Don’t get me wrong: I love to travel.
After decades of take-offs, landings, transfers, delays and last-minute changes, I’ve learned to roll with most of the punches.
But one day in Italy really got to me: strikes, pickpockets, missed connections and language barriers….the works. What’s really remarkable is, despite the crazy things that happened, we had a great time.
A little background: our trip to Italy was r-e-a-l-l-y sweet. We flew in on Alaska Airlines‘ new 787 nonstop flight from Seattle.
After we had the chance to regroup in Rome, including a g-r-e-a-t dinner with an old classmate, we wanted to visit Naples for the day.
With high-speed trains throughout the country, the trip to Naples from Rome is less than an hour. That way we could see “The Veiled Christ” in a chapel that we missed last time. We also had time to take a great food tour with our friends at Culinary Backstreets: “The Backstreets of Naples.”
PROBLEM: Two days before leaving, I get a note that there’s a NATIONAL TRAIN STRIKE on the day we want to travel.
Hmm. I canceled the train tickets, applied for a refund and buy two bus tickets.
DAY OF DEPARTURE: We struggle a bit to find out which terminal the bus is leaving from. It’s all the way across town…so we opt to take the metro.
PROBLEM: The Metro is VERY crowded during rush hour…especially approaching the main terminal. As everyone gets off the train, I notice my wallet on the floor. I’ve been pick-pocketed. Lovely.
PROBLEM #2: It appears we’re on the wrong train…going away from our bus station.
Two Italian women on the train were very helpful and tried to get us a taxi….without any luck.
Finally, we took a city bus to our station, only to find out we’d missed the inter-city bus to Naples.
After purchasing a brand new ticket, we were able to ride with another company just a few minutes later.
We would arrive a little late for our timed entry to see the Veiled Christ, so we were anxious. Hopefully, we could just grab a cab at the station in Naples.
PROBLEM #3: There were 200 people in front of us in the taxi line. Accordingly, we set out on the 1.5-mile trek, hoping to catch a ride along the way.
Good news/bad news: We did, indeed, find a taxi a couple of blocks away. PROBLEM #4: he charged us 15 euros for the one-mile ride. #Ripoff
At the Museo Sansevero, they waved us through without issue, even though we were late. It’s an amazing exhibit in a Masonic Chapel. The Veiled Christ, carved in stone by Giuseppe Sanmartino in 1753. There are many other amazing sculptures in the museum that push the conceptual idea of what can be carved out of stone. Well worth the visit.
After enjoying the exhibit, we made our way outside to find the spot for our food tour meet-up.
PROBLEM #5: It was unclear where the meet-up point is. We walked to the tour company office (according to Google Maps). Nothing. We searched the email thread to find the meet-up and sent a note to the company to confirm. They sent us to a bakery about five minutes away.
We arrived at the bakery and ordered the coldest drink available….a lemon ice of some sort.
But things didn’t look right.
I finally found a phone number for our guide, Sonia. Using WhatsApp, I called her and she picked up.
PROBLEM #6: We were at the wrong location.
Thankfully, the meet-up was about 10 minutes away. Off we went in the mid-afternoon heat. We got there, met Sonia and the other family on the tour and had a great time. GREAT TOUR….I recommend it.
As the five-hour tour started to wind down, I was anxious about how to get back to the station and catch the bus.
Again, thankfully, Sonia needed to go by the Naples subway to get back home, so she walked us through the station, helped us get our tickets and get on the right train.
PROBLEM #7: Later in the evening (9pm) , the trains run less frequently and the doors started to close. It would be another 20-minute wait.
I ran up and forced the door back open, motioning for the others to climb aboard. Do not try this at home.
We arrived at the Naples station (bus and train all wrapped up into one spot). After wandering aimlessly for about 20 minutes, we managed to find a bus that said “Milano”.
“Where is the bus to Rome?” I asked.
“This is the bus to Rome,” he said.
Relieved, we got on the bus and headed back to Rome.
On arrival in Rome (around midnight).
PROBLEM #8: It was not clear how to find a cab to get back to our apartment (about eight miles away). We wandered around to where we thought the cabs should be….I even tried to get an Uber without success.
OUR GUARDIAN ANGEL, disguised as an older Italian lady, commandeered a cab that pulled in to the station and motioned for Christy to get it.
We did. The cab took us back home.
It was, indeed, One Day in Italy. We bounced from one impossible situation to the next, forever grateful for the many fine folks who helped us along the way, the glorious food tour and the amazing museum in Naples.
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