February 12, 2017 - Capri

Feb. 12, 2017

It was a brisk morning, Joey and Thomas awoke to a cool breeze blowing into their hotel room. Joey showered first, eager to start this new day. Thomas, drowsy from the adventures of the day before, was reluctant to rise. 

They descended to breakfast, Joey enjoyed a meal consisting of: 

a slice of sharp cheese

a slice of room temperature ham

a powdered croissant 

Thomas, late to breakfast, wolfed down a cup of strong and black coffee and a croissant. 

After breakfast, the gang departed for the small coach bus. Once everyone had gathered they set out along the windy cobbled streets, bordered by vibrant villas and flourishing orange trees, and approached the coast. 

Waiting for the ferry to Capris, the gang encountered two stray cats, perched atop a parked SUV. The ferry rumbled in the harbor and amidst the smell of diesel and saltwater, they boarded. 

Joey and Thomas, perched on the upper deck of the ferry, welcomed the singing spray of the salty sea as the boat kicked up the water and departed from the harbor. 

They were off!

Sorrento shrunk in the distance, its towering cliffs and cobble streets and vibrant villas bidding them farewell as they thundered across the Mediterranean. 

After a brief stop at Capris, the gang boarded ANOTHER ferry, headed for the mysterious, elusive, legendary, infamous, and interesting, Blue Grotto (AKA Tiberius’s private pool). 

They approached the imposing cliffs and Joey spotted a small crevasse under the rocky face. 

“There it is!” 

Sure enough, a scattering of rowboats bobbed around the opening. These rowboats approached the starboard and port sides of the ferry and began to load their intrepid passengers. 

Some were nervous, fearing the rocky sea, the narrow passage, and the depths of the water below. 

The first few vessels departed and not too long after returned with expressions of wonder and amazement. Joey and Thomas, after hearing these exclamations of excitement, were eager to embark. 

They clambered on a small rowboat, piloted by a lone grizzled oarsman who struck off for the Grotto. The rest of the group waved from atop the ferry and as their friends disappeared in the distance, Joey and Thomas’s excitement mounted. 

They approached the crevasse,

“Lie down” the oarsman called stowing his oars in the hull of the rowboat.

Joey and Thomas and Oliva and also Maddie ducked as the rock of the Grotto rushed towards them.

There was the clanking of metal as the brave oarsman grasped a chain that had been strung across the cave. He pulled and pulled and the boat was dragged into the depths of the Grotto. 

They emerged into a wide cavern filled with water colored the most impossible blue, (Almost like gatorade). It shimmered in the darkness of the cave, reflecting an almost unearthly aqua marine glow. 

Astounded by the miraculous water, the teens fell silent, a silent soon broken by a haunting melody. The oarsman piloting the boat ahead had begun to serenade in Italian. 

His voice reverberated across the the cave as the boats made a slow, gentle circle. It clung to the walls and echoed and echoed and echoed in a way that it seemed to never diminish. 

All too soon, as with the most wonderful of dreams, it was over. 

They emerged to the sun and salt and approached their friends and the ferry. 

 

After ANOTHER ferry ride, the group returned to Capris. For a short while, they wandered the rocky beaches that overlooked the bay. Maeve and Emma and Grace hunted for rocks and shells and sea glass. Others skipped stones and hiked the beaches. Thomas rested on the pebbled shore and gazed upon the vast expanse that lay before him.

“Man, I have never been more at peace in my life!” 

The sea seemed to give a gentle reply, reassuring him of the peacefulness of this moment. But alas, these moments come and go and soon it was time for Lunch.

After a winding, twisting bus ride they entered the restaurant. It was nestled on the cliffside and overlooked the water. One entered through a sloping path and through a walled garden, canopied by twisting vines and trees. The view was magnificent, and the group gazed upon the beauty of the sea as they ate. 

After Lunch, Sabena led them on a winding and informative tour up the narrow, bustling streets of Capris. Sabena spouted a variety of information about the island as they went, detailing the islands origins, its first settling by the Greeks, its development in the middle ages and its varied and illustrious and distinguished guests that have called it their vacation home.   

Finally, our weary group of ETHS Latin Trip 2017 Students boarded a final ferry to their temporary home away from home, Sorrento.