Shimmying down to your bikini (or board shorts) and diving into the turquoise waters of Capri’s Blue Grotto is a corporeal pleasure made tastier by its naughtiness. Thus, each year, a certain percentage of tourists defy the law that prohibits visitors from swimming in the Grotto’s hallowed waters.
This summer, however, the Italian authorities have been cracking down on tourist misdemeanours and punishing visitors — from shoestring backpackers to world-renowned celebrities — for their crimes against bureaucracy.
As The Guardian reported on Wednesday, tourists and locals have both been shocked by the updated “facist-style” legislation, which — this year alone — has included €250 (AU$410) fines for sitting on the Spanish Steps in Rome, €950 (AU$1,513) fines for drinking coffee on Venice’s Rialto Bridge and the making of it illegal to dress up as a centurian, eat messily near monuments or sing on public transport.
Enter: Heidi Klum (German model, TV personality and businesswoman) and her husband Tom Kaulitz, who recently celebrated their second wedding in Capri, and found themselves in hot water when they visited the nearby Blue Grotto.
As reported by Radar Online, “The couple allegedly dived into the waters from a yacht shortly before sunset on Monday, August 5.”
“Last night at 5:30 pm Heidi Klum and some friends, there were 20 people, drove to the Blue Grotto, where she took a bath,” (From Press).
While boating around the Grotto is legal, swimming inside is strictly forbidden. However, it appears Heidi and Tom were either unaware of this, or simply didn’t care, as this is not the first time the couple have stolen a swim there (Heidi posted a now-deleted video of the two kissing in the same lusted after waters this time last year).
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However, although they got away with it last time, as a statement translated from Italian detailed, “This time the Italian police stopped them outside,” (From Press).
Heidi and Tom are now up for a fine of 6,000 (AU$9,813).
Unfortunately for the Italian authorities, if the couple’s lavish wedding festivities are anything to go by, the €6,000 will be like water off a German model’s back.
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But hey: it sure sends a message to the backpackers out there for whom €6,000 is double their yearly budget.