"Ciao bello" the senora says, and then collapses into a fit of giggles when Rick says "Grazie". "I thought she was complimenting you?" he says to me with a puzzled look, but I explain that she's actually said "Hi handsome!" And why not? We're in Capri, the stomping grounds of the rich and beautiful, but Rick can hold his own in any crowd.
Obviously, we couldn't leave the Bay of Naples without seeing Capri. I mean really seeing it, not just the tempting sail-past view that we'd already had on our way into the bay. Sailing Aisling to Capri would have been a neat experience, but we'd been warned that a marina berth would be uber-expensive and difficult to find. So with Aisling safely berthed at the reasonably-priced Circolo Nautico in Torre del Greco, we'd decided to see Capri as day trippers. We likely won't get off the beaten track, but at least we'll get a glimpse of Capri. Which, by the way, is not pronounced Cap-REE as we'd always thought, but CAPree.
Being day trippers isn't as easy as we'd hoped. First, we walk two kilometers to the Circumvesuviana train station in Torre del Greco. Then it's a half hour ride to the Porto Nolana station in Naples, where we discover that we've just missed the bus to the ferry terminal at the Mollo Beverollo. A nice senor tells us that we can walk if we have "buone gambe", and it turns out that good legs are indeed a must. Even at a brisk pace, it takes us nearly half an hour to reach the terminal, and we arrive just minutes before the hydrofoil departs. It's a good thing that we've already seen Capri from the water, because the upper level on the ferry is closed and the spray hides the view from the lower windows.
We disembark at Marina Grande and look around at the hundreds of people milling about, waiting for ferries, having a bite to eat and watching everyone watching everyone else. First things first; we need a map and a gelato and not necessarily in that order. It's hot out and we're not sure where to go. I leave Rick taking pictures of the beach, go in search of a map and get distracted by a display of sfogliatelle, the delicious ricotta-filled pastries that have become my new obsession.
Meanwhile, Rick has found the gelato shop and has also charmed the senorina at the counter into giving him a map that she had stashed under her purse. We are each in our own little bit of heaven (gelato and sfogliatelle) when we find each other. A quick look at the map confirms that we should take the funicular up the steep hill to the town.
The town is not at all what I'd expected. Somehow I had pictured Audrey Hepburn on a Vespa and mega-yachts and people wearing white linen slacks sitting in bars overlooking the water. But even though Rolex sailing week has just ended, we see no mega-yachts. We are high above the water, and there are no scooters or cars, since the entire town is a pedestrianized zone. I can't shake the feeling that I'm in a theme-park, although it's an extraordinarily lovely theme park. The narrow streets are lined with expensive jewelry and clothing stores, the hotels and restaurants are elegant and the flowers are glorious.
We check out a few shops , but prices are predictably over-the-top. Ceramic items identical to ones we had bought in Agripoli are actually five times the price. Walking a bit aimlessly, we eventually arrive at the Giardini di Augusto (Gardens of Augusto), where the main attraction is not the gardens, but the view. It's truly spectacular, and makes the entire trip worth the effort. Below us, the water is brilliant turquoise and deep blue, making a stunning contrast to the jagged limestone pinnacles of the Isole Faraglioni. Like everyone else, we take photos of ourselves in front of the rocks, then relax on a bench soaking up the sun and the view.
The biggest tourist attraction on the island is boat trip to the Blue Grotto, where the reflected blue light is said to be magical. But thinking that our time and money may be better spent on land, we decide to walk up the hill toward Villa Jovis, summer residence of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. Claims that Tiberius threw his out-of-favour subjects over the 330 meter cliff behind the villa have been disputed, but it makes a great story anyway. Our Lonely Planet's claim that the villa is a "comfortable walk" from the town is also a bit questionable. Walking up the steep streets in the afternoon heat is anything but comfortable, and after climbing for over twenty minutes we meet a local man who tells us that the villa is...you guessed it...CLOSE-ed. The most we will see is a distant view of the ruins of the villa through the trees.
But at least we've walked through a section of Capri town that seems more real, with washing hung to dry, funeral notices on walls and children on bicycles with training wheels.
We decide to cool off at the Caffé Caso in the Piazza Umberto 1 (the Piazzetta) where we pay as much for two Aperol spritzes as we would for a full dinner in Marina di Ragusa. But we're willing to pay the price for the experience and happily, the drinks come with potato chips and olives. The people-watching is, of course, priceless.
Our last stop is a waterfront shop bear the ferry dock, where we buy ceramic soap dishes and handmade soaps for our mothers. Although we don't normally buy things with the names of islands or towns painted on them, we make an exception in this case, because Rick's mother had sung
The Isle of Capri to us the last time we'd spoken on the phone. (Click the link if you'd llike to hear the Bing Crosby version on YouTube.)
It's almost dark when we arrive back at the port in Naples, and we make the return journey to the Circumvesuviana station at an even brisker pace. Rick is worried about missing the train, or worse, getting mugged in the old rundown port area. He isn't at all happy when I stop to take a few photos of the sights along the way. On the train ride back to Torre del Greco, it dawn on us that, considering the cost of the train tickets, the ferry tickets and the extra night at the dock in Torre del Greco, we'd spent almost as much as it would have cost to spend a night in Capri on our own boat. Oh well, we'd had a great day, and it was well worth the money and effort!
Cruising notes
Marina charges in Capri in late May were 155 euros a night for a 12 meter boat; 230 euros on Saturdays. On July 1 this will rise to 170/255 euros!