Capri!

Ira went to Capri over 30 years ago and he wanted to see if it was just as magical as he remembered. While I think not, as the crowds and tour groups have grown exponentially, it was so beautiful and so peaceful. As we were strolling along a path atop a 300-foot cliff, Ira commented on what we had just left behind in Naples, "never have heaven and hell seemed so close."

Our hotel was at the end of a long, long path, but the walk was worth it. When we had gotten off the boat there was a porter there waiting for our bags. We only had an overnight shoulder bag, but it was a nice, hot day and it was a pleasure to walk unencumbered. We had some sightseeing to do before checkin, however, so we grabbed a cab. The rear seats of cabs in Capri are open air, and this one car was a handsome white and red color. You can see the picture on this post with our driver, Franco. He proposed a tour itinerary and a price. We counter-offered and came to a deal. We climbed up towards and beyond Anacapri along impossibly narrow roads. At one point we had to back up to allow a narrow work vehicle to pass. Still, the volume of traffic is impressive. Franco told us that 15,000 people live on the island and that 15,000 visit it daily during the high season. We stopped to take pictures occasionally, but our first, "get out of the car and walk" stop occurred at the Villa Domecuta, the foundations of an old Roman villa along the northwest edge of the island. Lovely views, a gorgeous stone pine forest and a nice interlude before the first real tourist stop, the biggest one, the Grotto Azzurra.

From the car, we walked down about 100 steps and got into a tiny boat, whose pilot stood up and rowed us to a slightly bigger boat where we paid our money to get into the blue grotto. Then we leaned back and shot through the impossibly small cavern entrance. Once inside, the cave is dark, but the water is a blue such as you can't imagine. The cliffs don't come down to the sea floor, so light seeps in all around the cave and turns the water a deep deep marvelous color. Our pilot burst into song, the only one to do so and he had time for about three songs before he rowed us outside. His singing voice was rich and deep and resonant in the little cave. (There are no pictures because it is one of those things it's impossible to see in a photograph.)

From there we climbed back up the hill to take an hourlong stop at Villa San Michele in Anacapri, a house designed by a Swedish polymath who was a doctor, wrote a popular book about Capri, was one of the first rabid animal rights activists, and was the lover of the Queen of Sweden who visited the island frequently. (Sweden still owns the villa and has a vice-consulate next door, which must be among the most sought-after posts available!) The gardens there are lovely. To say the views from the garden are terrific is redundant. Views everywhere in Capri are breathtaking.

On Franco's recommendation, we lunched at a place in Capri that was filled with Italians. My anchovies were the best I've ever had, so sweet! I enjoyed the pizza tremendously, with it's chewy crust and flavor-filled tomatoes. Then we strolled over the the Piazza Umberto I for gelato, which was OK. It was a pleasure to sit in the shade, at a slight remove from the tiny square which was filled with tour group after tour group. Capri used to be known as the home of the rich and eccentric. Now, alas, it's the daytrip stop of the masses.

Our hotel, the Punta Tragana, was deluxe. It sits off the southeastern side of the town of Capri, overlooking the Piccolo Marina. Our room was palatial. It had a lower sitting room with an adjacent balcony that looked up the coastline. Then we climbed marble stairs to get to the main part, which contained a bedroom and attached sitting room, a walk-in closet, and a bathroom that included a tub room, a shower room, and a wC. I think they were a little slow at the beginning of the season because we were definitely upgraded. (On a historic note, this hotel is where Eisenhower planned the assault on Montecassino, a particularly bloody battle that opened up the way for the Allies to take Rome.

In the afternoon we just relaxed, had a drink on the upper terrace and watched the seagulls wheel about on the cliffs below us. The gentleman tending bar was efficient and kind, looking crisp in white pants and shirt. Songbirds did their thing in the treetops. Apparently, Capri is along the migration path from the north to Africa and gets an incredible number and variety of birds. Axel Munthe, the Swedish animal lover, bought the mountainside to protect it from local bird lovers. (He also enraged the locals by scaring off quail by firing a cannon at hourly intervals!). To make our day even lazier, we ate at the hotel, with the dining room overlooking the island. We ate too early for the moonrise, but the full moon shone over the sea while we were lying in bed. The perfect end to a blissful day.