Naples-Napoli

Decided last minute to take a day trip to Napoli with a fellow Fulbrighter. Only a 2 ish hour ride on the slow train for €10.5.

That was my Caprese Pizza for only €5!

Naples is where Margherita Pizza originated- which would explain why the pizza there was by far the best pizza I've EVER had in my life. 

Gulf of Naples

The painting on the wall says "Fishing Prohibited" Ha.

Duomo di Napoli

(Cathedral)

The town is very dense...

Many stairs to the top- we should have taken the funicular....

A beautiful view at the top.

Mount Vesuvius in the distance.

Another view of Mount Vesuvius.

Funicular from the top to the center of town.

Notice a one way street, with many barriers so that motorized vehicles don't come through.

We saw 7 Vespas weave their way through the barriers going in the opposite direction of the one-way street.

CARNEVALE DI VENEZIA

Venice is the hot spot for Carnevale celebrations in Italy so I went this weekend with a group of people from Tennessee.

Our trip lasted about 32 hours- consisting of a night train leaving from Rome at 10:30 p.m. and arriving in Venice at 5:30 a.m. We spent the entire day exploring Venice before catching the 11:30 p.m. night train to bring us back to Rome by Sunday morning at 6:30 a.m.

The day in Venice started at Piazza San Marco at 6 a.m. where we watched the sunrise and there were already tons of people dressed in elaborate costumes.

Basilica di San Marco

This is outside the museum of modern art.  It was really awesome but we weren't allowed to take pictures inside.

Apparently this big bull is going to be lit on fire and burned on Tuesday.

After lunch 6 of us went on a gondola ride!

After the gondola ride we had dinner and then the festivities began...bands, dance performances, and lots of CONFETTI!

Happy Carnevale everyone! I would highly recommend buying as many bags of confetti as you can fit in your purse and dumping them on yourself and everyone within a 100 feet radius. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!!!