Italy Part Six - Capri Island - Sorrento

Today is an early morning as we head down to breakfast at seven a.m. To get to Capri Isles, we have to take a twenty-five-minute boat ride. I try and prepare myself with a motion sickness pill, as I know boats are the most irritating to my inner ear. However, my efforts are wasted as I rush to the trash to propel the innards of my stomach. I am unable to move the trash closer due to the zip tie holding it to the pole. The man in the seat beside it is very understanding, though I can't imagine sitting beside a girl losing her breakfast to be very enjoyable.

Once we get to the island, I feel a bit better as we make our way to the tourist town. We’re quick to learn that we are unable to view the Blue Grotto due to the rising tides, which is a huge disappointment, as it seems there is not much else to do on the tourist island. Though we can take a small walk through a beautiful garden, and take many pictures of the beautiful scenery from above. Then we take individual chair lifts to the top of the island. The view is absolutely breathtaking as we see the island pointing out into the ocean, the coast littered with pearl white buildings. Meanwhile, underneath us grow various crops, vines, and the occasional backyard.

Once we reach the top, the thin white railing is all that stands between the guests and certain doom off a ninety-degree angle cliff overlooking the island. Still, this does not prevent various guests, including my father, from peering over the edge to look danger and beauty in the face. My wife quickly abandons the cliffside to stand at a safe pace away and view the scenery from afar. I decide to brave closer than her, but I understand her caution.

After about fifteen minutes, we are forced back down the mountain due to time constraints and back to the boats. Thankfully, I avoided the seasickness by falling asleep on my wife's shoulder. When we return to the hotel, my eyelids wish my consciousness goodbye.

We have an impeccably early morning tomorrow, earlier than our morning today. Despite this, I am awoken by hunger. We head to the nearest restaurant, and I enjoy a delicious prosciutto and mozzarella sandwich. Then I head into the town to purchase last-minute souvenirs before heading to bed. Reflecting on the trip after the fact, while it was very beautiful, the family agrees that Capri Island is largely a tourist trap and could have been skipped entirely. There was virtually nothing to learn, with the island almost entirely comprised of shopping destinations rather than actual experiences. Of course, if that’s the sort of thing that you enjoy as a tourist, then you might find Capri Island to be very fun and exciting. I, however, am far more interested in the culture and history of places I visit rather than shelling out hard-earned cash.