Pictures from a trip to Napoli

A quaint "Metropolitana" subway station in Napoli.


The walk up to Virgil's tomb. Who's Virgil? Shame on you! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgil




Me and the man. Isn't he handsome, even though he is missing his nose? For those of you that aren't paying attention this is the same bust that is featured in the wiki page I posted above.



The climb to the tomb. The Bean is in there somewhere, can you find her?


We look so happy don't we? Kinda sick considerning this in the entrance to the ancient Neapolatin necropolis where thousands of dead lie. (If we can't book a tour we're breaking in!)




The view of Napoli from above Virtil's tomb.



Inside the tomb. The Bean couldn't keep her hands off me (disgusting), the only thing that stopped her was a security cam that had us in its sights, and we've been caught by those a few too many times already!



The Bean was so angered she decided to piss on his grave. Don't piss this bitch off! Cris just had to post this one!!! And of course I let him. PS. I pee'd only in a flower pot AFTER Cris did. Whe you gotta go you gotta go!


The thought of all this water flowing is what got my dinky to tinkle.


- Cris and The Bean

R.I.P. Fagiolina

The sweetest, filthy kitten, who’s mother abandoned her and never taught her how to clean herself, I called her Fagiolina,(fagiolo in Italian means bean!!) and we met her at “La Columbina” , the bed and breakfast we stayed at. There were many cats prowling around the hotel, some of them eating whatever they could find and some who were too intimidated to eat for the sake of getting swatted by another cat, so I took it upon myself to buy some cat food and also give them scraps from our leftover meals, like milk or toast from our breakfast. I noticed Fagiolina wasn’t eating and she was very frail, naturally I gravitated towards this cute feline and became attached, I actually wanted to adopted this kitten and give her a warm, loving home but I must make this story short because to write this eulogy, it still pains me. One day Cris and I gave her a bath and flushed her eyes, which were full of puss and blow dried her, then she pooped on our towels! After we cleaned Fagiolina I noticed her breathing wasn’t right. It got me thinking Fagiolina was really ill. A day after we washed her, she came right towards us as we were walking towards our hotel room one evening, which was strange because she never did that before. On this cool clear night, Fagiolina stayed in our room, as long as I cleaned up after her, those were the rules. I made a little area for her with towels and a carpet that was in our room. As the morning came and we had our breakfast, something didn’t feeling right to me. We went to the vet in town and to asked how much a visit and med’s would cost, which for me to save an animal, especially a cat, would be worth it. I went back to the hotel, Cris went to work and I couldn’t let her suffer any longer, so I wrapped her up in my sweater and we went off to the vet. The noise from the traffic made Fagiolina meow constantly, and I knew the trek would be stressful. The walk to the vet felt like a million miles away, I couldn’t get there fast enough, but didn’t know it would actually take Fagiolina’s life. When I entered the vet they saw me carry this cat and I asked the nurse to help me but when I opened my sweater I noticed she passed on. The nurse brought me into a room, said ‘sorry” and asked if I wanted to cremate her, which I knew it was going to cost money, so I said “no”. The nurse gave me a box to put her in with my sweater and I walked home with this box. It was heart wrenching to walk home, thinking there was this kitten I tried to save and take care of that died because I didn’t make it to the vet in time or that it was my fault she died for taking her to the vet in the first place. Now I believe the reason Fagiolina came to our room that night is because she wanted to be comforted in her last days and I know we gave her warmth, affection and love even if was for a sort while.

-The Bean

View from the Kitchen at Sunset

Gelateria

It was ice cream heaven, just like 21 years ago. Let me tell you about this gelatiera in Napoli that Cris and I found on this lovesick day..... I went back in a time machine, literally, 21 years ago when I went to Abburzo with my father. In the piazza were these cafés/gelatiere, which are all over Italy naturally! I could not get enough of this fresh fragola gelato, the flavour just exploded and then danced on your taste buds, mmmm, the thought is so vivid. All those years ago the little 13yr old girl, who was homesick because she missed her mom, lived just on gelato for 5 weeks, no one’s food was good enough for me except for the bliss I found whenever I put the spoon to my mouth. It was the same feeling, as a 34 yr old, orderind a small cup of fragola & limone, I could feel the anticipation. As I put the small plastic spoon to my mouth, the teenage girl came out to play. I did a little dance right in the middle of the gelateria, when nostalgic harmony flowed over my tongue!

- The Bean

The Nut

On a lazy Sunday afternoon the sky is cloudy and it’s raining. Cris and I are sitting in the kitchen, eating pistachios & walnuts, having a drink, when Cris notices something moving in one of the halves of the walnut I just ate….. a freaking maggot!!!! Yes, I just realized I ate maggot poop!!!

I quickly spit it out, thinking I have shit or a maggot stuck in my teeth and I take a swig of the Manhattan cocktail that Cris made us (wish you were here having a drink with me sis!!). I’m wondering if I will ever eat packaged walnuts again!

- The Bean