Pause 3

Naples: I really liked Naples, even though it was very crowded, noisy and dirty. Unlike most of Italy, especially the postcard stuff, Naples is recognisable as the origin of Corso Italia and Little Italy in Toronto. It is far denser and moped-filled than TO, and much more lively, but the uniquely Italian feel is there. Pompeii was old and Roman, and far less exciting. Naples, like Venice offered kids playing football in the street who were happy to let me join. An elderly man objected one time to me kicking the ball around with a kid in the public park near the Neapolitan waterfront, AND I hope it was because he thought I'd corrupt the kid with my English playing style.

Taranto: Okay it was a brief stop on the way to Brindisi Ferry, but it looks TexMex and sounds like home!

Brindisi-Patrai: This involved sitting in front of the Hellenic Mediterrainian Lines trying to book our deck passage, and then sitting on the deck for the next 14 hours our so. This was made easier by youth hostel type company, three Australian girls and young german (from just outside of Stuttgart), Canadian and American couples. Rick (?) the Canadian started playing tunes on his discman with speakers. The first song was 'Call and Answer' by BNL, along with some Hip and Crows. It was all so perfect, almost staged that it just sort of faded away. I was on my second bottle of cheap (I mean cheap) Italian wine, and on a boat to Greece...So the Ozzies, Gill and I toughed it out on the deck in our sleeping bags, the others went down and took the liberty of upgrading themselves to an airline chair. The trip seemed to take no time at all.

Patrai-Athens: This trip took forever on a crowded and hot OSE train. It ruined the surrounding scenery, but I marvelled at the leather-like skin of the Greek woman across from me.

Piraeus-Thira: A much harder ferry trip, mostly because Gill and I had airline seats this time. Horrible movies played on the tv, but the top deck at midnight was mystifiying.

Thira: As depicted on any Greek postcard. To a T.


Thira 2000-04-24 Naples: I really liked Naples, even though it was very crowded, noisy and dirty. Unlike most of Italy, especially the postcard stuff, Naples is recognisable as the origin of Corso Italia and Little Italy in Toronto. It is far denser and moped-filled than TO, and much more lively, but the uniquely Italian feel is there. Pompeii was old and Roman, and far less exciting. Naples, like Venice offered kids playing football in the street who were happy to let me join. An elderly man objected one time to me kicking the ball around with a kid in the public park near the Neapolitan waterfront, AND I hope it was because he thought I'd corrupt the kid with my English playing style. Taranto: Okay it was a brief stop on the way to Brindisi Ferry, but it looks TexMex and sounds like home! Brindisi-Patrai: This involved sitting in front of the Hellenic Mediterrainian Lines trying to book our deck passage, and then sitting on the deck for the next 14 hours our so. This was made easier by youth hostel type company, three Australian girls and young german (from just outside of Stuttgart), Canadian and American couples. Rick (?) the Canadian started playing tunes on his discman with speakers. The first song was 'Call and Answer' by BNL, along with some Hip and Crows. It was all so perfect, almost staged that it just sort of faded away. I was on my second bottle of cheap (I mean cheap) Italian wine, and on a boat to Greece...So the Ozzies, Gill and I toughed it out on the deck in our sleeping bags, the others went down and took the liberty of upgrading themselves to an airline chair. The trip seemed to take no time at all. Patrai-Athens: This trip took forever on a crowded and hot OSE train. It ruined the surrounding scenery, but I marvelled at the leather-like skin of the Greek woman across from me. Piraeus-Thira: A much harder ferry trip, mostly because Gill and I had airline seats this time. Horrible movies played on the tv, but the top deck at midnight was mystifiying. Thira: As depicted on any Greek postcard. To a T.