First few days in Italy

Here is my first post on my brand spanking new blog.  I figured that this would be the easiest way to share what I'm doing with everyone.  

11/20/10 – Today I started my long journey to Italy.  The first of my 3 flights was from Sacramento to O’hare and luckily I was upgraded to first class for that leg of the flight.  It was only a 4hr flight but 5 gin and tonics and a very nice lunch made the flight go by super fast. 

On my 2nd flight – O’hare to Munich I was in the way back of the plane in row 48 but somehow I lucked out and there was no one in the middle two seats of my row so I had the whole row to stretch out in.  It’s too bad that seats were rock solid, had no padding and if the guy in front of you reclined the little tv screen would be only 10“ from your face.  The only two good things about that flight were the decent movie selection and the hot hot Lufthansa flight attendants.  Tall, short, blonde, brunette...  Thank you Lufthansa.

On my 3rd and final flight I again somehow managed to luck out and not have anyone in the seat next to me and it was probably the only empty seat on the plane.  But all those gin and tonics were slowly catching up to me and it feeling like 3am only made it worse.  Needless to say I slept through almost all of that flight. 

Finally got to Naples and picked up my bag and rental car.  I got a Peugeot 3008 which is actually not that bad of a car.  The only problem was that I had no idea how to get to my hotel and I was very out of practice driving a stick-shift.  Somehow I ended up ok and made it to my hotel. Driving in Italy is not like any other place I've driven.  Lane markers are more suggestions and when you want to change lanes or merge you just kinda put your nose in the way and hope the other person stops.

Walking up to the hotel was super weird – they were blasting American Pop 40 songs outside at like 8pm.  There were tons of lights up everywhere – which I later found out was because next door there was a Discotheque.  The room was nothing too fancy, although it does have a bidet.  The beds were plenty comfortable – especially since I’d been sitting in uncomfortable airplane seats for the last day.  The only complaint was how noisy it was. The walls were paper thin so I could hear everything going on next door and if the guy above me drug his chair on the floor I could hear it screeching.  

I'll post some pictures later after I actually take some.