The last 3 days in Italy were spent in Naples, with our home base at Hotel Rex. It was another one without an elevator, but the air conditioning was glorious, as was the breakfast and location - practically right on the sea.
Our train ride from Rome included a transfer in Caserta, and some major confusion on my part. It was a pretty small station, and the signs above each platform stayed blank with a scrolling message in Italian. After typing out the message in bits and pieces, my translator app told me that from August 8th through August 29th, all trains between 2 stations (I assumed the one I was at was affected since there were no details on the platforms) were suspended and replaced with buses. After attempting to speak with a few employees who didnt speak much English, we trudged over to a different platform than what the Omio app had originally said and low and behold, the train showed up, albeit 5 minutes late. No biggie, but I guess I shouldve looked up the two stations in the scrolling message before jumping to conclusions.
backpack with our swimming gear and headed out to find a beach. There was no access at all near where we were, even though we were directly overlooking the sea - the sidewalk and the rest of the city was up the cliffside a bit and youd have to jump over the wall down to some pretty impressive and sharp/jagged boulders and rocks before youd get to the water itself. We decided wed try to flag down a taxi to bring us to a beach since it seemed like we werent even close, but there didnt appear to be our way on this main road. We went into the town a few blocks to see if wed have more luck and ran into a makeshift testing tent where we asked the people there where we could find a taxi. Wed learned a few days prior from our airline that even though we were vaccinated, wed still need a negative test in order to board our flight home and the U.S. Eric asked if we should take the test now since we were right there, but I said nah, lets do it closer to when we
leave (even though we were within the 3 day timeline noted by the airline). I had a one track mind and it was on the beach. Luckily, we were very close to a taxi hub and in two short blocks we found one and hopped in.
We were brought to Bagna Elena, which Id seen on the map, but was closing in 30 minutes and also charged a fee for everything and required using their app. I couldnt get the app to even load nor could I pay directly on their website, so once I learned they were closing, we chose to walk further up the road to what appeared to be another beach, and possibly a free one. The place closed up and we looked down to see an employee driving some sort of sand smoother machine across the beach, assuming this was very fancy sand. We never found the second beach. It was either also closed, or it was part of an of some sort, or we just plain missed it. We cut our losses and decided to head back to find dinner the hotel. Once again we couldnt get a taxi, even though
we were on a main road. Probably because we were on a main road, actually. All in all, we ended up walking over five miles that evening, and it was the beginning of the end for my legs and feet. My calves were already practically burning with each step after the tromping around Rome wed done, all starting with the uphill trudge to the train station followed by 4 hours of standing. I digress.
We made it back to the hotel on foot and went right next door for a nearby dinner. My luck turned around when I learned that Cavoli Nostri was a 100%!v(MISSING)egan restaurant! As I did when I visited India a few years ago, I decided to go vegetarian on this trip; I neither wanted to drag Eric all around town on top of going to all the landmarks so I could find suitable vegan food nor did I want to live off plain spaghetti and/or French fries the entire time. We shared a sampler platter appetizer and each got the pesto gnocchi entree, though we shouldve just shared one - it was a ton of food.
