Today was a milestone for Evan and I. We successfully took the bus. We took it to Posillipo, but even if we had just gotten on and off, it would have been a success, and a step towards independance in Napoli.
Everyone who knows me, knows I am not a snob when it comes to public transportation. I loved commuting on the T in Boston, I was always on the bus in San Francisco, and I was often taking the bus from Kirkland to Seattle to avoid the 520 bridge traffic, and had recently gotten to know the Green Lake to Seattle route, which I definitely enjoyed taking--hopping on/off the bus beats looking for parking any day!
To ride the bus, you normally buy your ticket at a Tabacchi shop ( a shop that sells cigarettes as well as a variety of other random things). Bars, supermercati's or restaurants also sometimes sell tickets, but a sure bet is always a nearby Tabacchi. I bought my ticket for 1.10 Euro, and ran out of the Tabacchi to catch the #140 bus that had just arrived. I had to "pop a wheelie" to get Evan's stroller up into the bus, and then just barely was in before the doors pinched close. There is a 'reserved' spot for wheelchair riders and people with strollers, but the bus was packed, so I just stood in the aisle and found a post to grab on to as we swerved our way through traffic and up the hill from Chiaia to Posillipo.
When you get on the bus, you have to time-stamp your ticket which can then be reused for up to 1.5 hours. My plan was to ride up to Posillipo to attend an open-air market that occurs every Thursday from 9-2pm. Since I had no idea where this bus would be stopping along the way, I asked someone to let me know when we arrived at the stop closest to Parco Virgiliano, a beautiful park that I knew was close to the market. After riding for about 20 minutes, my trusted bus informant let me know that I should "uscita" the bus (get off), and then he gave me directions to the street that the market is on. Since his directions were contradictory to the way "I knew", I ignored his directions, and instead took my way...which turned out to be the longest/hilliest way to get to the market...oh well, live and learn. By the time I got to the market, I had stripped off my jacket, and was only in a short sleeve shirt, since "my way" had taken me along a curvy road that essentially was an uphill climb the whole way. When I got to the market, all eyes were on me, since the Italians surely thought I was a crazy woman, walking around in just short sleeves, while they were bundled up in ski coats, hats, scarves and gloves. Many of them actually commented "Fa Freddo, fa freddo"...it's cold, but I just smiled, told them I was from Seattle, and that I was too warm to be bundled up. Some didn't comment at all, just stared at me wondering what planet I had arrived from:) ha!
The market was great, despite the stares! Vendors sell everything from clothing and shoes to jewelry to household goods, including cleaning supplies, kitchen items, clocks, knick knacks etc. Most items are marked with very reasonable prices. I've been told to try not to stand out as an American when trying to buy a non-priced item, since if they get a look at a flashy wedding ring, or just hear your English, they may jack the price up to take advantage of what they think is a "rich American". On this day, I was just there to browse, but I'm sure I'll be doing some real shopping there once we get settled into a permanent apartment up in Posillipo (which we are hoping will be in the next 5-6 weeks if all goes smoothly!).
(Pictures are Evan waiting for the bus--all smiles, and then Evan on the bus--hey, where'd that smile go? ha)
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