Afterward, we returned to Ristorante Buca di Bacco, having remembered the scent of Neapolitan-style pizza radiating from their wood-burning oven. It was even better than my favorite pizzas back in the U.S. (joints like Modern Apizza of New Haven or Sam’s of Brooklyn). Back at the pool, Pietro D’Emilio, the owner of The Hotel Canasta, told us about his younger days of sailing across the Atlantic. I dozed by the pool in the warm sunshine. Later Pietro introduced my boyfriend’s parents to the local priest for help with some genealogical research. That night we went to La Pergola (Via Traversa Lo Palazzo, 2) whose impeccable terrace offered views of the Bay of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius, and where sea bass was elegantly prepared. The chef came out and boisterously told jokes. Their dolci, ice cream, and desserts were all homemade and very good.
The next day we caught a boat to the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra), where even in September, it’s a popular destination. Once at the entrance to the cavern, the boats cued up for what seemed like an eternity. But once inside, it was worth the wait. We viewed a dark natural cavern filled with a heavenly light reflecting on the nearly fluorescent blue water. No wonder emperors had made it their own private bath! We learned that in the evenings after 5 p.m. you can swim in the grotto. It looked too cold for me, but Doug considered it. We also discovered that you can take private boats throughout the island to see multiple grottoes. Guess we’ll just need to return to the island some day!
The following day we boarded a local bus which took us up the steep, winding cliffs to Anacapri. A woman told Douglas’s sister Cristina and friend Mary Jean about a shop she was looking for, where Jackie O used to get her sandals. Given the downpour, none of us wanted to buy sandals that day! But later we discovered that she was referring to the famous sandal maker Antonio Viva. Both Jackie O and Sophia Loren once frequented his shop: L’Arte del Sandalo Caprese, Via Orlando 75 in Anacapri (tel. 081-8373583). We took in the Church of San Michele Arcangelo, with a tile floor depicting a biblical episode of Adam and Eve.
The next morning we said a sad goodbye to Capri for an early ferry to Sorrento, where we rented two cars (for six people) through EuroCar. Thirty minutes later we arrived at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Castellammare di Stabia, a quiet seaside city that had once been industrial. This former factory turned luxury hotel overlooks the Bay of Naples at Mount Vesuvius, a spectacular spot for sunsets. We had lunch at the hotel and met Gennaro Radio, the restaurant captain, who charmingly told us about his time living in New York and then Miami.
The next morning we took off for Pompeii via the Circumvesuviana (regional train system), which stops at Pompeii Scavi, right outside the site. We stroll for hours amid ruins of baths, frescoes, homes, villas, and brothels, a reminder that this had been an ancient, yet well heeled city, very modern in feel. Buried in volcanic ash following the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D., the site was not discovered until the 1750s and is still immaculate today, given that it’s two thousand years old! In the late afternoon, we stumbled upon a museum café in the center of Pompeii (real, not ruins!) where we indulged in panini and a remarkable cup of espresso.
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