Italy

Hello again,

I have been blessed with the privilege of not only staying with a Japanese family, but also an Italian. I have jumped to a new culture and instead of seeing it from a tourist perspective, I've also been able to experience it as an Italian. I get to see the monuments and the beautiful architecture, but also eat feasts with gigantic Italian families who share and express their love with an unparalleled passion. Just being here for three days has made me fall in love with the culture and the people that make the city so great. I have to thank one of my closest friends for inviting me to stay with his host family, because this is an experience like no other. 

There is a spectacular view from the parent's bedroom which overlooks Naples and Vesuvius. You see the water and the sprawling, chaotic city that is famous for Pompeii and pizza. The first time I ever laid eyes on it I quickly realised it was my favourite view in the entire world and It is truly unlike anything I have ever seen.

We spent New Years lighting fireworks from the balcony in their apartment. You could hear distant bangs, like gunshots, littered throughout the city. At times it was frightening but you'd always see a rainbow of colours in the sky. 

At exactly 12am you could see Naples from the parent's bedroom. The only way I can describe it is it was like the world was in fire. Amongst all the city lights there were small bursts and flashes of colour that dotted the city. It was a collective celebration for the New Year. This wasn't even a view that you could commonly see, I just happened to be lucky to be staying with a family that had a spectacular view of a spectacular city. I feel like lights are an adequate description of Naples, because every store and street it decorated with fairy lights. Everything glitters at night, and a different way to how Japan is illuminated. Naples is flashing delicately in a dark night, lit by a thousand tiny lights. 

Speaking of this beautiful view, one night I sat with Julian on the window sill while a party was going on and it's a striking memory. We are both ridiculously competitive and have found a game where we can basically feed our egos: Words with Friends (basically Scrabble). So we sat on this window sill, eating Tim Tams and looking at a million twinkling lights of Naples. It was magnificent. That is a moment you don't forget, a perfect memory preserved in a city unlike any other. 

Since then we've also done a taste test of famous Napolitan foods, gone to Sorrento and tried the famous Limoncello. I feel like those are all stories for another time (or just another blog post) so I think I'll make an entirely separate post for them. Until then,

Amy.