N. Back & P. Pack had to freshen up and prepare themselves for a fancy ride: They are going to the island of Capri! Sorry, Amalfi – next time!
The trip has started early in the morning at 8am in “Biglietteria Tirrenia” in Napoli because our owners saved on tickets and we are taking the slow ferry. It takes 1h 30 mins until the shore of Capri. Before boarding the big boat we had to check in, which is as annoying as it can get that early in the morning.
Our time on the ferry was then wisely used for research:
The more you know
Capri is one of the 3 islands of the Naples Bay. The other 2 are Ischia and Procida, but Capri with its Gardens of Augustus and Basilica di San Giacomo has been the most popular vacation choice since Roman times.
We arrived at Marina Grande, which is the biggest port in Capri. Our desire to explore was reaching new levels of gloom due to heavy rain. In a situation like this one should always remember:
“The struggles we endure today will be the good old days we laugh about tomorrow” – Aaron Launtsen, 100 Days Drive: The Great North American Road trip.
The day could be spent in a nice coffee place, listening to our owners’ complaints and self-pity, but we took the high-road instead and decided to enjoy the wet and gloomy weather, ignoring Nelly’s and Philipp’s tedium. Every weather is beautiful and we were on one of the most picturesque islands on this planet. We would not let any amount of rainy water ruin this day for us!
The “Funicolore di Capri” was an option, but we are backpacks, so we took the obvious choice of hanging with our owners. And they wanted to walk…
The serene pathway leads you between the villas with gorgeous private decks or patios and mountain views. It took us 1 hour, although Google Maps showed it takes 17 minutes to reach Capri town. The photo shooting took a lot of time and energy. (But we hope, it was worth it 😉 )
Reaching the “Piazzetta di Capri” brought to light how green and elevated Capri actually is.
From here one can see the high panoramic promenade lined with villas.
Our goal was “Giardini di Augusto”, which is a botanical garden with shining sweeping views of the sea and picturesque lush gardens. It is situated on top of the island. Getting there took us another 30 minutes, because the famous parfume shop “Carthusia” was on the way. How could Nelly not stop and explore the parfumes of Capri?!
💡The more you know💡
The legend says that in 1380, a father, prior of the Carthusian Monastery of St. James, collected flowers and put them in water so they would stay fresh. But after a while the water had a very mysterious fragrance. The smell felt pleasant to the monk and hence the very first perfume of Capri was created.
Coming back to our main goal was hard, but we finally reached the Garden of Augustus; and not a minute late! The sun welcomed us on the panoramic terraces of the garden that give you an astonishing 180 degree view at the Via Krupp (the pathway down the mountains) and the Faraglioni (rocks).
Having a bad weather day on a trip could absolutely ruin your perfect visits.
(Louise Hay)
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With this we will end our story of Capri. Hope to see the sun again!
Your wet N. Back & P. Pack
Backpack secrets revealed
- Ferry Ticket – 17,40 € – one direction (slowest ferry)
- Pizzas, coffee and Aperol Spritz: depending on the places but the city center is quite expensive; calculate with 50 € per person/day
- Beaches and picturesque walks through Capri town
- Very expensive restaurants for no value (frozen pizza and bad spritz)