One of the two sights on our must-see list was the island of Capri, and on Capri, the Blue Grotto.  I knew that waiting times to get into the grotto were normally long, but it being mid-September, we decided that an hour’s wait or so wasn’t unbearable.  The four of us took a taxi to the waterfront, and carefully crossed the aptly-named Via Action to Molo Beverello, Molo Docks, where the high-speed ferries leave for Capri and Ischia.  Tickets are about 20 euro each way (the price varies slightly according to when you go), and we finally boarded with several hundred of our closest friends.  The harbor had a number of huge cruise ships, whose significance we missed completely.

I had thought we would sit outside, but all seats were airplane-like armchairs inside.  Why that is so became apparent when we set off.  Naples is a huge port, and many boats create many wakes behind them.  The ride was rough.  We pitched, rose and fell sharply, and the staff began walking around handing out plastic bags for the tourists who were about to part company with their breakfasts.  Unfortunately, Rob was one of those who felt sick, and had to retreat to a small area in the fresh air, where a number of passengers were being helped.

When we got off the boat, and checked that our friends would be alright, Tom and I raced for a boat leaving just that moment for a tour around the island and the Blue Grotto.  It’s a wonderful tour;  the pilot brought us close to the cliffs and the caves that line the coastline.  One cave, now about 30 feet above sea level, had yielded a lot of archaeological finds, going back 40,000 years, the pilot told us.  We chugged into the entrance of two of the caves as far as we could go, to see the sea water change to a glowing greeny-blue.  The pilot told us it was just the same as the Blue Grotto, and why would anyone want to wait the three hours in line that we would have to do today?

The cliffs were very high, the sun hot and the sea very blue.  Spray washed over me time and again, cooling me off.  Passengers lurched from one side to the other for their best photo ops.

When we finally arrived at the Blue Grotto, it was clear that the wait was impossible.  At least 10 large boats, loaded with at least 20-25 people each, were moored off the coast, waiting for their turn to disgorge people into the small rowboats that would take you for a very few minutes into the grotto.  Everyone voted against waiting, so we set off again.  I have to admit to disappointment – I’d been waiting years to see it, but what we did see was so beautiful, and the rest of the ride was so much fun, I figured I probably didn’t miss much, all told.

When we got back to shore, the crowds of tourists were overwhelming.  The cruise ship excursions in Naples necessarily include Capri and Pompeii, and most of them were on Capri that day.  It was hot on land, but it seemed that we should at least try to see something more of the island, so we secured return tickets to Naples on the next ferry, and bought tickets to the funicular that runs from the harbor up the small mountain to Capri town.

The main piazza is a mini-piazza, and the streets leading off it are full of shopping, which didn’t interest us.  We admired the view of the harbor, and explored some of the side residential streets, which are lovely.  A few minutes of this, though, and the heat had got to us.  We decided to get down the hill and get a drink.

As the funicular descended, I could see more clearly than on the way up that the hillside was terraced into lemon groves and grape-growing mini-fields.  The lemons suddenly reminded me that I had yet to try lemoncello, the lemon liquor that some say comes from Capri (others say the Amalfi Coast).  We sat down at the edge of the harbor sidewalk, drank lemoncello and cokes, and finally boarded the ferry back to Naples.