One pattern I noticed on our trip was that our first full day in a new location was often a little grumpy as everyone tried to find their stuff and stop stepping on each other. Getting oriented probably added a little to grumpiness too, and the first afternoon and evening of shocked, “WOW! I can’t believe we’re HERE!” is past its initial phase of constant delight. How many people get to shower before the hot water runs out? Where do we set our toothbrushes? Where should we put our shoes near the door but not underfoot? One roll of toilet paper for four people for several days—nope. Where can we buy breakfast? This espresso has furry mold in it. We want to get going but Chris and I are trying to get our bags ready and the kids are warbling monkey sounds in their throats and generally going bonkers. Ah, good times.
Our first day in Positano was a little like that, so our first stop after the beach was over to the little seaside shacks by the harbor where ferries post their schedules and tour companies sell tickets. We booked ourselves on the first boat to Capri the next morning.
A thousand shades of blue to find
I have ALWAYS WANTED to go to the island of Capri (not pronounced like the pants, apparently!! Chris horrified his Italian coworkers in this way. It’s pronounced CAP-ree). I clearly remember unfolding the travel section in the Houston Chronicle at my parents’ house and seeing stunning blue photos of this island off the coast of Naples.
But as we boarded the boat and skimmed across the clear blue water, I had a moment of doubt—could it live up to the hype? YES! So much about Positano, Capri and the Amalfi Coast in general reminded me of Hawaii—the sun and the water, of course; the soaring cliffs. Vacation destinations that used to be just places to live; the locals’ spots and the tourist spots. I feel like REALLY popular places can go a couple of ways: 1. “Oh, I’ve walked into this Disney-fied town for overspending, or 2. AH! THIS is why everyone comes here! And sometimes a mix of both.
mapping his way to a therapist 
Capri is famous for its thousand shades of blue, and we were on a mission to find them all. After passing through the island’s iconic arches, where a smooch means true love for life, the boat pulled over for everyone to hop in. The water was pretty cold, and Isaac was hemming and hawing about getting in. I figured he wanted to be in, just having trouble getting over that first hurdle, so I gently pushed him in.
Several people laughed about this and Isaac was VERY upset. I felt terrible. I helped him scramble back into the boat as Chris and Eloise beckoned from the water. “I didn’t expect that from YOU,” he said. Oops. Mom fail. Guess how many times I’ve had to hear about that since then? Once for every shade of blue.
WE CAN GET TWO FLAVORS?! YAY! 
“special drink” 
Isaac throws shade
We sailed around lighthouses, a very German road someone built because the Italian paths wouldn’t get him down to his yacht fast enough, the ancient homes of long-ago Roman emperors, more recent holiday homes of various celebrities and dictators, lighthouses, arches, sparkling bays, grottos. It was a delight.
We pulled into the port of Capri for a few hours on the island. Google maps said it was a 15 minute walk to the pizza restaurant I’d picked out, so we started walking…UP. And up and up and up. We walked straight up to the top of the island, where we ate extremely delicious, surprisingly inexpensive pizza at Ristorante Pizzeria Verginiello with a phenomenal view of the entire world and half of space. We got gelato and a sugar buzz inducing “special drink” of lemon sorbet and orange juice by Piazza Umberto I before a quick look around Centro Caprense before dashing over to the Giardini di Augusto Botanical Garden overlooking the arched rocks where we swam and taught our oldest child that no one is trustworthy.
Then it was time to dash back to the boat and zoom back to Positano with one last stop to jump into another shade of blue. We sailed past the islands made famous for the sirens in the Odyssey and pulled up to the harbor in Positano just before sunset. Pasta back at our room for dinner, overlooking the sea, enjoying the night.
Isaac on a boat in a cave 
Blues 400-435 
Shade 231 
Eloise and shade 805 
I did not push him in this time 
shade of blue 917 
that night he still wouldn’t forgive me 
beautiful Positano from the water
The Itinerary—Italy and Greece 2021