This post is a continuation of :
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In the morning, we woke up to a warm day. It has been an uncomfortably, piercingly hot week for us in Rome, but here in Napoli, it was about a degree or two hotter.
We quickly got ready for the day. And after checking out of our hotel, we went around looking for some breakfast. I read that if you are in Napoli, one of the things that you must not miss is Sfogliatelle. This is a type of flaky pastry which contains sweet ricotta cheese inside.
Unfortunately, virtually all of the pastries at all of the bars that we passed by contains lard inside. So we had to give it a pass. Instead, I had Caffe Shakerato. This is an interesting type of coffee where espresso, sugar and ice (I think mine contains cream too) are shaken together in a machine and served with some chocolate.
So yummy!
In Rome, you’d have something called Creme Caffe. However, instead of it being shaken, it’s in a machine that turns it around like a slushie. The taste is very similar though. But they are both very caloriffically sinful and shouldn’t be consumed too regularly.
We then went into a tabaccheria to get ourselves a bus ticket. And just like our trip in Milan, the services were run by another company. Nevertheless, travelled around easily enough. And soon we were walking to the Porto di Napoli
Looks like the ferry to go to Sentosa right? Hehehehe! (Sidenote : I didn’t know that ferry service terminal in Sentosa was demolised?! What a shame)
Anyway, by this time, the situation was quite chatic. I was stunned looking at the crowds at the ticketing counter. It was approaching noon and the crowds were not dissipating and the heat was making everyone feeling angry till the point when anyone tries to cut in to just ask a question at the counter will be glared and shouted at by the masses.
By right, I think that service should have been smoother because we made reservations and have already printed out the receipt. That’s should be valid no? Instead we’d have to bear queuing up again to get yet another ticket. What’s the point of paying additional money? At least make another queue for those who had already made reservations.
So angry.
I suggest that visitors just skip trying to make a booking with aliscafi.it and just go directly to the ticketing counter and save your 16+ euro.
By the way, did you notice something interesting in the above picture?
I understand that it’s forbidden to bring a gun here, but … I didn’t realise that you could get a gun here!
But anyway in due time, we finally got our tickets and it was just a matter of time for waiting for the ferry. Do you like my nailpolish by the way? It looks exactly the same colour as a chocolate bar!
It was such a pretty day, looking at all the ferries over the sea. With islands and mountains in the background.
By this time, Beatrice and Giovanni, both friends of Alessandra, the bride, arrived and joined us. And as we boarded the ferry, I noticed someone running against the direction and thought that he looked familliar …
It was Fausto! He wasn’t allowed on the boat, and he had to rush off to his ticket validated at the ticketing counter. You see, he made a reservation too.
In fact, all five of us made reservations and did not know that we all had to check in at the ticketing counter! What a waste of time! And obviously we were all disgruntled at this point of time.
Nevertheless, we all chilled out after that, and I looked out of the window, watching the water splashing around and the view beyond that.
And in about two hours or so, we finally reached Capri! I’ve already been here before, but seeing Marina Grande, the beautiful blue sea, the picturesque hills and mountains and being here again brought about happy feelings and memories inside me.
By the way, it seems that Capri is so pretty that even celebrities like to go there, with people like Naomi Campbell and Leonardo Di Caprio visiting there often. Nope, I didn’t spot them, but to be honest, I’m quite content looking at the beautiful scenery of the island :-)
We took a shuttle cab to go further inside the island to Anacapri and headed towards our hotel, Villa Ceselle. It was so charming! The first thing that you’d see when you arrive is the little vegetable garden to the left.
You might not spot them at first glance but once you looked carefully, you could see that there were so many types of tomatoes.
There was a basket full of freshly plucked tomatoes and I was so very tempted to steal some of them and bite them raw. But I don’t think that the hotel staff would appreciate me doing that :p
Here is a pumpkin hiding underneath some leaves.
And here are just a fraction of the colourful flowers seen there.
And here are some olives. I was told several times that people in this region are very proud of their crops as plants thrive very well here and consider them top quality.
By this time, our little group started to get bigger with us being 8 at the entrance. It was getting crowded, so I waited outside while Cart finished is done with checking in. Doesn’t the place already look so dreamy?
After a while, we walked past the reception area …
Up the stairs …
And into our room … It is so very pretty! Everything was done tastefully and elegantly, the furniture, the decorations.
There was even an electric shutter that we could roll up and down *country bumpkin* where we could sit in our little area outside to admire the vegetable garden.
But if I had a small issue, was that the bedsheet was strangely thick considering that it was summer. Cart and I had to kick the grey comforter away because it was quite uncomfortable.
There are also free wifi here. But their arrangement was a little strange because the hotel limits users to one ticket, valid for an hour at a time, for one computer. And you’d have to request for a new one once you are done.
It was such a pain trying to finish our daily surfing rituals for us internet obsessed couple, having to share internet this way. I thought that maybe I could just save time and tether from my 3G phone, unfortunately I didn’t have any signal there at all! 
Nevertheless, it was a small issue. And by this time it was close to two pm, we were quite hungry, especially that we did not have breakfast. Beatrice wanted to go suntanning but Cart and I wanted to eat, hence we went to Da Gelsomina, a restaurant and pool area which are run by the hotel owners.
My gosh. What a lovely view. In the distance, beyond the blue mist is the Island of Ischia. Which I imagine would be as beautiful in it’s own right!
Here are Andrea, Dario and Beatrice who are already getting in the groove by sunbathing before going to the wedding. A funny thing that I was told was that Italians love to sunbathe. To them, this ritual was how they recharge themselves. Like rechargable batteries!
But for those who doesn’t like to swim, there is a small area where you could play some games at.
But what Cart and I were more interested in was food! We were hungry! And we quickly approached the food kiosk. With the glass counter, this looks like a Nasi Padang stall doesn’t it? Hehehe!
Since we were quite tardy, there were not that much food left, but nevertheless, we still had a good meal.
We had grilled mixed vegetables, which might not look very impressive, but they are deceptively very tasty.
And here is Gnocchi alla Sorrentina. This is a fantastic dish made of Gnocchi with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and a sprinkling of basil leaves. Unlike gnocchi which is just boiled and then served with sauce, this is further baked in the oven, like a lasagna.
And it’s very very very good! If you are ever in this part of Italy, you MUST give this dish a try. In fact, I think I’d like to try making this tomorrow (since it’s Thursday tomorrow … Giovedi Gnocchi Day!)
Anyhoo, after our lunch, we returned back to the hotel to change for the wedding! I was feeling rather nervous that I was wearing too much … because I didn’t want to upstage the bride. Guess what I was wearing?! Prior to this, I was looking around in shops for suitable and nice clothes. But either I wasn’t feeling it or the clothe’s didn’t fit me well.
So in the end, I resigned myself and wore what any Malay girl would wear to a wedding. A baju kurong! Which I’ll show you later 
Just look at Francesco, Flavia and Alessandra’s mom while in the shuttle car, smiling, being all excited for the wedding.
And here we are at the Municipio where the nuptials will be conducted. Isn’t it gorgeous? Something about it reminds me of the community center back in Pulau Tekong before the island got taken over by the government.
There was a table all set up and ready for the wedding already. And guests of the wedding started to arrive. It was a small, cozy affair with close friends and family of about thirty people. So very different from our wedding!
Here is a more relaxed Fausto posing with the wedding rings. As one of Alessandra’s good friend, he’ll be one of the witness for the wedding.
An interesting thing I noticed was that the rings was that they were tied together on the pillow. I’m not sure if this is an Italian culture, as I didn’t see Cart’s parent’s wedding pictures being similar, but it seems very symbolic.
I’m not sure who that was with the Italian sash. Normally, these are usually worn by an important political figure. I asked Cart if she was the mayor but he said no … so from this point onwards, I’ll just call her fake mayor.
And here is the fake mayor starting the ceremony with the bride and groom seated and their witnesses next to them. That’s Cart! He’s a witness as Fabrizio considers him as a brother.
It was very interesting to hear fake mayor talking as she conducts the ceremony. I couldn’t really understand like 50% of what she said, but I imagine that it is similar to what most weddings are like.
I should have taken a video. I forgot. It would have been nice to replay the moment again. Anyway, see? Here they are untying the rings and putting them on each other’s ring finger. So cool!
And at the end of it, very similar to our wedding, the newly married and then the witnesses sign the documents. What a super huge book.
Here is one of Alessandra’s and Fabrizio’s friend, Stefania who was also the wedding planner reading a speech for them. Which was very sweet.
And then the wedding was over! Wow, that’s really efficient! Anyway, here are what the documents looks like.
And here is an obligatory wedding picture with the newly married couple. See what’s that I was wearing? Was it a bit much? But a baju kurong is what I’d normally wear when going to a wedding in Singapore. Be it a Chinese wedding or an Indian wedding not to mention a Malay wedding …
Anyway check out the footwear of all the men in the picture. All of them were wearing canvas shoes! So slack!
And here is a picture of me and Cart. I know it’s not us getting married but hey, we looked good and the scenery looked good. Might as well just tumpang sekaki and join in the ride. Don’t Cart look smashing? I wish that he would dress up more rather than being slack most of the times cos he does look handsome like this!
After the wedding, we headed back to Da Gelsomina again where the eating area has been transformed to a charming dinner area, decorated with vines and candles.
We had an aperitif first. One of the funny things that I noticed was this warning sign close to the pool. No shoes in the pool, no radio … Oh, I can’t draw animals here? Drat! *puts away colouring pencils*
With a nice glass of crodino in my hand, it’s so relaxing, chilling out on the deck chairs, while seeing the sunset going down in the horizon.
Going … Going …
Gone …
I love seeing sunsets.
Soon after it was time for dinner! Our appetizer was buffet style. And Cart was so anxious telling me to queue up quickly before the food runs out. I think he’s too used to his working environment where monster-people hybrids snatch up food quickly.
But since we were among friends, I was confident that there were enough to go around
Wow, check out the spread of food!
And I had this mix. Wow, I think that the food was really wonderful. The crocette di patate was so soft and creamy and the cheeses were so fresh. But I think one of my favourite was the seafood carpaccio.
Carpaccio is raw fish or meat, thinly sliced or pounded sort of like sashimi, but I think this one contained a sort of vinigrette like vinegar or lemon juice because of the slightly sour taste.
It was probably the first time I had anything like it but it was so good that I’m sorry that I wasn’t auntie enough to pack a plastic bag to take back the leftovers. Yes, yes, I know it’s an unclassy thing to do, but why waste food? And like how I expected, there were quite an amount of food left on the the buffet table.
By this time, I was starting to feel quite full and in my head I was remembering this scene from the movie Che bella giornata (try to catch the movie if you can, it’s really cute!) where Farah, being invited to a wedding had to eat so much food til it got uncomfortable for her and she complained to her brother.
“Do you know Ramadan? These people don’t!”
Anyway, it wasn’t like that for Alessandra and Fabrizio’s wedding thankfully! Instead, we had a very relaxed and laidback time, focusing more on chatting with each other and just having a good time.
For our table, we are Francesco, his wife Flavia, Cart and me. And I decided to ask how they met. And what I heard really tickled me.
Basically they met while on vacation. It was such a coincidence that two Italians would meet overseas. They got along very well but when as things progressed, Flavia thought that they might not be such a good match and they broke up. But eventually they missed each other and were very sad.
They re-enacting to us a really funny story about how he and Flavia met. Before they got married, she thought that they might not be good together and so they broke up.
Here is Francesco making a sad face :
I was so amused. There were real tears even from having laughed so much! But in the end, they’ve been married for about ten years now. And from what I see, is a very close couple.
After our appetizer, I was a little surprised to see more food. Nevertheless, this is what I had for first course. Calamarata with mussels. This is kind of like aglio oglio. The pasta looks cook yeah? Like it’s namesake really does look like a squid.
As Cart being a vegetarian, he had a plate of creamy pasta with zucchini. This was very good.
And to end the entire dinner, we had one of my very favourite food of the moment. CAKE! Le sigh. I love cake. I’d be happy to eat it every day. It was such a lovely night.
And thus, since I’m pushing almost 2700 words, and I really want to shower, here I end this post very abruptly.
Next : A beautiful day boating in Capri
