Tag: Naples

As you saw from the last post, I was packed and ready to go.  Our flight was on Luftansa and left O’Hare at 9:40 pm  we connected through Munich to Naples.  Yep we were flying economy but were able to get seats together.  Actually when we got the plane we had the two seat section of the row so it was just us mooshed together in those pre-school seats, with little leaning back room.  I can say our part of the flight was uneventful, it departed and arrived on time.  We were fed, Mike slept, I watched movies.  I can’t sleep on a plane.  Mike felt queasy once and hot, but once the air kicked on and he fell asleep he was fine.

However, there were events on the plane.  We were just out over the Atlantic when a call went out for a doctor or medical personnel on board.  Oxygen tanks were carried forward by an attendant.  Mike went to the rest room and said a group was attending a person passed out on the galley floor.  Never found out what the emergency was but I’m sure they and their family weren’t having a good flight. Just south of Greenland over the Atlantic, yes about where the Titanic sank we hit turbulence.  So flight attendants had to sit and buckle in, we were seat bound and it bounced.  Kind reminded me of driving too fast on an East Tennessee dirt road.  Not to bad, not violent just very bumpy.

Honestly, I did doze for about twenty minutes but mostly passed the time watching movies.  Saw Captain America 2 again (still good) Rise of Planet of the Apes (better than expected), Malnificent (Eh, just okay) and an episode of Ray Donovan (too cheap to buy pay channels but good show).  By then my legs were yelling for mercy, swelling and restless. I’d had it about the time we were over London.  Thank goodness it wasn’t far to Munich.

Ahh, to stand and walk felt good.  Customs/immigration into the EU was easy.  I was entering for leisure as military spousal accompaniment.  Got the first stamp in this passport.  FINALLY!!  I’ve used for about five countries and NO stamps but the EU came through and put one on it!  So take that Caribbean and Canada!

In Munich airport we had time.  I was screwed up on my regular med, so took the next dose which was morning and had to have some water.  We each got a bottle of ‘still’ water and paid $4 for each bottle.  I felt officially welcomed to Europe.  We lounged and enjoyed stretching our legs and walking.  Then time to board the flight to Naples or Napoli as called when boarding.  There we filed through the boarding pass check, down three flights of steps (Where Mike helped a lady with a stroller by carrying the front) and out to the bus that would take us to our flight.  You know it had to suck to pay all that money to fly first class and then be crammed on a bus with us plebeians.  On that flight I got the most enviable of seats – middle of middle!  I was next to Mike so all was good. I dozed a bit and with the help of Mike got some pictures out the window of the Alps as we went across.

Finally we arrived in Naples.  The airport is known for losing luggage 33% of the time.  We had three pieces checked (my one his two uniforms are space takers).  As we waited and looked at ads for gaudy watches called Capri Watch, we debated which one wouldn’t make it.  We voted it would be mine since all I had was undies in my carry-on.  However, fate smiled upon us and we beat the odds getting all three bags.  (Sorry lady who lost 2 of her three, it had to go somewhere).

The base is next to the airport.  Cabs can’t go on base so we walked.  It’s about a mile and half walk.  Yep glad I packed light as I knew I’d have to haul it.  So after ID check (I got a salute?!?) we made our way to the Capo Inn on base.  There we had a small apartment reserved.  Heck we found out we had two when we got there.  Our place had a to die for view of Mt. Vesuvius.  (see the one at the top of this post it was a dreary day but the rain missed us.)  Literally I mean if that thing blew we were goners.  Still it was beautiful in the dreary afternoon.

Next on the agenda was laying in of breakfast food and snacks.  It was off to the base Exchange that had a grocery section.  After putting those away in the room it was now the evening of the 24th.  I had started out the evening of the 22nd.  Travel is great but it is also exhausting.  We were tired, me more so as I didn’t get to snore on the long flight like some people did.  So it was off to the food court for mediocre pizza by Italian standards but excellent pizza by ours.  We took it to the base pub and Mike had a beer while I had a diet soda.

Back to the room for a shower and Mike was off to bed.  He had duty starting early in the morning and would get an idea of his schedule.  I stayed up to unwind a bit from all the action.  Emailed home and enjoyed the night view out the window.  The nice thing about staying on an American base was we needed no adapters it is wired for both local and mainland outlets.  SWEET!

Oh I really got use out of my bluetooth keyboard in my tablet case.  So nice to carry something so light and be able to write, draft posts like this, and enjoy the base free Wi-Fi.   After a hot cup of mild tea I was off to bed and crashed out hard.

So ended my first day in Naples – just settling in and getting the lay of the land.