I've waxed lyrical about a website called couchsurfing before, and I made use of it with great success this time too. I posted a message on the "Naples and area" page the Saturday I drove out to Termini, and a couple of days later I got a text message from a very nice Russian couple.
Their names were Ivan and Elena, and they were from St Petersburg. They spoke accented but good English, and we talked about tons of stuff, from traveling to couchsurfing to the price of beer (a common subject when talking to people not accustomed to Norwegian prices). We had some cake (provided by my landlord), and I'm pretty sure Ivan drank my little bottle of Lemoncello (also a gift from the landlord) all on his sweet own. They were intelligent, cultured people and our conversation flowed easily, it was as if I'd known them for years. When I go to St Petersburg again (who knows when) I will definitely look them up, and I can give my best recommendations to any would-be hosts!
While driving to Sorrento to pick up the russkies I had gotten a text message which was actually SENT to me the day before, but had not reached me. It was from a FRENCH number and asked if I had room for 3 people - all girls. The thought of sharing a house with three Frenchies wasn't something I was thrilled about, but the texts were in colloquial English - even using slang - so I figured at least one of them had to speak the language of civilization rather well. It turned out they had taken a room in Naples that night, but would love to stay with me the next. We agreed to meet at Pompeii the following day.
The Russians and I had our fun with this all evening, and we talked about "ze French" and other ethnic stereotypes, etc too. When the morning came we went to Pompeii, where we rented a couple of audioguides and set off. The russkies said they wanted to go into Naples again later, for some more sightseeing, so I agreed to pick them up in the evening. I kept texting with the French number, and agreed to meet them at the Temple of Venus, right inside the entrance.
I had waited for maybe 30 seconds when I heard an unmistakably American voice drawl "Are you John"? I turned around, and to my great surprise (and relief) it turned out to be a trio of yanks! Well, technically they were southerners, but who cares! Sweet, sweet English speakers! With American accents! Bliss!
They had all been students at a women's college in Virginia, and were now in France for a year abroad. Two were still studying and one was working. They all professed to love France, but I decided not to hold it against them, since they were still very young. I figured they'd learn the truth soon enough. *Sniff*
They stayed with me for the next three nights, sharing the living quarters on the first floor. I knew how precious electricity was, so I had turned on the electrical heater in the morning. They had to come upstairs for hot showers (such as they were), and their only cycle of washing took 2 hours to complete (and they had to turn off their heat in the meantime). Two of them were from Louisiana and Arizona, respectively and had very little experience with cold weather. Still, all in good fun! *snicker*
We had a jolly good time, the Yanks and I - on Vesuvius, in Sorrento, down the Amalfi coast and in Termini itself. We shared some meals and a lot of laughs. Sadly they only got to meet the Russians briefly, but I'm sure they'd have made great friends too. They were just the right mixture of niceness and nerdyness, and iffin they ever come your way - separate or in groups - please take them in.
Ivan and Elena in the village square in Termini, with a very friendly dog.
Taylor, from Louisiana. She had a French phone, hence my mistake about their nationality (the code for France is 33, so now you're warned). Taylor's studied ancient stuff, so she was like a kid in a candy store at Pompeii.
Taler, from North Carolina. Yes, it's pronounced the same way as the Taylor above. Yes, it's confusing. Taler's a history buff and can eat anyone under the table. She has a metabolism that should be studied by science!
Jo, from Arizona. As you can see from the pic, she was freezing her ass off in appx 10C (50F). Apparently, people from Arizona are wussies. Jo's hilarious and a nerd. Oh, and she can cook! She's half Italian, so only half mad!
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