Napoli:
Damn, this place was fucking FITHLY. I mean, seriously guys, Naples is the butthole of Western Europe. To give you a visual, first imagine the layout, chaos and general urban vibe of Manhattan. Then imagine Manhattan with out any laws. Then imagine a lawless Manhattan without any garbage cans, anywhere. Then imagine a lawless, garbage can-free Manhattan where everyone looked like a crazed, salivating werewolf. Ok, I think you're beginning to get a feel for the place. I'm not saying for you NOT to go to Naples, because I think you should if you get the chance. I'm just giving my two cents on the matter, a friendly head's up, an amicable word to the wise, a loving 'hey, just so you know, this place has the highest murder rate in Europe,' piece of advice. Hai capito? Bene. It's just that it's really really different from the cities in the north. If you've read (or seen, as it's now a movie) Roberto Saviano's Gamorrah, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. Read the book, then go to Naples, it'll put everything in context. For those who have romanticized Italy as I have, visiting Napoli was as much enlightening as it was devastating. To visit a city with such a weighty cultural and historical heritage and then see it in such a state of squalor and destitution, well, what can I say, it's a bummer, but that's the way it is.
Pompeii:
Visiting Pompeii was great, but I should add that it was pretty much what I had expected it to be. I went without a guidebook or map, so for the entire day I was just wondering around, curiously poking my head through what is perhaps the most fascinating archaeological portal to the ancient world. If anything, it was a six-hour long reminder of death. Carpe diem, bitches!
Capri:
By ferry, the island of Capri is about 40 minutes from Napoli, a minuscule distance, especially in consideration of the stark cultural binary that exists between the two locales. For every fucked up, dystopic reality that exists in Napoli, there is a fucked up, dystopic non-reality that exists in Capri. Think of it as a senile, ridiculously wealthy, great-great-aunt of Las Vegas. For me, the opulence of Capri was just too distracting. The island's per capita amount of designer boutiques, over-priced cafes, and gaudy yachting attire-wearing George Hamilton look-a-likes walking arm-in-arm with gaudy clubbing attire-wearing Paris Hilton look-a-likes is unparalleled. I have never seen so many white people with such dark, dark tans. In fact, I'm not quite sure if 'tan' is the word I'm looking for. Perhaps 'rotisseried' is a more suitable description for these folks. Either way, with my pale skin, tattoos, cut off shorts and beat up Converse low tops, I was noticeably out of place. A highlight? Capri has a chairlift!
Bologna:
Bologna is rad. By train, it's about three to five hours northeast of Rome (trip duration depends on how much you are willing to spend on a train ticket), or, if you're in Florence, it's less than an hour by train. My time in Bologna, as you might have already read in an earlier post, was mainly spent with the family of my friend Francis. There's a big university in Bologna, so there's a good amount of stuff to do for young folks. Bologna is definitely more relaxed than the major touristy cities of Italy, but that doesn't mean it's lacking in charm and character. There's plenty, it's just not as in-your-face as Rome or Florence.
I'm actually heading back to Bologna in a week for my friend Suleiman's birthday, so I'll try to take some good notes on good stuff to do and see.
Ferrara:
Another rad place. Italy's bicycle capital...need I say more?!? Ok, I'll say a little more. It's super cute, super charming, and super under the radar. Go.
Como:
Como was a lot of fun, aside from my little run in with the police (see below). Going up there for my birthday was especially nice. After an amazing dinner at a family-run restaurant just south of the Swiss border with Francis, Sulli and two of Francis' friends from Milan, we headed back to the lake house and sat on the porch and watched the most intense lighting storm I've ever seen in my life. Best birthday to date perhaps!
Milano:
Blaaaahhhh. Not a huge fan of Milan. Been there a few times now. It's really New York-y. So if you are a New York person, you'll probably like Milan. My beef with the city is that it's a bit to grey for me. Not too many public parks or natural beauty. Just lots of city. Euro city, that is. Oh, and everyone looks like a rock star.
Venezia:
Oh man. This place is a classic. If you've been there, you know this. If you haven't been there, well, I'm sorry. It's just that it's really really special. There's something in the air in Venice, it's difficult to explain, but it seems as though the city is always lit in soft-focus. And the smell of Venice is pretty unmistakable. It's not a bad smell, just old, damp. Not mildewy old and damp, but kind of like the way a sidewalk smells after it's rained. I love that smell, and it permeates through the city.
Venice is also the best place to get lost. The first time I was there, about two years ago, I just wandered around for hours, without a map, without any clue of the layout of the city, just strolling through alleyways and hidden passages. This time in Venice, however, I stuck to the road-more traveled, which was, of course, way more crowded, but I was still, of course, happy as a clam.
The highlight of my Venice trip was seeing the Biennale, which is a really big contemporary art thing. If you like contemporary art, go go go to the Biennale. It's so cool. You'll need a few days to see it all, but it's worth it if you're an art fan. If you are not a contemporary art person, like my Venice partner in crime Suleiman, then skip the Biennale and go for an 80 euro ride in a gondola or something. I'll take the art thank you.
My advice for Venice is as follows: you do not need to stay in a fancy pants hotel or eat a fancy pants meal or go on a fancy pants gondola ride. All you need to do is walk around the city and take it all in. Every once in a while, grab a slice of pizza, a beer, and then find a good spot to sit and take it all in. And then when nightfalls, grab your lady or dude or buddy or whoever, and take it all in. It's Venice, and it's great no matter what.
Biella:
I have no idea why no one has heard of this city. Even Italians don't know about this gem. About an hour by train from Milan, Biella, is nestled in the mountainous northwest region of Italy called Piedmont. I traveled there to visit the Pistoletto Foundation, which is organization/museum/art school founded by the artist I'm doing research on, Michelangelo Pistoletto, who was born in Biella. I knew it was going to be kind of a random place to visit, as there is only one hotel and one hostel in the city, and there is no Biella section in any of my Italy guidebooks, or online for that matter. So when I left Rome, I had one of those 'well, here goes nothin'' travel moments. My expectations were pretty low: 'Just get to Biella, check in at the hostel, visit Fondazione Pistoletto, sleep, leave Biella.' Little did I know that I was on my way to Italy's best kept secret. It was like I stepped into one of those cheesy "The Villages of Italy" wall calendars but it was for real. It was a bit unreal. Every time I passed a quaint little cobblestone street lined with picturesque homes and cafes and bakeries and churches and little old ladies I just kept saying to myself "Are you fucking kidding me? This place is unreal." It was just soooo cute. I know, the word cute is stupid and annoying, but I think it's a good word to use to describe the pristine and somewhat unaltered character of Biella. And another thing, there were absolutely NO tourists there. None. Every time I spoke with someone they asked me where I was from, and why I was in Biella. Folks weren't asking out of hostility, either. They were asking because they were genuinely curious as to where I was from and what I was doing in Biella, which was fine by me, I just got to practice more of my shitty Italian.
Highlight of Biella: the fumicolare!!!
Good times, good times.
xoxo,
Meggie
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