Thursday, April 15, 2010

Week 14 + Pictures from Capri





Pang: Sunday was the annual Thai New Year/Songkran Festival at Wat Thai DC. I pretty much go there every year with my family to stuff my face. This one wasn't much different except I went with two of my American co workers...and with my very red hair...we kinda stuck out like a sore thumb. We ate like Kings and Queens and ended up broke, yet satisfied. Honestly, I wish I had brought more money so I could have taken more food home. Can someone say gluttonous? This is one of my very favorite Thai dessert/snack, which I forgot to even buy, I bee lined it to the main course line and forgot to grab these before we left. Why can't everyday be Thai New Year festival?

Me: During our stay in Rome we decided to spend a day in Capri. Getting off the train in Naples you would never know that this beautiful island is just a 40 minute ferry ride away. Naples is loud and crowded and dirty due to (we learned this by eavesdropping on a conversation) the fact that the Mob runs the trash system there, and sometimes they just decide to go a month or two without picking it up. Lovely. But, supposedly Naples has the best Italian food, and I can at least vouch for their pizza! In any case should you ever get the chance to go to Capri, DO IT! Its pretty much paradise. The water is this beautiful clear turquoise, there are so many different kinds of birds and plants, and you can't really take a bad picture. We stayed on Capri for only a few hours and unfortunately didn't get to see the Blue Grottos or take a massive hike like we had planned but maybe one day we will go back.


I was pretty blown away from the start.


Take the funicular up the hill to get a spectacular view of the island. Also up top is lots of swanky expensive shops, terrace restaurants, and of course, gelato. From here you can go in several different directions. Look here for different walking tours (not guided) you can do. I would have liked to try the perilous one to the blue grottos.


There are tiny covered streets that go between buildings and take you higher up on the mountain. While on one of these paths we were surprised by the all the different plants growing on the island, like these giant cacti!


I can only imagine what this place is like in full summer.


The water is so pretty here!


Back over at Naples, be sure to check out Castel dell'Ovo, which translates to Egg Castle. Why Egg? From what I could find out, there is a legend that somewhere inside the castle there is a hidden magical egg. The egg's fate is linked with that of the city of Naples. So long as the egg rests hidden and intact, the city will be at peace. Should the egg break, catastrophe will strike the city.


Also in Naples is the New Castle....built because Egg castle just wasn't big enough. Really.

PS! Try the pizza with friarielli at Pizzeria Trianon da Ciro on Via P. Colletta, 46> Friarielli is sprouted broccoli that only grows in the region of Naples. It has a light flavor of broccoli but the look and texture of spinach.

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