The last thing most people want to do after an All Crew Party is get up early to go out in the sun. I love my sleep and since I was working at the party until around 2 am, the thought of being on a 9:30 am ferry was not very appealing to me. However, I really wanted to go to the island of Capri off the coast of Naples, so I agreed to set my alarm and make it happen.
I had never had a caprese salad until I started working on cruise ships a few years ago. In fact, I had never heard of a caprese salad. Do we have those in Pennsylvania? In case you are unfamiliar, a caprese is a salad comprised of tomatoes and mozzarella. That’s it. Maybe some basil, salt, oil and vinegar. But mainly tomatoes and mozzarella. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but try it- it’s amazing. Over the past few years it has become one of my favorite foods and I was very excited to venture to its island of origin- Capri.
We missed the 9:30 ferry, but we still made to Capri by 11 am. The plan was to ferry to the island then rent a boat and drive ourselves around for a few hours. When we were told we couldn’t have a boat until 1 pm, we decided we needed some lunch. I of course was on a mission for my caprese salad! They have caprese everything over there- salad, pasta, pizza, and sandwiches. I eventually settled on a sandwich. It was so good! They made it with buffalo mozzarella which is much creamier and smoother than regular cow mozzarella. We took our sandwiches down to the beach and had a picnic until our boat was ready.
After some paperwork and removing our shoes, it was time to board our boat. For some reason the guy that brought us the boat didn’t know I was part of the group and began leaving the dock before I had a chance to board. Sad. I stood helpless on the pier until my friends confirmed that I did indeed know them and was allowed to come with.
It only takes about 80 minutes to circumnavigate Capri with no stops. But it is so beautiful, how can anyone not stop for photos? Jaggedy, limestone cliffs drop straight into the water from magnificent heights and the coast is dotted with grottos. It is one of the most beautiful places I’ve visited.
We had to drive the boat we rented and we had no other guide than the map they gave us. We were free to go where we wanted, stop where we wanted, swim where we wanted, etc. We had total freedom…for two hours…then we had to bring the boat back. We swam at Grotto Verde (Green Grotto)- a swim through grotto. We jumped ship at one side and swam through as our friend drove the boat around to the other side to pick us up. It’s called the Green Grotto because it is supposed to have a greenish tint when you are inside, but according to my pictures it’s more blue than green. Oh well.
We also drove our boat through Faraglioni- a natural rock arch out in the water. That is definitely one of the highlights of the trip.
Another highlight for me was driving the boat. I’ve spent a lot of time on boats (not even counting the nearly 3 years of my life on ships) but I realized I had never driven one. I love boats. I want to have a boat one day. I want to have a house that is only accessible by boat one day. And yet, I had never driven a boat. Well the good news is I did fine with it…so that dream lives on.
In the end, we brought the boat back with minutes to spare. We made it around the island, but I know there was a lot we missed. You could spend a day, no, a week on a boat going around this tiny island and you still wouldn’t discover all of its beauty.
Until next time Capri…I will think of you during every caprese salad.
One thought on “Boat Day in Capri”
Yes, they have them in PA. Maybe just the Philly side!