things just got a whole lot better and is anyone reading this?

 Correction from last  post. Is that a 'technophobe' or a 'technophile'? I don't know. Techno-dependant anyway.

It's embarrassing to read my blog of yesterday. Last night I met an American girl about Gretta's age consulting her map in the street. We got talking- and she's not scared. We decided to go to climb up Mount Vesuvius and visit Pompeii together today. Which we did. I got pretty tired at Pompeii and lost Erin somewhere amongst the ruins. This was a breakthrough, for me, seeking out some company and not feeling so alone.

In the train on the way home I met a Neapolitan, who spoke English and his Japanese girlfriend called Ie. He told me all about Naples and is passionate about the place. He told me where I can go underneath the city and see another Greek city underground; pointed out all the landmarks on the map for me, where to get the best pizza and recommended that I go wandering down the narrow streets and alleyways!! Now I have a map with circles and lines drawn all over it.

I'm not sure that he is aware of some of the harrassment that goes on. Anyway, he made me privately ashamed of myself for being so negative about this beautiful city.

That didn't stop me being harrassed again outside the station.  Some dude had a handful of iphones, stolen from people like me, touching my arm and trying to make me hold one. I couldn't shake him off, being polite just did not work. I stopped and turned to him, looked him straight in the eye and said, 'what is it about No that you don't Capito?' So he probably heard, 'Blah blah blah No, blah blah blah, Capito?' It did the trick.

So I'm trying to chill out a bit and just enjoy the good bits and laugh at the bad bits-('oh, he just stuck a knife in my back, ha ha ha')  I walked past a nice shop thisarvo selling handguns, flick knives and other assorted weapons. There are amazing chapels and ruins and things to see.

I'm secretly planning my escape to Sicily in the next couple of days.

Grace, when you come to Naples, BYO rice crackers.You'll love it here.

They do like dogs here. I watched a very old dog walk across the street from my high balcony in front of the intense traffic all the cars and bikes in both directions stopped until he was safely past. There's dogs sleeping on steps and  in odd places. They all look well fed.

Ristarante de Antonio down near the 500 year old Nuova (new) Castle, is the best place I have ever experienced for seafood. Antonio works his restaurant like its a theatre and involves the patrons in a subtle and sensitive way. There's only nine tables in the place and he puts on a good performance with his waiter who is like Manuel in Fawlty Towers, giving him a smack across the back of the head every now and again making him more nervous and clumsy.

Well there's one other thing to be said.

This is more interesting than Barraba.