June 19, 2022

Following our (mostly edible) breakfast, we headed to the port to meet our guide and go to the beautiful Capri. The boat took almost an hour and then our guide rushed us off the boat and onto another boat to go see the blue grotto. 

This boat was much smaller and took us on a short ride around the island to get to the blue grotto. When we arrived, we had to wait and wait and wait while everyone else went in. We waited for an eventful 2 hours which including dancing to YMCA, a Lithuanian woman calling the police about the corrupt boat staff and excessive wait time, and our boat captain honking at the girls in bikinis on other boats. 

When it was finally our boat’s turn, we climbed into a third, even smaller, boat which navigated us into the cave. To get inside, we all had to lay down in the boat which was very difficult to do while sharing the boat with an elderly couple (who we didn’t want to crush). 

Since it took so long to get into the blue grotto, our guide changed plans and we climbed up the steps on the side of the island rather than taking the boat back to the port. At the top, we boarded a bus and were taken to a cute restaurant in Anacapri (the top region of Capri). We were served salad, pasta, and ice cream. Isabel’s pasta was with mussels and Stephanie’s was bolognaise. After lunch, we were given a hefty 20min to explore the island, aka 20min to look at the souvenir shops by the restaurant, before we took another bus back to the port. Overall, we ended up having a good time and enjoyed getting to see Capri and the blue grotto, but we wish we had more time to see more of the island and learn more about it. 

We made it back to Naples and took a little time to rehydrate and relax before dinner. Most of the restaurants are closed on Sundays, so we went back to reception to ask for a suggestion which led us to a very cute restaurant whose tables spilled into the street.  We ordered a calzone to share along with a side order of zucchini and a side order of peppers with olives and capers. Everything was amazing and we couldn’t leave without trying more, so we ordered a slice of Baba, a Napoli dessert that is somewhat similar to a rum cake (but better). It was a great last evening in Naples and we took a short stroll through the neighborhood before heading back to the hostel to pack our bags. Tomorrow, we are off to Florence!!