When I initially set off on my journey back in January I had initially hoped I might be able to find work (ideally in Spain) and sustain an expat lifestyle at least for a little.  How amazing would it have been to set up a home base in Spain and see the rest of Europe from thousands of miles closer?  Simply amazing is my answer to that.  I’ve been doing a little research lately an looked into ebook that was recommended to me.  Titled Moving and Living in Spain, it doesn’t get much more appropriate than that if you’re planning on moving to and living in Spain.  I briefly looked over the featured book and I have to say it’s pretty good.  You also get three bonus books on housing, moving tips and some info on the Spanish language.  For $34 it’s a pretty good deal, and the best part is you can return it and get all your money back if you decide it sucks (at that point you have probably printed them all out anyway).  With that said, I’m excited to get a little reading done and see what pans out.  Please let me know if you happen to purchase this guide and any useful tips you can throw my way that I may miss.  Here’s the link for ya: Moving and Living in Spain

Moving on to the East, let’s chat about the other useful guide I found pertaining to Florence, Italy.  As my favorite city in Italy you can imagine I was excited to find some more info on the sites, sounds and smells of the area.  Same as before, you have 8 weeks to return this puppy for a full refund.  That’s enough time to visit Florence, come back, soak it all in, then decide if you liked or disliked the ebook and return it.  The Ultimate Guide to Florence also comes with a nice little digital photo book of the major attractions around the city and a few other bonuses all for about $15.  Check this guy out to if you’re interested and as always feel free to let me know what you think: The Ultimate Guide to Florence

I hope these guides will be useful, and if you have any links or book ideas that you’d like to share just go ahead and leave a little comment and anyone can gain access to it through the comment link on the bottom right of all my posts.  Enjoy!

Naples (Napoli) has been the biggest surprise thus far. Maybe it was the people I met or the hostel I stayed at, but underneath the rugged, dirty exterior lies the beautiful soul of the culture and people of Southern Italy. My first impression as I leave the construction riddled train station is that I may need to watch my step with a little more attention then usual, not only to guard my belongings but to dodge trash that has been tossed carelessly into the streets. I head towards the hostel through a predominately immigrant neighborhood and duck into a back alley putting my trust in google maps. After 20 minutes and a dozen close calls with cars, scooters and pedestrians moving hastily through this cramped alley way, I make it to Giovanni’s Home… welcomed with the most warm greeting I have received during the course of my trip. Giovanni makes checking in a secondary option to setting my bag down and providing me with a glass of water. As he disappears one more time into the back room I can’t help but wonder what he’s doing back there… preparing for myself and another traveler a delicious bowl of pasta and a carafe of wine to be exact. Already, I could not have asked for a better trip, but we can always talk about what to see and experience.

We’ll start in the city, which is rather centralized in terms of what you may want to see. A simple suggestion to to walk down towards the harbor and you will run into nearly everything of interest to a tourist. Castel Nuovo (New Castle) dominates the waterfront near the main docks, you can’t miss it. Just beyond is Naples’ oldest castle, Castel dell’Ovo (Egg Castle). This structure juts out into the bay and provides great views of the surrounding environment, I highly recommend this free attraction. There is one more castle left to see which stands atop the highest point in Napoli, providing great views over the harbor and neighboring towns. For only 1 euro you can take the Funicular (cable car) up to see Castel Sant Elmo. Entry into the castle is a little more, but it worth it if you like the castle scene. Putting fortresses aside, there is one other site that you really have to see during your stay in Napoli. This hidden gem is tucked away in a small chapel in a back alley as you climb the hills from the waterfront. Ask around for directions to Museo Cappella Sansevero, where you will find the Veiled Christ, a life-like marble figure carved from one piece of stone that resembles Jesus covered in an unbelievably realistic veil after his crucifixion. This easily rivals Michelangelo’s David for one of the most incredible sculptures I have ever seen… well let’s just make it the world. This is a must before you head out of town to embark on some incredible adventures back in time.

The initial main attraction of Napoli for me was the ruins of Pompeii. Destroyed by the infamous Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 AD, an astonishing amount of the city has been uncovered and somewhat restored in certain areas. You really feel as if you have stepped back in time as you walk through the old streets and enter into many of the structures and common places that have been preserved in amazing fashion by the ash of Vesuvius. Pompeii is the most well known of all the ruins nearby Napoli for a reason. A quick stop in Ercolano may have provided us with a better idea of how complete structures looked in the first century, but the amount of the city that is still present is rather small. Ercolano did serve a better purpose in my eyes, a starting point for our trek into the heart of ancient destruction… Vesuvius. Myself and some fellow travelers purchased a shuttle ride up to the top of Vesuvius for 16 euro, which was worth it in my opinion. Even though it was extremely cloudy atop the volcano that day, the wind was strong enough to push the cloud cover away at certain points providing a short lived opportunity to snap some amazing photos or the central crater and distant towns.

The last day of my stay in Napoli will come as no surprise to most of you who have been following me thus far… I wondered the streets to see what I could find. I scoured the city with a couple new friends (just so you don’t have to worry about my well being), Alby and Larry from Wyoming. Great guys that I wanted to give a little shout out to, hopefully we’ll stay in touch even after all of our traveling adventures. Good luck fellas on your next 3 months! This part of the trip is of course my favorite as you get to see parts of a city most tourists don’t care to travel to. As usual, there was nothing overly impressive in terms of buildings or other sights, but wandering through the back streets and observing the people and taking in the smells always intrigues me. Which makes me think about a great pizza joint you have to visit. The alleged origins of the calzone started here, Gino’s pizza a few blocks off Via del Duomo. Definitely check it out for whole pizzas starting around 5 euros, can’t beat it. It may have a reputation as a dirty, scummy, mafia riddled city in southern Italy, but dig a little deeper and you just might find a unique environment with a mysterious charm.

Ok, get all the Anchorman jokes out now (I just did, so that will be the end of it, deal). The one thing you notice or hear about Rome is how much there is to see, that is very true. If you prioritize and figure out exactly what you want to see, even if it’s a genre such as architecture or ancient ruins then you’ll feel a lot better when you don’t see it all.  My stay lasted roughly 4 days and I’m pretty content with the amount of sights I saw, and even got to enjoy some quiet time in the outskirts of town. I’ll spare you the rambling of everything you could potentially see and let the Rick Steves’ or Lonely Planet handle that for you. I’ll give a quick rundown of what I really enjoyed and you can go from there.

Let’s talk ruins and ancient Rome, anyone who watches the HBO series will love this part of the city. Without question you need to see the symbol of Rome… the Colosseum. It truly is quite the sight to see and for practically being abandoned for hundreds of years (during the shift in world powers at the time) it’s surprising how much is left. Take note of the holes everywhere along the exterior facade of the Colosseum, this is where metal was raked out by those left here to suffer during the dark ages. You have to get your metal for weapons and coins somewhere, right? This is actually a prominent feature throughout the entire antiquity area. Which segues perfectly into the next area of interest, Antiquity: The Ancient Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. You can get a day ticket for all three for only 12€, or even take an offer from one of the millions of tour guides asking you to join their tour anytime you step within 100 yards of the Colosseum (I paid 20€ for a tour and entry, not too bad). Be sure to browse around for someone who is desperate to give tours, don’t be afraid to haggle either to get a great price. That covers a big part of what to see in Rome from the early 1st and 2nd centuries AD.

Let’s move into architecture, you know I’d love to. I would make time to see this sight (above) any day of the week, which is why I saw it three days in a row to be exact… The Pantheon. A simple design in terms of the modern era, but for over 2 thousand years it remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. A large oculus opens to the sky in the center creating a great place for light to play along the interior of the rotunda. An architect’s dream… you have to check this out, and it’s free. I was even lucky enough to stumble across it one evening when a concert was taking place, I couldn’t have asked for much more.

Upon departing the Pantheon, be sure to hit up a couple gelaterias. Specifically Giolitti and Gellateria della Palma (which has over 100 flavors, amazing!). Ok, the fat kid inside all of us has been satisfied, for the time being, onward to the Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain). A short jaunt from the Pantheon, the fountain is at the junction of three roads, marking the terminal point of the “modern” Acqua Vergine, the revivified Aqua Virgo, one of the ancient aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome. A very beautiful baroque fountain that is guaranteed to be packed with tourists at almost any time of the day… except early in the morning on a Sunday – I drifted by and was one of the few people soaking in the sounds of flowing water. Heading just past the fountain, you run into the Scalinata della Trinita dei Monti (Spanish Steps). Now you must be thinking, what is so great about a set of steps? It happens to be the longest and widest staircase in Europe and a rather magical gathering place that allows the people watcher in all of us to come out in rare form. If you happen to visit during a big football (soccer) or rugby match you will get the full effect of Italian pride.

The last trip you need to make is to Vatican City. Home of the Capella Sistina (Sistine Chapel) and Basilica di San Pietro (St. Peter’s Basilica). These two speak for themselves once you enter. It may be that I’ve been desensitized to cathedrals, yet St. Peter’s came across as beautiful, and almost too lavish, border line gaudy. I’ll leave that for you to decide on your own. After winding through a maze of various art pieces and sculptures known as the Vatican Museum, you finally arrive at the Sistine Chapel. This is a small box, with the beauty lying solely in some of the most incredible artwork you could imagine… not to mention it’s done on the ceiling. Be careful when you take photos, soak it in then try to snap some pics, because there is a good chance you’re getting kicked out if they see you. Oh yeah, the Vatican is free on the last Sunday of every month, plus you can catch a glimpse of the Pope if you’re around St. Peter’s about noonish.

That pretty much raps up the majority of Rome. Once last thing I would do if you have some time to kill, which I always recommend, is to venture outside the main city center and explore some of the green space and various hills that lie across the Tiber River. Just south of Palatine Hill are the remains of the former Cricus Maximus, you can almost see Judah Ben Hur struggle to victory in the famed chariot race of the 1959 classic film. This is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the present day Rome. Whatever it is that you choose to do, I’m sure you won’t run out of items on your must see list, so go out and enjoy this city built on ancient ruins.