Today was gorgeous!

My friend drove me to the Capodichino Airport and I took the Allibus to the port in Naples. I bought a ticket to Capri and made it there around 12:30. I bought the Capri Unica pass for 9 Euros which means I got unlimited rides on the Funicolare and the three bus routes on the island. I rode the Funicolare up to Capri and then bought some snacks and headed for Via Krupp in an attempt to go to my fantasy beach.

SN: I bought some beer and chips at a little store in the luxury part of the island, but there is an AWESOME store that I found when I was about to leave. If you are exiting the area where the ferries dock, take a left, and it will be about 200 yards up on the right. Up the hill, I got two cans of beer and two “snack size” bags of chips for 7 Euros, but at the place by the docks I got a beer, a water, two bags of chips, and a sesame candy for like 6 Euros!

On my previous trips to Italy, I’ve been to Capri twice, but always in March. I’ve seen this one beach every time, from up above in the Augustus Gardens and I’ve wanted to go down to it so badly. Of course, when I got to the trail to go down to it, after almost 9 years of anticipation, it was CLOSED for maintenance (single tear). I looked on the map and found another route to Marina Piccola, but sadly couldn’t go to my dream beach, so that just means I’ll have to come back again! 🙂

I got back up to the main square and took the bus to Marina Piccola and then walked down to the beach area. Thankfully, I happened upon a free beach area and although it was packed, I found a spot where I could hide my purse and lay down, so it worked perfectly.

I had my beer and snacks and laid in the sun for a few hours. I put my feet in once or twice, but the water was really cold. During the last hour I decided to get in and swim because I knew I would regret it if I didn’t.

I love the beach, it’s my favorite place in the world! I’ve fantasized for years about swimming in that water, so I bit the bullet and jumped in. It was so beautiful and clear! I lived in Hawaii for several years as a child and this is the only place I’ve been to since then that could compare!  I swam for about 30 minutes and I’ve forgotten how much exercise swimming and treading water is. I really need to do it more. I got some good exercise, some sun, had some beer, and got to go to the beach and swim in the ocean for the first time since 2011.

After swimming around for a bit, I had to walk back up to the bus stop. It was super busy at the bus stop and there were tons of study abroad kids and tour groups, so I had to wait for the second bus to go down to the port. I didn’t stop back at the main square, unfortunately, because I needed to get back to Naples. I would love to stay in Capri one night sometime, but it’s like you stepped into a Chanel catalog. All of the stores are so expensive and everyone looks so tan and chic!

The first time I went to Capri, I did buy a pair of Dolce and Gabbana jeans. That is the first and only time I ever bounced a check-because I was 15 and didn’t understand the seriousness of exchange rates-LOL…and I can’t even fit them anymore 😛

Sometimes I wish I was rich enough to go to places like that and buy anything I saw that I wanted, but I know I would feel guilty for staying at $1000 a night hotels and buying outrageously expensive clothes…but boy, oh boy, were there some GORGEOUS outfits in the windows today.

Anyway, I got back down to the port and bought my ticket back to Naples, but still had some time to kill. I went to buy some snacks and that’s when I discovered the awesomely cheap store. On my way from the port to the store, one of the waiters that stands out in front calling out to potential customers followed me all the way down the front of his restaurant asking me to stop and eat and when I said no he said, “I have more information, I am single, are you single?” It was hilarious! I started laughing and the old man that was calling out potential customers at the next restaurant started laughing and said, “He’s stupid” in Italian.

I bought some snacks and drinks and got on my ferry back to Naples. The ride only takes about 45 minutes and my friend agreed to come get me because she was close to the port already.

We jumped in her truck (she got her window fixed, thankfully) and headed back  to the base to go to a BBQ. I looked like utter poop and smelled disgusting because I had been at the beach all day, but I had some awesome food. Most of the people from the wine tasting were there and one of them (this pretty girl from Guam) brought two kinds of kimchi and lumpia…I was so happy my heart exploded. I haven’t had lumpia in over 10 years and kimchi is on my “last meal” list-seriously delicious!

SN: When I met her for the first time I remembered to say “Hafa Adai” because it’s the only Chamorro I remembered-from FIFTH GRADE! I had a crush on a Guamanian boy when I was in 5th grade and my dad was cool and taught me that so I could impress this kid, LOL. I was so proud of myself for remembering it! 🙂

We stayed at the BBQ for a couple of hours and then I came back and took and awesome shower, nursed my sunburn, repacked my suitcase, separated my dirty laundry, and saved all my pictures to my computer.

Tomorrow we are going to a castle somewhere, so I will talk to y’all then!