Sandro and Marg in Naples: Part Four

March 2002

Sunday 17th March

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Sunday Morning, and we arise to another fine day, with just too much mist (smog?) to make out the island of Capri – which is where we’re heading for today.

Marg is particularly relieved that the sea is a flat as the proverbial mirror. Even then, she is concerned that the waves will be bigger once we’re away from shore. I try, unsuccessfully, to alleviate her fears by showing her that the whole journey is within the bay of Naples.

Breakfast is served in the restaurant of the sister hotel, the Royal, next door. A standard Italian buffet: Cheeses, salami, mortadella, cereals, fruits, etc. We order café americano, and settle down to a substantial breakfast, in a pleasant restaurant again overlooking the Borgo Marinaro and Castel dell’ Ovo.

We return to our room to ready ourselves for the trip to Capri. A brisk walk along the seafront, past the military port, to the Capri ferry. We have to ask around to make sure we get the fast ferry – Marg insists.

Marg also insists that we take station outside, so we find seats on the top deck at the back. Good job it's warm. While boarding completes, we watch as another ferry arrives and does what can only be described as a “handbrake turn” to berth.

The trip is, er, interesting. Once the water-jet propelled ship gets under way, the wind begins to drop the temperature. Marg will not go inside, though she is shivering, and I note there are another couple of people “in the same boat”!!.

Capri looms through the mist, and is suitably impressive, though the port is small, and Marina Grande isn’t.

We notice that the boats for the Grotta Azzura (Blue Grotto) depart from Marina Grande, and that we need to go right away if we are not to miss the opportunity. The trip means that Marg has to get into another boat – this time a small launch – and when we get to the grotto, we have to transfer to a very small row-boat and lie down as we enter through an exceedingly small hole.

The experience is, after all this, well worth it. Our oarsman sang “Santa Lucia” and the eerie light is unforgettable. Marg even enjoyed the boat trip itself!.

Back to Marina Grande, and we take the funicular up to Capri. So picturesque, but to a degree which makes one think it’s a little “manufactured”. We didn’t have much time, so our walk was around was limited.

We stopped for lunch at a little restaurant where I had linguine al vongole, and Marg had Penne Arrabiata. We didn’t stop to make notes about this place, as we didn’t considered this to be a “proper” meal.

The trip back was similar to the outward journey, except that as it was later in the afternoon, it was a little “fresher up on deck, so we retired to the aft cockpit which was a little more sheltered. We’d had a busy day, so we walked back to the hotel to rest a while before getting ready to go for dinner.

Unfortunately, by mid evening, Marg was feeling a little under the weather. We walked across the road to the Borgo Marinaro, and I was tempted by a little restaurant which had it’s day’s offering of fish in a display on the street outside. I quizzed the waiter about what the fish were, and what was recommended.

It sounded good, so we took a table in the conservatory style dining room. This was empty apart from two other couples – which to my mind doesn’t bode well, but several others appeared as the evening drew on.

Marg, still not feeling too hungry, decided to try with me the Lupo de Mare (Sea Bass?) I’d selected. The service was a little slow, but when the fish arrived, it was good. We finished the evening with a coffee at the hotel bar, and retired exhausted.

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