The day we planned to go to Capri we woke up to threatening skies. Nonetheless, we at breakfast and then made our way down to the ferry dock. By the time we reached the harbor it was pouring. We bought our tickets and then ducked into a nearby
bar/ristorante for cappucino and the use of the
toilette. Kate was obviously happy but the rest of us were a bit concerned about the weather. Luckily, it turned out to be a passing squall and by the time we reached Capri the sun was shining.
After reaching Capri we stood in line for the funicular, rode it up the hillside and reached Capri town. Here are the ladies framed by Monte Solara, the highest point on the island. The mountain gives one a good idea of the topography of the island. Almost everywhere the rocky ground drops precipitously into the sea. This made the island highly defensible but the inhabitants made a poor living from the land and were mostly fishermen. However, since Roman times it has been a beloved spot for a holiday and certainly for the last several hundred years that has been the island's main industry.
We started out by walking through Capri town. The shopkeepers were still in the process of opening up and it was interesting to see them washing windows, sweeping the street in front of the boutiques and chatting with each other. All the major designers have shops that were fascinating too look in but too expensive for us. Eventually our strolling brought us to the old monastary on the far side of the island. Apple and cherry trees were blossoming and other trees leafing out. The grass was an incredible shade of green. One advantage of being there early in the spring is that the lack of foliage on the trees allows one a better view.
Emily had a purse that Cherie and I thought just screamed out to the pickpockets, "I'm easy!" In this photo you can see that Cherie is trying to teach her daughter a lesson. Unfortunately, Emily exhibited great reflexes and tried to break her mother's finger.
The girls seemed unphased by the attempted pickpocketing. Emily was able to block out Cherie's whining about her finger.
We finished our stroll at a beautiful park that was being readied for spring. The gardeners were just in the process of planting the annuals and the color was marvelous. The park is a frequented by tourists as it has beautiful views of the cliffs and the town of Capri. We explored the different terraces before setting off for Villa Jovis.
From the park I could see the back side of the monastary. Dom and I explored it last fall and parts of it are in good repair and are used by a school and as a museum. It was interesting to see that parts of it are obviously abandoned, covered with vines and slowly disintegrating.
We decided to hike to Villa Jovis, the Roman emperor Tiberius' palace on the south end of the island. It is a 45 minute walk along paved pathways set between houses and fields. Along the way there were some lovely views such as the one at left. Unfortunately, I did not emphasise the "45 minute" part and some in the group were surprised at how long it was taking. It was also quite an uphill hike. Kate and I blythely strolled ahead whilst behind us some (who shall not be named) were in danger of collapsing. Luckily at about that point we stopped to buy sandwiches at a little
alimentari (grocery). The proprietress, while not as friendly the one in Atrani, made us delicious
panini with mortadella, fresh mozzarella and tomato before we set off for the rest of the hike.
A little before we reached Villa Jovis we decided to stop for our picnic at an open area that offered a spectacular view over the Bay of Naples. The surroundings were not the more "romantic" but we found some steps to sit on and Cindy even stretched out for a little snooze in the sun.
The view from our lunch time perch was much better than these pictures reflect. Or, perhaps it was just our ability to look beyond the gritty foreground to the beauty beyond. We never did figure out exactly what the area was--there were several more open terraces below this one. However, we hypothesised that it could be a campground in the summer months.
On our way back into town we made the acquaintance of a couple of cute dogs--possibly a mother and child. They followed us all the way back to the middle of the shops. Cherie and Emily were plotting how to bring the puppies back to the U.S. I managed to dissuade them by telling them yes, they could bring dogs into the U.S. but no, they could not bring a dog in the rental car. Eventually the dogs took off on their own and left us behind. I am sure they are well-loved Italian pets. They were certainly friendly enough.
We were back in Sorrento by late afternoon--time for a little shopping and lazing. Kate and Cindy cut up one of the giant lemons they had bought the day before. It was fascinating to learn that the huge lemons are mostly rind. The lemony part is actually not much larger than a regular size lemon. The two of them thought it was quite good. I let them have it all as I am not a fan of eating a lemon like an orange.
It was that afternoon I believe that we found the BEST gelateria of the trip. Gelateria Davide II (recommended in Rick Steves and other guidebooks) had the most delicious gelato fo the entire trip. We ended up going there three times in two days. If we could have gone for a last dish the morning we left Sorrento we would have. Unfortunately they are not open that early in the morning!
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