Today was the last tour, a visit to the Isle of Capri, emphasis on the first syllable. Not like Capri pants, though we saw plenty of them today and every other day wherever the cruisers gather. The tour started early, for reasons that were clear once we were there, though that didn't keep us from being grumbly on our way into town.
It was a 15 minute walk to meet up with our guide, Michele (a guy- pronounced more like mickehleh), a guy who looked around 30 and resembled a former frat brother and advertising assistant named Don. This guy was a cool guide. He had a very good time doing his job throughout, and he was an excellent companion for the day.
We started by taking a boat over to the port of Capri. He told us that we were fortunate in that the famous Blue Grotto was likely to be open because the sea was flat and the tide was low. It'll all be moot in a few years, I guess. It'll be under water. Anyway, we were excited to see this mythical thing. We did not go to the grotto by boat, like most people. We took a car instead, over the hill on steep, twisty narrow roads just big enough it seemed for 1 1/2 cars but suddenly big enough for 2 when they passed each other.
He prepared us for this trip by introducing out driver by saying, "Look at his face. His nickname is Pazzo. You know what that means?" I've had Italian friends and know exactly what that means- crazy. "Tu e pazzo!" Michele motioned us into the car and noted, "It's big enough for 6, or 12 Japanese." The Japanese are a fact of life around there and they travel in a very specific way- in a group, take pictures of everything, get in and get out.
He prepared us for this trip by introducing out driver by saying, "Look at his face. His nickname is Pazzo. You know what that means?" I've had Italian friends and know exactly what that means- crazy. "Tu e pazzo!" Michele motioned us into the car and noted, "It's big enough for 6, or 12 Japanese." The Japanese are a fact of life around there and they travel in a very specific way- in a group, take pictures of everything, get in and get out.
The ride was fun, but not the scariest I've had. It's very impressive that they can go as fast as they do on these roads and not crash. They do keep both side view mirrors in. Not like you're using them for anything.
Our guide liked to talk. Not just to us, to everyone. He chatted with people on the way to the boar and on the boat, the cab driver, people walking on the street- he seemed to know everyone. Jokes for everyone.
He was also a good guide; not only did he have lots of information to offer, but he was able to guide us from place to place quickly and efficiently in a way that was responsive to the way we wanted to travel. His approach to the Blue Grotto was perfect. We got there quickly by cab, and though boat may be quicker, there were 3 people in front of us on the steps down from the road, and a couple of hundred in boats.
He explained that there were hundreds of students who day trip to Sorrento on a fairly regular basis and pretty much take over wherever they decide to hang out. That was who was on the big boats. The little ones are the rowboats that go into the Grotto.
If you don't know about the Blue Grotto, it's this legendary things, first known as the swimming hole of the Emperor Tiberius, who was also, as we found out in Pompeii, the inventor of the pay toilet. Although Tiberius got to the grotto by a passageway from his villa, we have to enter from the water, which is difficult. The opening is very small and if the sea is too rough or too high you can't get in at all. They estimate one out of every 3-4 days is okay. On our day it was okay in the morning but not in the afternoon because the tide was too high.
The way it works is, you get in a rowboat with a guy who first solicits a tip "Only tip if you make it out. Don't make it out? No tip." Then he jockeys for position with the other rowboats (there's a dozen or so, each holding 3-5 people) to buy a ticket (really, there's a ticket booth boat and the rowboat guy has to go each time to pay) and then get in line to get into the grotto. Wave goes out, people shoot out through the opening. Wave goes in, you duck and slip in.
Once inside it's dark and spooky, with this beautiful blue glow in the water coming from the light at the opening. I can show you a picture but it will only give you the slightest sense of being in a dark cave and seeing this glow everywhere.
The boatster (I think that's what they're called I didn't ask) says to us, "I take you around twice, not like the Japanese, okay?" And in fact he does. I'm not sure we stayed inside longer than anyone else and I'm not honestly sure how long you'd want to stay in without swimming (which is not allowed but not strictly enforced) for which I was not equipped.
He did serenade us (and everyone else in there as well) with a chorus of O Solo Mio. And then we came up to the door and when the wave went out, we shot out.
He was also a good guide; not only did he have lots of information to offer, but he was able to guide us from place to place quickly and efficiently in a way that was responsive to the way we wanted to travel. His approach to the Blue Grotto was perfect. We got there quickly by cab, and though boat may be quicker, there were 3 people in front of us on the steps down from the road, and a couple of hundred in boats.
If you don't know about the Blue Grotto, it's this legendary things, first known as the swimming hole of the Emperor Tiberius, who was also, as we found out in Pompeii, the inventor of the pay toilet. Although Tiberius got to the grotto by a passageway from his villa, we have to enter from the water, which is difficult. The opening is very small and if the sea is too rough or too high you can't get in at all. They estimate one out of every 3-4 days is okay. On our day it was okay in the morning but not in the afternoon because the tide was too high.
The way it works is, you get in a rowboat with a guy who first solicits a tip "Only tip if you make it out. Don't make it out? No tip." Then he jockeys for position with the other rowboats (there's a dozen or so, each holding 3-5 people) to buy a ticket (really, there's a ticket booth boat and the rowboat guy has to go each time to pay) and then get in line to get into the grotto. Wave goes out, people shoot out through the opening. Wave goes in, you duck and slip in.
Once inside it's dark and spooky, with this beautiful blue glow in the water coming from the light at the opening. I can show you a picture but it will only give you the slightest sense of being in a dark cave and seeing this glow everywhere.The boatster (I think that's what they're called I didn't ask) says to us, "I take you around twice, not like the Japanese, okay?" And in fact he does. I'm not sure we stayed inside longer than anyone else and I'm not honestly sure how long you'd want to stay in without swimming (which is not allowed but not strictly enforced) for which I was not equipped.
He did serenade us (and everyone else in there as well) with a chorus of O Solo Mio. And then we came up to the door and when the wave went out, we shot out.
From the grotto we got back in the taxi to the town of Anacapri, the second city of the island. I'll pick that up in the next post.
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