We meet our fearless leader, Vincent, for our guided trip to Capri. This may be a first for Tom – a group tour. Everyone seems nice, however, and we are a mix of English speaking travelers and a handful of Germans. Vincent is, of course, Italian but he speaks German and English so everyone is happy. We board the high speed ferry for the 20 minute ride to the island – one of 3 in the Bay of Naples – but certainly the most famous.
The day is sunny but overcast. Will this spoil my hope to see the Blue Grotto? Suddenly the precipitous cliffs of Capri appear and we pull into the Marina Grande. Capri appears to be a mountain on either end with a small section in between where you can build a village on the slightly less steep slopes…slightly. I am feeling very smug because I have grabbed a seat on the right side of one of the two tiny buses taking us to Ana Capri – up the mountain. When the Greeks lived here they built a staircase to get to where we are going that is still used today – 770 steps but we are driving up the narrow mountainside road that contains dozens (or so it seems) of switchbacks. Suddenly the bus is on part of the road that does not seem to be supported in any way and I stop breathing. I don’t breathe again until we reach the top. Ana Capri is charming and the views are spectacular!
Vincent marches us out to the overlook for a history lesson and the views. Small shops line the walk – lemons are a big theme…lemon motif linens, chocolate, Limoncello, etc., etc. Here is the same vendor who made a pair of sandals for Jackie Kennedy. Same guy. You pick the style, the strap color and he assembles them while you wait. We have a nice lunch at the place Vincent suggests – 12 Euro for a delicious plate of ravioli, a glass of wine and ice cream. And he knows where the free bathrooms are. We like Vincent.
The day seems a little sunnier…Blue Grotto? Back down the mountain to Capri Town. Vincent marches us through the town – much more crowded than Ana Capri but with its own unique charm. – we walk to an area where we can see the other side of the island. We go to the free viewing terrace, not the one where you have to pay 1 Euro. Yeah Vincent! Uh oh…the clouds are rolling in…maybe? We bus back to Marina Grande and I have to make the decision…Blue Grotto or boat ride around the island to see the other grottos. Tom has already decided on the island tour. Sigh. Unless the sun is shining and shining brightly the Blue Grotto does not get the ethereal blue glow and it isn’t happening today. Darn. Island tour it is.
I sulk for a while but eventually become seduced by the rugged beauty of the island. The Coral, White and Emerald grottos are all pretty cool and we see a family of black and white mountain goats. Very cool! We motor past the Blue Grotto and there are only two boats there packing up to leave. I see the tiny opening in to the cave…Wow! We board a much larger ferry for the return trip and take a shuttle bus back to the hotel. Maybe some day…
The day is sunny but overcast. Will this spoil my hope to see the Blue Grotto? Suddenly the precipitous cliffs of Capri appear and we pull into the Marina Grande. Capri appears to be a mountain on either end with a small section in between where you can build a village on the slightly less steep slopes…slightly. I am feeling very smug because I have grabbed a seat on the right side of one of the two tiny buses taking us to Ana Capri – up the mountain. When the Greeks lived here they built a staircase to get to where we are going that is still used today – 770 steps but we are driving up the narrow mountainside road that contains dozens (or so it seems) of switchbacks. Suddenly the bus is on part of the road that does not seem to be supported in any way and I stop breathing. I don’t breathe again until we reach the top. Ana Capri is charming and the views are spectacular!
Vincent marches us out to the overlook for a history lesson and the views. Small shops line the walk – lemons are a big theme…lemon motif linens, chocolate, Limoncello, etc., etc. Here is the same vendor who made a pair of sandals for Jackie Kennedy. Same guy. You pick the style, the strap color and he assembles them while you wait. We have a nice lunch at the place Vincent suggests – 12 Euro for a delicious plate of ravioli, a glass of wine and ice cream. And he knows where the free bathrooms are. We like Vincent.
The day seems a little sunnier…Blue Grotto? Back down the mountain to Capri Town. Vincent marches us through the town – much more crowded than Ana Capri but with its own unique charm. – we walk to an area where we can see the other side of the island. We go to the free viewing terrace, not the one where you have to pay 1 Euro. Yeah Vincent! Uh oh…the clouds are rolling in…maybe? We bus back to Marina Grande and I have to make the decision…Blue Grotto or boat ride around the island to see the other grottos. Tom has already decided on the island tour. Sigh. Unless the sun is shining and shining brightly the Blue Grotto does not get the ethereal blue glow and it isn’t happening today. Darn. Island tour it is.
I sulk for a while but eventually become seduced by the rugged beauty of the island. The Coral, White and Emerald grottos are all pretty cool and we see a family of black and white mountain goats. Very cool! We motor past the Blue Grotto and there are only two boats there packing up to leave. I see the tiny opening in to the cave…Wow! We board a much larger ferry for the return trip and take a shuttle bus back to the hotel. Maybe some day…
No comments:
Post a Comment