Bella Capri !! - Capri, Italy
Capri, Italy
Next morning we waited on the main road for the tour to pick us up to go to Nerano, Marina del Cantone. The journey was down the bendy lanes and the views were amazing, the ride itself was lovely, we were first ones to board the boat.
Nerano is a splendid bathing locality of the Amalfitan and Sorrentina Coast and Is extended gently towards the sea, offering a very special landscape, situated between a small agglomerate of characteristics houses that in a labyrinth of curves extend till marina of the Cantone. The most important beach in Nerano has the view of Capri, Sorrento and Amalfi, besides the famous Marina del Cantone that encloses various beaches, all cobblestone and famous for the crystalline water.
The boat was full with many tourists who were staying in Nerano and nearby villages, we left at about 9 am; our boat ride was smooth and scenic. We passed the Marina Grande which is the port where the ferry from Sorrento and Naples arrives. It looks like a charming fishing village from the ferry but is a little grungy upon closer inspection; you can also ride the funicular up to the town of Capri and we stopped a little while near the blue Grotto; blue grotto tour was cancelled due to strong wave, it was lovely to see the Capri Island in different perspective from the sea, then we passed the Punta Carena which is situated on the far south west of the island of Capri. We stopped at the green Grotto and the colours of the water near the Grotto were stunning green. The brightest green light, coming from under the water was amazing; finally we reached the bay of Marina Piccola. We were given several hours to see the island.
Capri Island
Ever since Caesar Augustus discovered the charms of this small flowering island in the Bay of Naples and purchased it in 29 B.C, the rich and famous have moored in its two inviting harbours, climbed with its steep streets and admired for its cascading flowers and plants. This island is one of the prettiest places in Italy and is expensive; full of smart hotels. The shops are charming and full of delightful treasures; they did seem to have unique items that many Italian cities did not have.
We climbed the stairs leading to the tiny Church of S. Andrea in a small plaza where there are buses and taxis stop going to the Piazzetta. Or you can go on foot, walking along either Via Mulo or Via Krupp. We opted to go with the open convertible taxi which was very comfortable and I asked our driver Luitchi to take us to Anancapri which is on a higher-level plateau on the mountain's flank, reached from Capri by a zigzag road up the cliffs. It takes about 20 minutes to reach Anacapri, the sheer drops down to the sea with the breath-taking view was a wonderful experience! On the way he showed us many places and he asked us if we wanted to do the whole tour with him; he quoted a very reasonable price as it was off season so we agreed.
Anacapri is located in the highest part of the island, at the foot of Monte Solaro and is peaceful with 7 thousand people living there. The central square has picturesque alleys and pedestrian lanes as well as a few vehicle routes heading out towards the more far-flung corners of this western end of the island and there's a chair lift to Mount Solaro. There are shops which offer limoncello tasting. Capri is known for, Limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy. We really enjoyed walking the narrow cobblestone streets and passing the many shops, cafes and stores covered with thick bougainvillea hanging from window boxes and balconies which make you feel like that you are in another world; the incredible beauty surrounding us was impressive with the breath taking views of the sea and the harbour below. We saw vineyards heavy with grapes, olive trees and flowers giving it a Mediterranean charm, and then we headed to Villa San Michele.
Villa San Michele in Anacapri was the dream home of the Swedish physician, Axel Munthe, who first came to Capri in 1885. He built his villa on the ruins of an ancient Chapel dedicated to San Michele, following a series of sketches made on a wall. The result was a building articulated on various levels: the study is on the first floor, the loggia crosses pergolas and columns to reach a circular viewpoint which looks out across the Bay of Naples. In Villa San Michele a number of ancient artifacts are displayed with objects found by Munthe in Capri, Anacapri and elsewhere, some of which donated by friends. There are fragments of sarcophaguses, busts, Roman paving, marble and columns can be seen. In the garden there is a Greek tomb and a granite Sphinx which gazes out over the whole Island of Capri. The part of town where Villa San Michele is situated is much quieter than the lower part and the walk up to the villa is beautiful; lined with souvenir, coffee shops. The villa is pretty and charming and gives us a hint of what the island must have been like before mass tourism and jetsetters. Munthe wrote a book about building the villa that became an international best-seller around 1900, and was largely responsible for making the island of Capri so famous outside Italy. The garden grounds are lovely with unparalleled views of Capri town, the Marina Grande and even Vesuvius in the far distance.
The island of Capri is synonymous with luxury and wealth so everything is obviously going to be extremely overpriced because it is very "rich" in every sense of the word. Luitchi was an absolute gem being very informative and anticipating to our needs; he stopped at many places. We got the glimpse of the rich and famous houses which was an eye opener. Luitchi dropped us at the Town centre and we walked to the square where there were expensive boutiques and souvenir shops. Capri town is the bustling metropolis of the Isle of Capri and the town centre is a maze of narrow little lanes winding between traditional whitewashed buildings. These lanes can get crowded; it's helpful to bear in mind that Italians walk on the right. A couple of lanes in the heart of town are lined with shops: jewellery, designer fashion, accessories and one or two more affordable stores. Walking a little further are cafes and restaurants and out along quieter, bougainvillea-draped lanes which pass exclusive hotels and the private villas of the wealthy.
There is a posh street that leads off from the Piazza Umberto in Capri. It has shop after shop of the top fashion houses in Italy but we all had preference for a visit to the Gardens of Augustus for a more natural beauty. The garden is beautifully landscaped with the colourful flowers, a really gorgeous backdrop of the cliffs, stunning sea and coastal views; an outstanding view across to the Capri landmark, the Faraglioni rocks or the beautiful bell tower of St James Certosa. The gardens give the visitors brilliant photographic opportunities and perfect place to take a stroll over the landscaped viewing; down to Via Krupp after visiting the gardens and also the gardens is a good spot for sunset. There is an entrance fee for 1 euro to get in which is worth every cent for the views of I Faraglioni and the cliffs of Capri. There is a small delightful gelato/fruit juice stall just before the entrance, so we all had gelato which was lovely, there are some of the stunning villas high up in the main town area and we peeked into gardens and little allotments, imagining the splendour inside these Capri villas. Capri is a good place to get some souvenirs and cheap leather goods. My friends bought some souvenirs including fridge magnet which were pretty. Luitchi dropped us at the bus stop near the church.
We spend some time at the Marina Picola which has many restaurants and bars, waiting for our boat to take us back to Nerano. Marina Picola has beaches which are cobbled, rocky and beautiful, during the summer the beaches would be crowded but we were there in October and it was very peaceful with the great views of I Faraglioni. The sea was very clear but the rocks in the sea were large and sharp so but we sat on the rock and dipped our feet in the clear waters with incoming tide which was very soothing. We then waited to wash our feet with water from the tap as the cat was licking the water v slowly from the tap which was such a delightful sight, that we took the picture.
Then we all boarded our boat and the I Faraglioni which is a beautiful rock formation, jutting out from the sea off the Capri, looking magnificent. Every Faraglione has a name: The "Faraglione Stella"' is still attached to the coast. The second is "Faraglione di Mezzo" and the third is "Faraglione of Out or Scopolo". Then the captain of our boat gently steered the boat under hole of the I Faraglioni rocks which was fantastic, giving it another perspective; that was very good navigation by the boat caption. These rocks are iconic of Capri and a wonderful natural spectacle! You can also see them from the Gardens of Augustus.Then the Captain stopped very near the beautiful location of White Grotto for a few minutes to enjoy the spectacular suggestive shape of stalagmites and stalactites in the cave which have taken over centuries to form. It was really very interesting as the water was clear blue. Finally we reached Nerano and they transferred us back to our apartment, we were all tired but happy to have seen the beautiful charming Capri Island.