An entry in the TFS Travel Journal
(home of honeymooners and geriatrics)
We awoke early (8:00am!) to call and see if the boats to Capri were running this morning. We were told that they were not as the seas were too rough, so Wendy attempted to go back to sleep (after staying up too late finishing her excellent book, “Crossing To Safety”) and Milton had fruit on the terrace.
Around 8:45, we had the brilliant idea to call the front desk and ask if the boats to Capri were running from Sorrento, Italy, an hour’s drive away. Sure they are, we were told, they’re much bigger boats. As the next one was at 10:45, we scrambled to get ready, grab some breakfast that wouldn’t come up while on the boat, and still made time to ask the front desk personnel why they didn’t suggest leaving from Sorrento. As is the Italian way, he claimed that he had told us that last night! (NOT!) Is it possible for anyone in this country to ever take some responsibility for doing anything wrong?
We raced off along the crazy Amalfi Coast road, arriving just in time. Naturally, the ticket-buying scene was chaotic. While we were being told that the 10:45 boat was full and they were not sure any more boats would leave due to the seas, several older women approached the window and demanded their money back since there was no way they were boarding that boat, it was too crowded and they felt like Albanian refugees. After the kooky English couple in line with us said how wobbly the ferry they’d seen leave earlier looked, we decided to pass for today and instead to explore Sorrento.
We walked up to the Cocumella Hotel (supposedly the nicest in town) to see the gardens and caves on the way down to the beach that the nutty couple had told us about. The garden was nice, and the walk down on the stone stairway was spooky, as it weaved in and out of absolutely enormous caves, sometimes in complete darkness. The caves were fascinating, though, since this had been a notorious pirate haunt the residents had made use of these natural caves for hiding themselves and their possessions, sometimes behind iron gates. Now they were used mainly for storage of beach equipment for the hotels, and were of really spectacular size. We then walked off in search of lunch, passing through some quite unattractive areas before arriving at the main drag, always with loud motorscooters zooming to and fro, sometimes riding next to each other having shouted conversations amidst the traffic!
We found the place and sat outdoors under a very large and verdant pergola (sukkah?) that was so integrated into the surrounding trees and gardens that it all must have been growing together for a great many years. The meal was mostly forgettable, but some very good macaroni w/swordfish and smoked cheese (almost as good as the mac and cheese I used to make in college), good vegetables (but with way too much butter), and some decent canneloni. By the time we were done, it was past 4, so we ambled back to the car and attempted to drive home.
This wild and crazy road (with its particularly wild and crazy drivers) does get easier with practice, so the ride back was uneventful (except for the buses which would appear in the large convex mirrors placed at sharp turns in the road as giant looming insects). We did stop at a truck parked along the way to enjoy some more lemone granita (which is like an eegee or Italian ice, depending on your coast) which we had loved yesterday. Back at the hotel, Wendy took a nap and Milton returned to his favorite secluded veranda to enjoy reading more of “Dreaming In Cuban”. Then the weather got much cooler, and we stayed indoors for the evening.