Southern Italy - A Rick Steves Tour
Capri
Day 10 - Free Day!
I got up early and joined Cynthia and Robert, a brother and sister team traveling with our group to explore Capri and the Blue Grotto. We were on the first boat leaving Sorrento which was pretty interesting as it carried most of the workers from Naples going to work in Capri. Like me, Cynthia had her RS guidebook handy to find where we go to book the Blue Grotto tours. We were advised, you have a better chance of getting on the boat and into the Grotto, if you go first thing in the morning. However, our eagerness was about two hours ahead of everyone else, including the boat workers. So when in Italy what do you do – drink coffee and wait. Caffè con latte si prega!
Dinner tonight is with a local family. They have hosted numerous tours over the years and really enjoy not only cooking local specialties but sharing their home and family with each tour. After dinner we were able to play “soccer” with their daughter and hear about the many groups they have hosted. It was a magical evening.
 Capri marina |
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 Capri waterfront |
 Capri |
 Boat route |
 Awaiting pickup for Blue Grotto |
 Boat transfer |
 Our guide into Blue Grotto |
 Getting ready to enter |
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 Catapult out of Blue Grotto |
 Capri |
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 Capri lighthouse |
 Enjoying the cruise |
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Blue Grotto
We were well rewarded for our efforts, we got on a boat and had a lovely tour around Capri seeing the Island and our transfer to our little grotto seeking boat, was a success. It truly is blue once inside and very dark. The art of getting in and out of the Grotto is quite the experience and luckily Robert and Cynthia didn’t mind lying across me as we ducked to get in and out.
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 Cynthia unloading from lift |
 At the summit of Capri |
 Cynthia, Robert in front |
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Chair Lift
Another punch list item on our to-do list was the chair lift to the summit of the island. What a view! It was a clear day and we were able to see Mount Vesuvius and the Naples coast line. The ride up the chair was interesting as we went over people’s homes and their lovely gardens. It’s an enchanting island and enjoyed by visitors and the privileged few that get to live there.