Cars, ferries and buses - 10/12/15

After more yummy bread for breakfast, we got on the road with TomTom as our guide. In less than 800 meters, we made a wrong turn. As we were trying to figure out where we could make a u-turn when possible, TomTom recalculated. We'll never know if were supposed to be on a narrow windy road (badly in need of repaving) through kiwi farms and lots of nothingness for over an hour and a half before getting to the autostrada. Nearly four hours after leaving Nettuno, we were winding our way through the streets of Sorrento. Nothing can compare to the first views of Sorrento from the road. Magnificent! And we hadn't seen anything yet, road-wise or vista-wise.

• Mistake one: I never investigated ferry schedules from Sorrento to Capri (although I recall checking to make sure they ran regularly and that reservations were not required.)
  
• Mistake two: I didn't look into parking in Sorrento. What was I (not) thinking!

We made several wrong turns making out way to the port of Sorrento. It was easy to decide to park at the closest garage to the ferry even though we're probably getting ripped off. It was a rather hairy walk to the place to purchase tickets. Crazy curves, cobblestones and no sidewalks make for treacherous walking.

What ferry to take? We went to one window and he sent us to another window with a ferry leaving earlier. Who can keep track of the ferry companies? We were instructed to wait at dock 4 for the 2:45 ferry which was sitting there. At about 2:50 we loaded up. As we were pulling away, a couple approached the dock and the ferry returned for them! The ride to Capri was rockier than expected but we made it. We were rushed off our ferry for some unexplained reason. "Get off quickly!" Okay... Once headed to the street, we were faced with a wall of people. I wish I could have gotten a photo of that. Literally a mob of people trying to get on one ferry leaving Capri. Complete chaos with ferry personnel yelling. At first I was following larger than myself with a suitcase larger than mine, allow her to create a path through the crowd. Eventually, I lost her so had to make my own way. Typically I'm shy in situations like this but I knew Antoniella from our hotel, Al Mulino, was coming to pick us up and I didn't want her to have to wait. I just kept walking, running over with my wheelie suitcase the feet of people who wouldn't move over to the side. If I'd been my normal polite passive self we'd probably still be at the dock.

While we were waiting for Antoniella (who was driving around wondering if we were late), I looked up into the mountains and saw what looked like a road. "Lou, do you see that thing up there that looks like a road?" He felt it was definitely a road. Yikes. Were we going to be driving up there? Yes, in fact, we were.

The road from the grand marina to Anacapri made any other road we've been on so far look wider and straighter. Talk about hairpin curves with crazy drivers heading in the opposite direction on roads that at home would be considered narrow for one way! Lou could have reached out and hugged passengers in the buses we were barely slipping past. All the while Antoniella was pointing out the sites and telling us about Capri and Anacapri.

Lou isn't thrilled with the remoteness of our hotel. I'm not sure I am either. Too soon to say. I think we'll be gone before I've come to a conclusion.

• Mistake three: I didn't come up with a sightseeing plan of any sort. Which probably explains why we were walking back and forth and round and round on the same walkways and streets for nearly two hours this evening. We also quickly realized that we won't even see one quarter of what we'd hoped to see.

We walked to the bus stop to take the bus back to the center of Anacapri. We thought we were being smart by taking a photograph of the bus stop sign s we'd know where to ask the driver to stop on the return trip.

Anacapri is smaller than Giada made it seem on that show that landed us here. Not a whole lot to do here. Yes, we're close to the Blue Grotto but with everything else we want to see, it's looking doubtful that we'll make it there. We did see the guy that made Giada handmade sandals while she waited.

Snack bars closed before restaurants opened. We hadn't eaten lunch and were both cranky rather than hungry. Lou suggested coffee. I barely slept last night. Coffee was not what I needed. In the "Hey, life's short" fame of mind I figured I could eat dessert first. So when Lou ordered his coffee, I ordered gelato. Then he ordered some too. We walked around a little bit more and returned to the restaurant that we knew for certain would open at 7. A few minutes before 7 and we were in.

And yes, I did have to have a caprese salad on Capri. (Just like I have to have a Brooklyn bagel every time I go to Brooklyn.)

After dinner, we walked back to the bus station, not 100% sure which bus we even wanted. Lou asked, "Do you stop at.... [whatever we'd taken a photograph of earlier]? Duh! Every sign said the same thing. We think it means mandatory stop. Luckily the bus driver asked us which hotel we were staying at and then let us know when it was our stop.

Enjoyed a limoncello nightcap and now it's time for bed. Buona notte.