Capri, Italy - Day 1

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Our day began in Naples, Italy at Gold Tower Lifestyle Hotel. Our flight got into Naples late last night, so we really didn’t see anything but the inside of a taxi cab and our hotel room. This morning, we were excited to be in a new country! The sun shined brightly outside our hotel window, and we had plans to take a ferry to the nearby island of Capri.

Our hotel offered free breakfast as part of our stay, so we went to the main lobby to eat something before departing for Capri. There was a nice spread of breakfast foods available — yogurt, granola, oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, cold meats & cheeses, bread, croissants, and a selection of local Napolitano specialities. One of the foods I’d read about and recognized on the buffet line was called “baba,” though I couldn’t remember exactly what it was. Andi and I each took a bite of the spongy cake, and were surprised to discover it was soaked in rum! Whoo! Boozy.

After breakfast, the four of us took a taxi cab to the ferry terminal in Naples. Andi purposefully chose this hotel because it was only about 10 minutes away from the port, as we knew we’d be commuting by ferry this morning.

Buying tickets for the ferry was fairly straight-forward. All the signs were printed in English which made navigating to the ticket office and buying our ferry passes easy to do. During high season of tourism in Italy, ferries run continuously between Capri, Sorrento, and along the Almafi Coast, but until the Easter holiday, ferries are more limited.

While we waited for our ferry to depart, Andi bought a caldo coffee at the cafe. The counter coffee culture continues to amaze him in Europe as taking coffee “to-go” isn’t really a thing here. In this experience, Andi had to first pay for his cafe caldo at the cashier station, then take his receipt to the counter to order his drink. His coffee was accompanied by a shot of sparking water. Several other men were belly-up to the counter drinking cappuccinos and conversing with one another.

At 10 past 11 o’clock, we boarded the ferry. It only took a couple of minutes for passengers to board the boat and find places to sit. We chose seats on the upper deck which proved to be a little chilly on this brisk, spring morning.

The one-hour ferry from Naples to Capri was smooth and enjoyable otherwise. Toward the end of the ride, tour guides announced several activity packages to do on the island — a boat tour, a bus tour, or a combination of both. Andi and I were surprised how many passengers booked those tours! It seemed like most people only visit Capri for the day, but we planned to stay on the island for two nights.

Disembarking the ferry was as streamlined as it was to get onto the boat. It only took a few minutes to unload and walk with our bags from the port to the marina.

Wow! Capri — you are beautiful!

Lots of people though! And just imagine, March is the low-season. We found our way to the taxi stand, and hopped into a station wagon taxi. Tourists aren’t allowed to drive on the island of Capri, so the only way to get around is by taxi, bus, or by walking. Because of this, taxis are larger in size to hold more people. The taxi driver placed our bags in a funny-looking trunk that didn’t close (I hoped nothing would fall out!), and zoomed the vehicle up the steep hills of Capri until we reached the main square.

The main square was as far as the taxi could take us; we had to walk with our bags the remainder of the way to our B&B. From there, we fought through the crowded, narrow streets filled of tourists until we reached our accommodations.

“Capri reminds me of Fudge Island,” Tory said — the name we affectionately called Mackinaw Island when we visited last fall. It did somewhat, but Capri had a different vibe. Old, historic buildings dotted the hillside with sweeping views of the ocean. Instead of fudge shops on every corner though, the streets of capri were lined with stores selling lemons and limoncello.

Andi booked us two nights at B&B Villa Apollo. A major perk of traveling during the off-season are the prices. One night’s stay in this same apartment normally costs $350, but Andi was able to reserve it for $150/night. This is a nice place with two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a small kitchen/eating area. The decor is a little dated, but that’s probably because the owner is an older woman who lives on the other half of the building.

After we dropped our bags at our B&B, we set off to find a place for lunch. The restaurant with the best reviews in Capri is called The Hangout, so Andi navigated us there. “This is the best rated restaurant?” I said when we arrived at the storefront. The Hangout mostly sells burgers, fries, and drinks. We knew that kind of menu would please Tory and Aden, so we decided to go ahead and eat there.

Tory and I decided to split a caesar salad and an order of fried ravioli. Aden ordered a burger and fries, and Andi picked ‘chicken hip’ with roasted vegetables. “Chicken hip? Really, Dad?” Tory said when the waiter walked away from our table. “Hey, at least it’s not grilled octopus,” he responded.

Actually, Andi’s chicken hip was delicious (it was basically grilled chicken thigh), as were his vegetables. Tory and I’s caesar salad was just OK. Aden really liked his burger.

I can see why The Hangout is a popular spot. Our service was fast and friendly, all the waiters spoke perfect English, and the restaurant had a lively “sports bar” atmosphere (except, instead of beers, everyone was drinking Aperol Sprtizes).

Our waiter told us the best gelato shop in town was right around the corner, so we went there after lunch to try it for ourselves. Oh my goodness, the smells wafting from this bakery and gelato shop were amazing! A woman behind the counter kept busy pressing waffle cones by hand.

Tory and Aden each ordered a scoop of gelato (their usuals; chocolate for Tory, and vanilla for Aden). Andi purchased three lemon cookies called “Caprilu al Limone” for he and I to share. Oh my goodness! Heaven! The cookies were dusted with powdered sugar and bursted with a bright lemon flavor. He also got a pistachio version, but it wasn’t nearly as delicious as the lemon.

The four of us strolled through the streets of Capri, eating our bakery and gelato treats, and admired the beautiful views surrounding us. The flowers are just beginning to bloom in Capri, and the streets are lined with trees growing lemons and oranges. I can only imagine how colorful the island is when everything is in bloom during the summertime. Today, the weather was just a tad bit cool. In the sunshine, the temperature felt just warm enough at around 60°F, but in the shade we definitely needed to wear our jackets.

As we wandered through the streets of Capri, we saw a sign pointing to a natural arch, and decided to follow it. The paved sidewalk meandered through the island with peeking views of the ocean. “Wow!” we said to each other over and over. The scenery here is really breathtaking.

For the first time in, well, I don’t even remember (Morocco, maybe?) all four of us felt healthy today. And because of this, we had such a lovely day together in Capri. The sun was shining, we were exploring a new place, and everyone was happy.

The natural arch was really pretty! More “oohs” and “aaahs” came from our mouths as we admired the view of the sparkling, blue Tyrrhenian Sea. Best of all, we had the entire place to ourselves. We didn’t see another person during our walk or at the arch. Traveling during the off-season definitely has its perks.

We continued our walk, returning in the direction we came. Once we got closer to our B&B, we stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few foods to eat in our apartment. Breakfast is supposed to be included in our stay, but the offerings were pretty meager — a few mini boxes of cereal, a small carton of milk, coffee pods, crackers, and jelly packets.

We always enjoy visiting supermarkets when we travel. It’s interesting to see what the local people buy, and what’s different than we have at home. In this grocery store, there was a huge selection of fresh pasta noodles, olives, meats, capers, and cheeses. I also noticed a lot of pistachio-flavored cookies and candies. Since Easter is just two weeks away, there were also stands of gigantic Kinderjoy chocolate eggs filled with toys inside.

Andi wanted to go out to dinner, just the two of us, so I made gnocchi with pasta sauce for Tory and Aden’s dinner at our apartment. Since it was Saturday, most of their friends were available to talk on Facebook Kids Messenger, so it suited the kids just fine to stay home alone for the evening.

Our B&B host recommended a restaurant called La Capannina for dinner, so Andi and I walked there around 7:30pm. The streets of Capri were dimly lit, and nearly deserted. We hardly saw anyone else out walking around.

We were one of the first people to arrive at the restaurant as they opened their doors for the evening. We didn’t have a reservation, but we able to get a table without waiting. The tables filled up quickly though! By 8:30pm, the restaurant was almost completely full of customers. I think this might’ve been because there weren’t a lot of restaurants open for dinner given March is the low-season.

There were a few unique things about this meal. For one, our waitress brought a few food items to the table right away — crudites served in a flower pot on ice, as well as a fried cheese appetizer, and bread, olives, & olive oil. We didn’t order these items, and were only charged for them if we ate them. (Of course, we ate them because we were hungry!)

The second interesting thing was that our final bill included a “coperto,” or cover charge for dining at the restaurant. This was not a tip for the wait staff, but a charge for use of the table, silverware, salt & pepper, etc. Apparently, most restaurants in Italy charge "coperto,“ and the charge ranges from €2-5/pp. Tonight, our coperto charge was €8.

Lastly, we had a bit of a sticker shock when we got the bill and realized Andi’s small Sprite cost €9! Yikes! The island of Capri is not a cheap place to travel.

For an appetizer, Andi and I split a steamed artichoke prepared “capri style” with seasoned breadcrumbs. We didn’t love this dish; it was kind of soggy and really hard to eat gracefully. Andi ordered grilled prawns for his meal, and said they tasted a bit fishy. I ordered the ravioli because it said “must try!” next to it on the menu. They were tasty.

Our meal concluded with shots of limoncello. Andi read that some restaurants in Italy offer their customers complimentary limoncello shots after the meal to cleanse the palate, and our shots were indeed given to us at no charge.

After dinner, Andi and I returned to our B&B to find Tory and Aden each on calls with their friends. They hardly missed us. Who knows how the older landlord next door felt about hearing Aden play Fortnite with his cousin all evening.

Tomorrow, we have a full day to explore the island. We’re thinking of taking a bus to a small village called Anacapri on the other side of the island. Looking forward to it!