size of some pretty amazing cookies here, (we have them in the U.S. too) so I thought I would give it a try. It actually wasn't as great as it looked, and no I didn't eat it all. After we grabbed pastry and Claudia drank her coffee we were off again on foot.Out the door it looked like there was some sort of parade going on. As we got closer we realized that it was a bunch of people on strike, and boy do they get very aggressive here.

           Our next stop was Via Toledo.This street was awesome! The way the road are made is amazing, it's not just plain boring asphalt. Last time I was in Italy I was able to see how they make the roads. Via Toledo is a very famous and expensive street. It is similar to Rodeo Dr. in Hollywood. In most place, like where my family lives, people hang there clothes out there window. Well here in Naples because the houses are so close together they are able to hang their clothes across the street going from one building to the next. They also had street performers which I had to take a picture of because it is different from what we see in San Fransisco, especially with a big cello.

My cousin then took me to a very old and famous coffee bar in Naples. It was absolutely gorgeous with the architecture and marble everywhere. Plus the outfits they dress in were pretty awesome too. I even had to take a picture of the bathroom because it was thenicest and cleanest bathroom I have seen here in Italy out in public. The people around me were probably wondering what the heck it was I  was doing. I just couldn't believe that I actually found  a bathroom that was clean, had toilet paper, plus soap to wash your hands when you were done. I guess you could say i'm still in a little shock.

 

 

After we grabbed our cafè shakerato which was made differently and hot this time we set out for Piazza Plebiscito. There was a lot going on in this Piazza. The military had set up an area for demonstration as to how things run when they are out in the middle of a war. I took a picture with what one of the nurses and couldn't believe they still dress old fashioned. Also the main guy of Naples the Sindeca (the Arnold Schwarnegger) came out and I was also able to get a picture of him. As we walked down a little hill near this Piazza you could see the gorgeous view of some of the city. Plus you could also seee the famous Volcanoe Mt. Vesuvius. 

                                  

     

 

This was our last stop.On the way back home we tried to find the mercatino we saw on our way down the hill, but we couldn't find it and when we did they were closing up. Antonio's friends (Massimo, Massimo, andFrancesco) kept calling Claudia to see where we were at because they were at the house waiting for me, so that I could ride home with them. Claudia thought they were leaving after 5pm, and I told here that Massimo said they were leaving at noon after we got more information on how Gaetano was doing. They were a blast to ride home with. They all know a little English, so that always makes it a little easier when you can't find a word you want to use in one language just try the second one. The view on the way home was gorgeous. I thought it would be like on the way to Naples driving along the ocean instead on the way home I got to see a different part. It was all green mountains and countrysides. I swear I probably went through more tunnels through mountains on this 4 hour trip home than I have my entire life.I didn't get to go shopping, but I did find an IKEA!!! It would have been nice to go look around and see  all of the different things they have here that we don't have in ours at home. We will probably all be driving back to Naples again to see my cousin once he is out of ICU and able to have visitors.