Another mini vacation for us, right after our weekend in Hungary. Even though I’m looking forward to summer when we have a bigger trip planned (two weeks!), I’m starting to develop a real taste for these shorter getaways. I’m not used to this - when I was younger, we usually went to the cottage, which was lovely, but this feels so much more exotic.
Wednesday: The Flight
Our journey began with a long queue for the airport lounge. We’re lucky to have access (thanks to our mortgage and my job at the bank), but apparently, so do a lot of other people. I know Wednesday is the day before an international public holiday, but I honestly didn’t expect such a crowd. We waited in line for more than half an hour, but eventually got in - earlier than we thought, actually, because many people ahead of us gave up and left, making room for us. I was grateful to be sitting comfortably inside with free food instead of at McDonald’s. Also, writing a blog post turned out to be a great way to pass the time; it flew by, and soon it was time to board the plane.
The flight was smooth and even departed on time, which surprised me. In recent years, I’ve become pretty stressed about major travel (like flying), but I was okay - just needed to chew some gum for landing. We touched down after 10 p.m., and my husband had already ordered a taxi to take us to the hotel (public transport would have taken hours at that time of night). For the first time (not counting one family trip), someone was actually waiting for us with a sign bearing our name. I felt so special, like a celebrity! It was a little dampened by the knowledge that the ride was quite expensive, but it was worth it for the comfort and speed. Twenty-five minutes later, we were at the hotel.
I never know exactly where we’re staying (just the country and city), so it’s always a surprise for me. This time, it was a pretty nice 4-star hotel (although we’re not entirely sure it truly deserves all four stars). We went straight to sleep, but in the morning I checked out the hotel and the surroundings, and it’s beautiful - especially the terrace and the gardens with the pool. Unfortunately, the pool is a bit too cold for swimming (about 20°C), but that’s understandable for May. I haven’t been to Italy in about 15 years, and I was surprised to see citrus trees in every garden - so lovely.
Breakfasts are good (I’d call them standard hotel breakfasts), but the dinner we ordered was amazing. However, we didn’t account for Italian meal times and their siestas. When we arrived at 6 p.m. for dinner (which is normal in our country), every restaurant told us they open at 7:30. The local shop was closed too. So, no food for us - what a surprise! Luckily, we had some snacks and managed to survive another hour and a half.
Thursday: Pompeii
Thursday was an international public holiday. We took a trip to Pompeii. It wasn’t far - we just had to take two trains (about 15 minutes in total) - but we encountered pure Italian chaos (as my husband said, “typical,” and he was enjoying it). The first train was a little late. The second train didn’t come at all, so we had to wait for the next one for about half an hour. There were lots of confused people at the station, all waiting. We almost couldn’t fit inside the train, but managed to squeeze in - which, as it turned out, was a minor problem compared to almost not being able to get out at our stop. I thought most people were going to Pompeii, but apparently not, and they didn’t want to move. I’m so used to how public transport works in our country (where people get off to let others on and off, then get back on) that this absolutely blew my mind. I was like, “What are you doing, people?” Fortunately, the ride back was almost empty - much better.
Pompeii was fascinating. I’d been there years ago, but barely remembered anything. Last time, we did both Pompeii and Vesuvius in one day, and it was about 40°C - the main thing I remember is desperately searching for shade and cold water. This time was different: around 25°C, with a cool breeze - perfect weather for walking. There weren’t that many people either. We bought standard tickets without any guide (audio or in-person), so we just explored the city on our own and watched a short documentary about it in the evening. It was really interesting. I especially loved the marble kitchen counters (in surprisingly good condition) and decided I want one for my future home. I definitely didn’t expect to leave Pompeii with that kind of inspiration.
Friday: Vesuvius
On Friday, we went to Vesuvius. We decided to take a bus (which I’m very grateful for, because I am not ready to climb any mountain-and this volcano is very steep) to the top. Actually, it took two buses to get there. The journey took a while, so we had to get up early (7:40 isn’t that bad) to have a peaceful breakfast. The morning ride was surprisingly pleasant. I was a bit stressed because I get carsick, so buses are my worst enemy (well, almost-stairs are number one; I totally understand you, Po, from Kung Fu Panda).
The first bus was a standard public transportation bus that took us through the city. It was empty because it started at our stop, so we could sit anywhere. I was intrigued that it only had about six seats-that’s so few! Then we switched to the next one, a standard large tour bus. Luckily, there were seats available in the very first row-the best spot for me to avoid feeling nauseous. I was pleasantly surprised and thought that Thursday’s missing train was just a little mishap and that everything would be fine now. Boy, was I wrong.
The entrance, however, was unexpected. We needed to buy tickets (no complaints there), but they were only releasing ten tickets every ten minutes. Interesting system. So, we stood there, clicking like crazy on their website, hoping to be among the next ten people to get in. We were lucky and managed to get in within twenty minutes. We usually have everything planned and bought in advance, but that needs to be done at least a month before the trip-and I’m not even sure we knew where we’d be headed back then.
The walk around Vesuvius was very nice. It was uphill at the beginning (they can’t take you to the very top, of course), but I managed to complain very little-in fact, I just asked once if we were almost there. The views were amazing-probably even more beautiful than the volcano itself. To be honest, it’s just a big mountain with a hole in the middle; I was less impressed than I expected. Although there was some haze, we could still see Naples, the mountains, and the sea. The walk was shorter than we expected, just about one kilometer each way, since the path around the entire crater was closed, which was a bit disappointing.
We also met an American guy on our trip to Vesuvius. He’s a Navy veteran with grown-up kids, now divorced, so he travels the world. He told us stories about other volcanoes he’s visited, how he couldn’t travel before because of the wars he was involved in, and so on. I also appreciated his clear American English-he spoke very well. It was a nice conversation.
The way back to the city was much worse. We checked online and found there should be a bus going down at a certain time, so we waited. And waited. The bus didn’t come, but we tried asking another one, and luckily it went to the stop we needed-even though it wasn’t listed anywhere. The next bus we had to catch didn’t come either. About four buses passed us, but none had the right number. They only had letters (imagine waiting for bus line 3 and bus E shows up-what the heck?). We weren’t sure if we could use any other line, but they didn’t stop anyway (I still don’t understand why; we were clearly standing there waiting). The information was also completely unreliable-we found three different sources: Google, the official public transportation app, and the printed timetable at the bus stop (which we later discovered was from 2007, so probably not up to date). Apparently, none of the sources were correct.
We ended up walking to the train station (and then struggled to figure out which platform to use, but fortunately saw the train and ran for it), and then walked another two kilometers to the hotel. One thing that made it better was the hotel owner, who passed us by car somewhere on the way from the train and gave us a ride, which I appreciated very much. How do people in Italy live in such chaos? How do they get to school or work? I can’t imagine. I’m back to loving our perfectly organized public transportation even more. I need the comfort of reliability.
Saturday: Relax Day
Saturday was a relax day. We did literally nothing. Well, not literally - I started writing another blog post, played with AI to create perfect prompts for generating social media posts about my blog posts (because to be honest, at least for now, I just want to give energy primarily to the blog, not to social media - as I explained here: The One Where Blogging Is Just a Hobby), and changed captions in all of my Instagram and Pinterest posts (Threads unfortunately doesn't allow that).
But mainly I tried to relax. I started to think about the hotel we are staying at. It should be a 4-star hotel - when I was younger (just my husband and his family started to take me to fancier hotels, or hotels generally, I was used to cottages and guesthouses with family, which was nice too), I always imagined that hotels are these very fancy (and very expensive) places to stay. As it turns out, none of that was true. You can get a good deal on a hotel stay (for example, because of our traveling, my husband has VIP 3 - or something like that, I am not sure - status on booking.com, with discounts or little perks like free breakfast, depending on the hotel). And while it certainly looks fancy at first glance, after a while you can spot a lot of smaller problems. Like, I thought that 4 stars is pretty high - sure, it has a pool, restaurant, and 24/7 reception. But I would expect more quality too. The room is pretty small, but that is okay. What baffles me is the absence of a wardrobe, and not just here, but in almost every hotel room I’ve been in. Also, who invented sliding doors to the bathroom? You can hear everything, and it’s not even possible to close it properly. I would expect a smart TV where I can watch Netflix. And the wall has paint peeling off in some places. For 2 out of 4 days, we couldn’t shower properly because there was no hot water (a few drops don’t count - how can I wash my hair in that?). Also, there is a small dog somewhere on our floor - probably more than one - that barks pretty often. Even at night. In a high-pitched, irritating voice (do dogs have a voice?). It's driving me crazy. But not enough to get up and go to the reception to ask them to do something about it. I am not even sure they could.
And the food. The breakfasts are very good. But there is not much that can go wrong - even I could prepare that (and that says a lot). But I still enjoy it. The meals in the restaurant from the standard menu are a different story. The first dinner was delicious. But then we got a bit of a weird lasagna (too much cheese for me, but maybe it is standard - I am just used to Bologna lasagna, and here we had Neapolitan lasagna, naturally) and squid (good) with very salty mashed potatoes. We also tried a restaurant a few minutes from our hotel. My husband was happy with his pizza, but I got another very salty pasta. Maybe I am just unlucky, but I am not impressed. I was looking forward to Italian food and I am not very satisfied.
I feel like I just ranted for a while. Let’s find something good about this place. We have a balcony, which is always nice. The gardens are very nice. And the people are very friendly and helpful.
Italians are so used to their chaos and always chill, never hurrying anywhere. Also, it seems like they are very chatty and extroverted. My introvert soul had to accommodate a bit for the stay here. It seems like everything is a family business - like the restaurant we went to, where there was a main woman boss (looked like it) and what seemed to be her whole family. And then people started coming to have dinner and everybody knew everybody, everyone greeted each other, and so on. Even though it seems like a lot for me, it looks nice. Supportive.
Sunday: Naples
We spent the last day of our vacation in Naples. After a slow morning (we had time to get breakfast, look around the gardens for one last time, and pack our things), the hotel boss took us to the train station (no 2 km walk, thanks!).
I must say, I was disappointed. The city is big, but dirty (trash lying everywhere - although I didn’t see many bins), graffiti on every building. And I mean every building - even on churches or monuments, which surprised me a lot. They don’t seem to be particularly concerned about their landmarks.
But when we finally saw the main landmark - the church of San Francesco di Paola - I was blown away again. I just love their architecture. But I was a bit sad to see that even on such a monument there was graffiti.
We went to see the marina too, and then a small park, and suddenly it was time to go to the airport. We were processed much quicker than before in our country. We took the opportunity to go to the lounge again-we were at the airport three hours before the flight, just to be sure everything would go smoothly and Italian chaos and public transportation would not betray us. The lounge is elegant, big, and quiet, with good food. Nice three hours, and an opportunity for me to work on my blog.
Cultural Differences: Italian Social Life, Family, and Everyday Interactions
Italy’s culture is famously warm, expressive, and deeply rooted in family and tradition. If you’re visiting from a country with more reserved social norms, you’ll likely notice several striking differences:
Family at the Center: Family is the heart of Italian life. It’s not just about parents and children-extended family often lives nearby, and gatherings are frequent and lively. Respect for elders is paramount, and it’s common for multiple generations to work together, especially in family-run businesses, which form the backbone of the Italian economy. These enterprises often pass down through generations, emphasizing long-term vision, trust, and quality over short-term gains.
Social Warmth and Openness: Italians are generally extroverted and comfortable with close personal contact. Expect plenty of hand gestures, direct eye contact, and people standing closer than you might be used to. Small talk with strangers in public places is common, and guests are often treated like family. Even in business, relationships and trust (“fiducia”) are highly valued.
Relaxed Pace of Life: Italians tend not to rush. Meals, especially dinner, are leisurely affairs meant to be enjoyed with others - often starting late (after 8 p.m.) and lasting several hours. This slower approach extends to daily life; punctuality is flexible, and it’s perfectly normal to arrive 15–30 minutes late to social gatherings.
Etiquette and Dress: Italians take pride in their appearance and expect others to dress neatly, especially in social settings. Greetings are warm, often involving cheek kisses among friends and family, and standing up when an elder enters the room is a sign of respect. Complimenting a host’s home or meal is appreciated, and bringing a small gift when visiting is customary.
Communication Style: Italians are expressive and passionate in conversation, often using gestures to emphasize their points. While they are open and friendly, it’s best to avoid sensitive topics like politics or religion unless someone else brings them up. The “mafia” stereotype is overused and generally unwelcome as a conversation topic.
Work-Life Balance: Especially in the south, private life and relationships are considered more important than work. Making time for family dinners and holidays is essential, and social identity is often built around relationships rather than individual achievements.
Understanding these cultural nuances can help you connect more deeply with locals and enjoy a more authentic Italian experience.
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