While waiting for my train from Rome to Naples I was seriously considering going straight back to the airport and spending an extra 4 days in Ireland. Every extra minute that I stood there waiting, getting more and more uncomfortable, I was plotting my escape. Clearly I didn’t go through with it but I have learned my lesson about European summer; it is not the time for me to visit.
I had originally planned to spend a little time in Naples, only to get a pizza, but because of the heat I stayed inside the train station and continued straight on to Sorrento. I met an American woman in the station and we made the rest of the journey together, helping to keep each other sane along the extremely hot hour long train ride.
I met a few more girls when I arrived at the hostel and it made me so happy. Travelling solo may have some benefits but for someone like me I really need to interact with other people for my sanity. The group of Australian girls were 3 of the 10 people in my dorm and it made for great conversation. I finally got to eat in a restaurant again too because they invited me to join them for pizza on our first night.
Being able to spend time with other women around my age that speak my language really helped to lift my spirits back up. The pizza and ice cream made for a perfect cherry on top.
I didn’t do much at all around Sorrento except walk. One day I was out for 4 hours and got nowhere at all before turning around. I had hoped to find a beach but every one I saw “belonged” to the nearest hotel and I would have had to pay to use it. When I wasn’t out it was because I couldn’t drag myself from the AC, I was doing laundry (for 9 euro!!) or I was showering with fewer people around to avoid the awkwardness created by the (barely) frosted glass shower door. For anyone who has never stayed in a hostel I will warn you right now, showers are shitty in almost every hostel. These particular ones also flooded really badly because of the amount of hair going down the drain everyday.
When my time was up in Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast I made my way back to Rome on the high speed train.
Going into this trip I had high hopes for my half day in Rome but they didn’t really pan out the way I expected. After checking into my hostel I went right back out. Rome was equally as hot as Sorrento but not half as humid so it was do-able in the shade. That being said, there is only so much shade to be found. I opted for taking the metro, first to the Trevi Fountain with the expectation of walking to other sites from there but that didn't actually happen. I took another metro to the Vatican for a walk around St. Peter's Basilica
The Rome metro is the most crowded that I've seen. When it is completely, uncomfortably full there are still many people trying to force themselves in the doors and therefore forcing the people already inside to stand even closer to one another. Though I wanted to go see the Coliseum I really couldn't deal with that amount of people in such a small space, especially in +45 degrees.
I can tell you honestly that I'm a bit disappointed in the time I spent in Italy. I had plans for so many activities but the heat really destroyed my motivation and ability to spend entire days outside exploring. No hard feelings though.
With my hostel being across the road from the main train station I used that as a mini shopping mall and somewhere to spend my evening instead of my crappy not-air conditioned hostel. Wen I did have to go back before bed I spent 2 hours chatting with a bunk-mate about how horrible the room was and discussing our own home countries as a distraction.
The only thing keeping me sane was knowing that a short sleep from now I would be off to Ireland!
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