The Lovely Isle of Capri
The Internet here has been broken for weeks so now I finally get to post.
Memorial Day weekend was freaking awesome. I had some apprehensions about it, but as soon as I met up with Jim #3 at the Rome-Ciampino airport, he flashed a huge grin and thanked me for doing all of the planning (I had a binder full of laminated pages describing itenerary and such, so anal retentive of me).
All went really well. We took:
1. our cars to the airport
2. airplane to Rome
3. bus from airport to subway stop
4. subway to train station
5. train to Naples
6. tram to port
7. hydrofoil to Capri
8. funicular (cog rail) to town of Capri
9. bus to town of Anacapri
Now here’s where it started to suck. Both of us were hot and tired, but in good spirits. I had a map but just couldn’t find the bed & breakfast. It doesn’t help that streets in Capri are poorly marked, if at all. After 1 1/2 hours of walking around, I was more tired, more hot, and pissed off. I called the b&B who kindly gave us directions. They were so nice. I’ve never stayed at a B&B before; I booked it because it was half the price of other hotels in Capri. Turns out a B&B is sort of a romantic getaway place with friendly hosts who treat you like family. Jim #3 was a good sport about it and the place really was perfect.
I wanted to see the Blue Grotto so badly, but the bus drove off just as we saw it. So we decided to walk. There was a trail but the trail really blows at it isn’t marked and you have to guess. Finally got to the grotto and there were local fishermen right next to the entrance and big sign that reads in 4 languages “It is strictly forbidden to swim in the Blue Grotto”. I gave up. I really wanted to go on my own, without the boatmen and other tourists. Pretty disappointing but again, Jim #3 was so nice about it all.
Day 2 was much better. Took a chair lift up to the top of the mountain and got some lovely views. Hiked down to Capri, a 3 hour hike that more resembled a trek thru the Amazon than a rock island in Europe. There was a part where we had to rapell down with chains. I thought that was cool but didn’t know that Jim #3 has vertigo until after I took a bunch of photos by leaning over the cliff.
Had lunch in Capri and took another long walk up to Tiberious’s old villa, Villa Jovis. Apparently he was a real asshole and we could see the cliff from which he threw virgins that displeased him. Or something like that; the signs weren’t very helpful.
At some point, we saw a guy on a moped with a large dog standing on the footrest, and the driver clinging. The dog was having a blast, tailing wagging and snout wide open. Hilarious.
Anyhoo, we eventually got back to the hotel around 5pm. Both of us were zonked as the hikes were very intense. Tried once again for the Blue Grotto and this time we caught the bus. The local fishermen were still hovered near the entrance, but I didn’t care. I stripped to my swimsuit and jumped right in. COLD water. I swam to the entrance and waited for a large swell so that I could reach the chain and pull myself into the grotto. I swam to the back, turned around, and saw….
A sea of pure blue. Absolutely stunning. I felt like one of Poseidon’s daughters just swimming around, bathed in silvery blue light, just me, the cave, and the water.
Jim #3 came in a few minutes later and we had a blast splashing around in there. I started to swim further into the cave and that’s when I got freaked out. I was swimming with 1 other person in a cave with a 3 foot high entrance and no one to hear us shout for help. And who knows what other creatures live there…~shudders~. The light comes thru the entrance and each time the water covered the entrance, the cave got really dark.
I would have to say it’s fascinating and frightening at the same time. I was awed by nature’s beauty and God’s masterful design, but also respectful of the fact that the ocean isn’t a place to take lightly.
Went back to the B&B with some take-away sandwiches only to find a party going on. The owner’s sprog had a birthday party and once the kids were in bed, the grownups brought out liquor and more food. They wanted us to join them and were so nice to us. I used up my knowledge of Italian in 12 seconds, but they all went to efforts to include us in conversations and translate to English.
Day 3 - Took another hike to a lighthouse and had a small picnic on a “beach” (basically a smooth rock since it’s not a sandy island). Rented a boat and explored the rest of the island, including the Green Grotto. I jumped into the water at our first anchor pitch and was stung by a jellyfish exactly 5 seconds later. Guess Poseidon was pissed about me swimming in his Blue Grotto the night before. Taking that as a warning, I stayed out of the water for the rest of the trip. But we really enjoyed the boat drive around the island.
Day 4 - headed back to Rome for our flights home. Had a bit of time to go back to some old haunts in Rome.
Again, awesome trip. Worth almost every penny.
It’s London for July 4th.