It has been a while since I traveled abroad by subway, train, metro or bus.  So after our week long class of cultural/info briefing, I excitedly headed out with the class guide on a day trip to Naples.

I bought an all-day train pass and took a train downtown.  First stop, a coffee shop where I bought a cappuccino and a chocolate croissant.  I spoke only Italian and beamed when they understood what I meant AND I received what I intended to order.  From there we split off into small groups and I checked out a theater, the water front and the outside of a small castle.  Downtown Naples was surprisingly much cleaner than the outskirts of Naples where we are staying and was of course, full of tourists.  

I did relearn a few lessons on my day outing.

Lesson #1. Always carry kleenex and hand sanitizer on you.  Bathrooms will not have ANY toilet paper or soap.  Lesson learned the hard day.  When I found a street vendor selling travel kleenex, I bought a 6 pack and handed them out to the girls in our group. 🙂

Lesson #2: Do not make eye contact with gypsies, they will not leave you alone.  I knew this already but others in our group learned this the hard way.

Lesson #3: when a teenager is openly breastfeeding her baby and walking around the train, she does not want your seat but your money and she is also a gypsy so hold onto your purse.

Lesson #4: It is SUPER hot on the trains and in the train stations in the summer time.  Expect to sweat bullets, or not wear jeans like I did.  Some of the locals had hand-held fans and scarves that they dampened.

Lesson #5: Grab a seat on the train as soon as possible, otherwise stand for long rides.

Lesson #6: Have fun and try to speak as much Italian as you can.  Italians will help you when you clearly ordered something that doesn’t exist.  I ordered “sugo” which I don’t know what it means but had mixed up jugo (spanish for juice) and succo (italian for juice).  Sometimes knowing some Spanish and studying Italian blends in the mind.  Speaking is the best way to figure it out.

Lesson #7: Wear comfortable shoes!  Enough said.

My first travel day truly was like the antipasta for me, I can not wait to venture out to do more.  Keep tuned for more to come.