Naples, Italy

Today was our first port of call. We slept in for most of the morning waking up in time for lunch. I guess we are adjusting to the jet lag. We didn't have anything planned for Naples, which was good due to the loss of luggage we chose to do a shopping blitz for some well needed clothing.

After disembarking the ship we were asked many times if we needed a taxi. Not really knowing where we wanted to go we opted to just stroll down town. WARNING!! I'd like to take this time to put a warning out for anyone who is thinking of taking their life by simply stepping out into traffic. Naples is the place to do so. In fact, just try and cross the street. After nearly risking our lives, I contemplated riding in a taxi. Then again evry car I saw had every corner smashed up. But it really is the Vespas, or scooters, you must watch out for as they will whip through two people crossing the street if they feel the need to. No one got out of the way of ambulances or police.

This was our first glipse of Italy. I found Naples to be not the cleanest and also ran into my fair share of street vendors selling knock off Guchi and other big name brand purses and watches. We later found out that it wasn't illegal to sell the products, but foranyone to buy them was another story. You were fined twice the price of a real bag. So to put that into perspective, that 50 Euro bag that retails for thousands just cost you thousands.

We decided to take a walking tour of Naples ourselves using our handy dandy travel guide of Italy which we borrowed from the Moose Jaw Public Library before we left. We had a bit of a treck to make so we found a main drag full of shops so we shoped along the way. Unfourtunately, Marsha acidentally left the book in the change room of the first shop we were in. I bought a shirt there and Marsha a skirt.

We continued up the street to a place where I purchased a few outfits; two pairs of shorts, four shirts. This is where I found out that I'm concidered a XL. Now for those who haven't seen me in a while, I haven't changed much. I'm still the M-L kind of a guy not an XL. In this shop is where I experienced Italy's "Change Rooms." It's a tiny stall that only has a curtain seperating you from the rest of Italy. The guy helping me to pick out clothes was great. He was friendly, but I didn't really kno till later. He told me, more like motioned with a bit of english, to get in the change room and he'd pass me the clothes. So I played along and got stripped down to my boxers and was waiting for him to PASS me the clothes. He then opened the curtain and then, wait for it, took the time to adjust my boxers to straighten the out. My eyes opened kind of wide but I tolerated it. He then sized the shorts up against me to make sure they'd fit then left me alone to put them on and model them for him and Marsha. Now I tolerated it the first time, but he then did it a second which I then concidered it something they do in Italy, that or he was trying to pick me up.

In another store, Yamamay - a bathing suit shop, I tried on a pair of Board Shorts. Marsha noticed that when I was in the change room they peeked in on me. I had no clue, again I'm a guy I really didn't care. So when Marsha wanted to try something on, she gave me strict intructions not to let anyone take a peek. I was her bodyguard. Another highlight was buying underwear and soxs off the street, it really was a store with everything on the street.

We finally arived at our start of where we were to start our walking tour only to have no time left to do so. We ended up running back for the ship to just make it on the ship be fore it left.

No word on our luggage yet. I sat down at the internet lounge on the ship to try tracking the luggage and to inform everyone we made it and we are alive. This maybe 15 minute internet vist cost us over $20 USD. We won't be checking email on the ship anymore at that rate.($0.75 USD per minute plus activation fee)

We went to the dining room tonight for dinner. We were placed with another couple, a little bit older, from Cleveland, Ohio, Brad and Nicole. They were very pleasant and we got along quite well. We shared some of our troubles with our luggage and flights getting to Rome.

Well WE made it

...but can't say that about our luggage. We left from Regina about 12:30pm yesterday, I think it was yesterday(July 17th). I'll use dates since that's the only way to keep track of time. We caught our next flight, in Toronto, to Frankfurt, Germany.

When we arrived in Frankfurt, where all the problems started, to catch our connecting flight, we were transferred to a different gate. When arriving at this gate we quickly found out they had overbooked two flights going to Rome, one of them being ours. Their solution was to offer 250 Euro for anyone who would accept a later flight. Unfortunately for us the flight was too late and would make us late for our ship, would have been nice to get 500 Euro (about $700) in our bank account. Due to MASS CONFUSION and everyone shoving their way onto the plane I didn't get handed my checked baggage tickets. Marsha got hers and I thought nothing of it. We got to the end of the gate and double checked to see if I needed my tags. The response "You'll only need those tags if you need to track your luggage in case you luggage is lost" We'll I won't need that, so I thought.

We then arrived in Rome, Italy. We proceeded to the baggage carousel to collect our luggage and head for our transportation to get to the Ship. After nearly an hour waiting around the carousel, our luggage was no where to be found. We then needed to make a claim with the baggage handler and try to track our luggage. This is where that little checked baggage ticket is needed. After having a discussion with an Italian lady, she saying that there was no way I didn't have my checked baggage ticket and that I must have it somewhere. All I can say is she wasn't in Frankfurt. Finally we got to the front of the line after standing in line for half-hour, due to lots of lost luggage, I found out I needed to get my checked baggage ticket numbers. We had to exit the area go upstairs and find the Lufthansa desk and from there they would print me new ones. We then proceeded back to the EXIT, which we didn't realise, that we went through and were then told to go back around through security. Security halted us, now limited on time and we needed to get to our transportation, he continued a conversation with a friend as if we didn't matter. He then saw our Canadian Passports and put us back through the x-ray and metal detectors. Of course my belt has to set off the detector. I explain quickly, as we are in a rush, and he lets us through. I was thinking: man if this was Canada I would have been tackled to the ground if I took off like I did without being scanned again manually. We finally get back to the carrier line up, which has grown, and the teller lets us to the front of the line so we can go on our way. He types in the bag numbers and not one is found. Who knew that our luggage couldn't be tracked by the carrier. Everything is bar coded for a reason isn't it? We finally get out of the airport, with no luggage, and head for the ship.

What a great first day! Welcome to Italy!

Italy here we come!

After a mad packing spree, Marsha and I will be on our way to the medeteranian for a 12 day cruise followed by 3 days in Rome, Italy for our honeymoon. All our bags are packed, We're ready to go, We're standing here, outside the door. We'd hate to wake you up to say goodbye. But the dawn is breakin', it's early morn'... you get the picture, or maybe song. We'll try and keep you posted as we go.

7 Days, 22 Hours, 29 Minutes

Well it's about time. I've finally got a minute to give you the low down on what has been going on in my life recently. The wedding is getting closer and we are hammering out the details. We've all got lists to do, blogging is not really part of mine but I thought I had time to take a break and blog, and we seem to be getting things accomplished. My two biggest projects are nearing completion. I've built an Arbour for the front of the church and two pedestals for flower bouquets. I'm waiting for paint to dry, hence me blogging, and am getting place cards printed.

I don't think I'm as stressed about the wedding as I am about after the wedding. On the 17th we head out on our 12 day Mediterranean Cruise followed by three days in Rome. I wish I could say I'm prepared but I'm not. We just picked up our ticket package last night. I think I'm going to like not having to worry about meals for that week and a half.

My mind is going miles a minute trying to remember what has happened since my last post. Oh right. We bought a house. We weren't really looking for one but we were over at a friends and she used us as her decoy to see the open house across the street since we were getting married so she could see the neighbor's house. Check out some pictures on Marsha's Blog. The plants have grown already and the vines are taking over the house. We have to do a lot of reading about our plants and keep on the watering.

I've been finishing projects at my parents house. I finished up the new banister on the stairs so the house is now "Kid Friendly". I'm in the middle of putting a railing on the deck which I built like three years ago. I put down the new tile entrance. I still have the odd job here and there to do like some finishing trim and hanging closet doors. I also have to do the bathroom since I kind of too the lino floor out 1. cause it needed to go, 2. To lay the laminate properly.