A Monsoon in Venice

I arrived in Venice just in time for the first rain in several months, according to my host. Sure enough, as soon as I finished lugging my suitcase up to the fourth floor apartment (Venetian buildings don't have lifts), there was a clap of thunder followed by screams from outside - presumably from tourists caught unaware. By the time I had showered, changed and mapped out a plan to find a place to eat dinner, the rain had let up and only a brisk wind remained. But after the sweltering heat of central and southern Italy, I welcomed it. The storm made the pavement slick and ridden with puddles, but it also cleared the sky, leaving behind streaks of clouds that made it look like an Impressionist painting.

My tour guide, a Venetian local, likened her hometown to living "in a museum." The entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage site that runs on tourism, meaning that residents must comply by keeping up traditional appearances. Despite Venice's myriad museums and churches, the only major sites I visited were St. Mark's, the bell tower and the Grand Canal via boat tour because, as Rick Steves' aptly put it, the best site is the city itself.

Even with a map I found it tricky to navigate so I spent a good part of my stay wandering aimlessly, reassured by the fact that I could never get too lost on an island. My apartment was about a 25 minute walk to St. Mark's, a trip I made many times, but because all the "streets" look vaguely identical it meant that each time my route was slightly different. And while the high cost of living has led to a considerable exodus of locals within recent decades, the upshot for visitors is that it means the streets are quite safe, even after dark.

​San Marco post-storm and exactly how I like it: without tourists and pigeons.

Shopping in Venice was a treat, thanks to all the specialized artisan shops. Venetian specialties include elaborate Carnevale masks, prints and paper goods, but there are also outlets for lace and handblown glass from the nearby islands of Burano and Murano respectively. But perhaps the most surprising (and random) Venetian tradition I partook in was attending a lively performance by Interpreti Veneziani at Chiesa San Vidal. I'm not generally a huge Vivaldi fan, but when most bars are closed Sunday night it's a fun diversion.

Roman Holiday After Hours

Apart from the blazing heat during the day and being eaten alive by mosquitoes at night, I quite enjoyed Rome. And even though I managed to make my way to most of the big tourist attractions (e.g. the Colosseum, Forum, Spanish Steps, etc.), I found it most fulfilling just to walk around and people watch.  I spent most of my time in the historic Pantheon neighborhood. At night, when the temperature dipped to a pleasant balminess, the old town came alive with buzzing trattorias and osterias and people sitting in darkening piazzas, admiring the floodlit landmarks and absorbing the atmosphere.

​Movement on the Spanish Steps at night.

I was sad to leave and can't wait to return, in part because the food there was excellent. Some of my favorite places, by way of a friend who visited Rome last summer, are:

- Il Cartoccio for deep-fried fish, artichokes, cheeses, you name it.
- Sant'Eustachio for coffee/espresso.
- Old Bridge for gelato.
- Le Fate for their fixed price student menu. (10€ for appetizer, pasta, dessert and glass of wine).

Vatican City Revealed

Since I'm not a religious person, my interest in the Vatican primarily stems from my high school obsession with Angels & Demons. That, and everything about it is sort of shrouded in mystery and scandal. I'm sure at some point I learned some things about it in AP European History but that knowledge is long gone. Luckily I had a great tour guide to explain what I was looking at in the museum and church.

St. Peter's Basilica​

I don't usually enjoy guided tours because the explanations provided tend to exceed my attention span, but Valerie (of Rome Walks) was awesome. She paid each person in our intimate five strong group careful attention, answering all our questions and catering to our specific interests. Valerie was both highly knowledgable and engaging - less like a historian and more like a storyteller.

The School of Athens by Raphael. Michelangelo is the melancholy figure in the center with his head on his hand.

She spoke at length about Michelangelo and Raphael (the artists behind the Vatican's most famous paintings) and their differences in style and personality, as well the scandal and drama stirred up under various popes - like the Borgia pope who allegedly organized orgies and Julius II who was the driving force behind the city's most ambitious building projects.

​The gallery of maps: my favorite room in the museum.

After going through the museum, we took time to admire the Sistine Chapel before ending the tour with the famous St. Peter's Basilica. No words can describe the beauty, grandeur and intricacy of it. Not even the photos do it justice.

​One of many photos of St. Peter's Basilica. Check out the rest on Flickr.

Note: Tour groups get to skip the line to get inside. Queuing outside for hours to get in might not be such a big deal in cooler months, but in 90 degree weather it's probably the last thing anyone really wants to do. And unless you're already a Catholic history nerd, you'll probably learn something new.

Taking a Dip in the Deep Blue Sea, Sorrento & Capri

The best way to enjoy Italy despite the searing summer heat is, hands down, on a boat in the Mediterranean, where you can either dive into the perfectly blue water or sip an ice cold Nastro Azzurro as you zoom past the villa-studded Amalfi coastline. It's divine.

​Sorrento

Leaving Sorrento (gorgeous seaside town about an hour's train ride from Naples), behind, a small contingent from my hostel in Naples jumped on a boat and headed for the island of Capri. Our driver took us the long way around to the marina, stopping periodically so we could jump in and swim through some of the island's many caves and grottoes.

​Yup. Swam through it.

During our afternoon break we stopped at the marina on the far side of the island. Although there was a lovely beach right by the pier we decided to take the funicular up to the hill-top town of Anacapri.

​Capri as seen from the funicular.

The main shopping street boasting designer names was packed with tourists both foreign and national. Since I wasn't really in the mood to splurge on a Roberto Cavalli bikini or pair of diamond earrings, for me it was more enjoyable to take in the views and get lost in the town's winding, labyrinthine passageways.

​Off the beaten path at Anacapri

We returned to Sorrento tired, slightly sunburnt but very content. I enjoyed a nice dinner and wine at a seafood restaurant overlooking the piazza with some newfound friends before hopping the Circumvesuviana train back to Naples, where we passed the time playing charades.

Channeling My Inner Anthropologist

"Drink lots of water," advised the California couple I met on the Circumvesuviana train en route to Pompeii.

"Otherwise you might end up like one of those mummies!"

​...this could have been me

The ruins at Pompeii and Herculaneum were the reason I forewent Milan and Florence for southern Italy, because I felt like I would be a bad anthropologist if I didn't make an effort to see such remarkably preserved evidence of early civilization. My dedication proved crucial, as it was over 90 degrees and the stone ruins offer no shade. But luckily (at least at Pompeii) the old fountains are still fully operational with cool, clear drinking water.

​The Macellum at Pompeii - the city's main market

While I'm glad I saw Pompeii, ultimately I preferred Herculaneum because the former felt too touristy and too big - like if you got lost you could unwittingly spend an entire day there, or perhaps never make it out... (Also I was expecting to see more petrified human remains, so that was a bit of a disappointment).

The Sede degli Augustali at Herculaneum​

Herculaneum is a lot more intact as a site, both in terms of its physical structures and its art. The paintings, mosaics and statues retain their vibrancy despite being nearly two thousand years old, which is pretty remarkable. It also provides a more intimate experience, as there are less visitors and you can get a good look around the entire town in under two hours. I didn't even get lost once!

Mysteries of The National Archaeological Museum of Naples (SNSFW)*

While Pompeii & Herculaneum are pretty incredible to explore in person, visiting the museum in Naples provides a fuller experience because that's where a majority of art and artifacts wound up after excavation. Thus you can get a better sense of who those people were.

​Each of these faces pretty much sums up how I felt in 90 degree weather.

In the museum you have your standard paintings, frescoes, statues, relics and, my favorite, the mosaics. But the most memorable gallery by far is what is officially known as the secret room, or perhaps more appropriately the sex chamber.

​That piece on the left is a good indicator of what's inside.

Upon entering the secret room, the first thing you see are giant stone phalluses. And from there it only gets weirder. There are frescoes depicting couples having sex in various positions, sculptures capturing acts of bestiality, and mysterious humanoid figurines. Don't believe me? Take a look.

​I was going to get this as a postcard for a friend but in the end chose a more tasteful one.

​Poor goat.

​If you're thinking they're just standing on one leg, think again.

​Who knew Romans were so kinky?

*SNSFW = sort of not safe for work

Avoiding Death in Naples

I was warned not to go to Naples at all by friends who were concerned about my safety. After all, the city does have some of the highest crime and unemployment in the country. You can even sense it when wandering the streets - no wait, the restlessness is probably just due to the uncomfortable heat of summer.

​But it is pretty after dark. Especially down by the water.

In truth Naples is fine within the confines of the tourist area, which is basically the triangle between the train station in the east, the Archaeological Museum in the west and the Royal Palace in the south. Even so there's a bit of a gritty feel to it; the one time I was out alone after dark I was a bit paranoid but I kept to the busy main streets. Having just arrived in Rome last night the contrast is quite stark. (Polizia! Everywhere! As compared to not a single one seen in Naples).

​The view down via Mezzocannone.

Honestly I didn't spend a whole lot of time in Naples; my first day I went out to visit the famed sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and the second was spent on a boat circling the island of Capri. But it was definitely worth wandering the city's historical center, which has amazing classical architecture, beautiful churches and lots of cool (albeit touristy) shops. Oh, and the pizza! Naples is the birthplace of pizza so I made sure to try out a few different restaurants.

​Inside Gesù Nuovo.

Every time I've moved in the past several years, I find the local drivers to be increasingly worse and more ruthless than the last. (I've previously lived in the Bay Area, New York, and now Paris). But Italy takes the cake on aggressive drivers with no regard for pedestrians. To cross the street one pretty much has to stay on the heels of a local, otherwise risk being stranded on the sidewalk for a very long time. If there aren't any around, though, you just have to take a deep breath, step out onto the street and stare down whatever car or scooter is speeding unrelentingly toward you. If you do go Naples, use Hostel of the Sun as your home base. The staff are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and you're sure to meet some cool people who can become your new friends and travel buddies.