Memories of Capri
Full disclosure, I love history. And so while many people think of the island of Capri and think of Hollywood in its heyday, I think of the Emperor Tiberius.
Tiberius was only the third Roman Emperor, but he set a pattern for future increasingly-unstable autocrats to follow: he left the politics to others and fucked off the island of Capri to have sexual relations with children (as well as, possibly, both men and women). This is definitely not featured on the Capri brochure, but…the more you know.
The ruins of Villa Jovis are still there if you’re interested.
ANYWAY, Capri most often brings to mind beautiful beaches and Hollywood glamor, which entices most of the tourists these days. And Italy, of course, makes it easy to get there: you can catch a boat from Naples (where we stayed), Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, or Salerno.
It’s a quick boat ride; we visited in April before the crowds really hit, so our high-speed catamaran was fairly empty that morning—we started on the open upper deck and retreated in to the cabin once the combination of speed, water, and wind had successfully destroyed our hair as well as numbing our fingers. Luckily, the on-board cafe served both coffee and hot cocoa.
Imposing & beautiful Capri Island
(Capri Town hugs the coast)
From Capri Town you can catch another boat, including tours of the famed Blue Grotto (if conditions allow—we did NOT get to see it and instead took a round-trip boat ride to see rocks and crags and the rest of the island. If visiting the Blue Grotto is important to you, I’d recommend staying on Capri at least a few days because the sea is a cruel mistress.
Honestly, there’s not a ton to do on Capri other than shop in Capri or Anacapri (the only two towns on the island), take the chair lift (which, it must be pointed out, is exactly what it says on the tin: you sit, get hauled up a mountain while dangling over vineyards and gardens, and quietly panic), tour Villa Jovis, and/or hike down the Phoenician Steps (I was very enthused about the downhill trek, but my companion not so much, so we had lunch and met up again later for gelato).
A hell of a view from the Phoenician Steps
The boat ride back to Naples is where things got interesting. You’re likely a little sunburned, you’re tired and sweaty and you didn’t get to visit the Blue Grotto, dammit, so you trundle back with your souvenirs on to the shuttle which is now packed full of tourists just as tired and crabby as you. Now add in the unpredictable nature of the Gulf of Naples and shake. Violently.
It was like a roller coaster, but in the water. A water coaster? The waves had the boat pretty much on its side at some points, water spilling in even through closed windows. The entire crew was passing out plastic bags for guests to vomit in and every time we caught air and/or crashed down on the side of the boat, the entire passenger complement would gasp a universal “ooooooh”. My proudest moment was undoubtedly NOT being sick on that crazy whirlwind of a return!
Another recommendation might be to overnight on Capri and take the shuttle back in the calm of morning to avoid such a situation. I really wish I’d had the thought to record it, because words cannot do it justice—terrifying and exciting and oh yeah kind of smelly, actually. BUT! Another great story of travel—how many people get to say they almost died on the boat back from Isola di Capri?
