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Published: October 16th 2013
Yeah, yeah, I know we're home, and I've got to stop living in the past... But all these images and memories are still swirling around in my head--and I'm determined to get them down on "paper" for my sake and for a keepsake of our trip. So please feel free to ignore these last few entries if you choose, knowing they are the product of an addled mind, which is still partly back in La Bella Italia!
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October 3, 2013 (Our 32nd anniversary!)
After yesterday's experience with crowds, we decided on a couple of things in an attempt to make our day on Capri more enjoyable for us--we'd get an even earlier start and we'd forgo the classic "Blue Grotto" experience in favor of some hiking around the island. Despite our lack of experience with the ferry system, we managed to board a hydrofoil ferry before 9 AM for the 30 minute trip from Sorrento to Capri. Alas, we were joined on board by 3 large tour groups! Ah well, with luck they'd be heading to the Blue Grotto, while we'd be taking the funicular from Marina Grande up to Capri town.
And that is what
seemed to happen--at first, anyway. We headed through the deserted main piazza, then on through the gorgeous little (car-less) streets full of high end shops that looked like they'd been airlifted from Rodeo Drive, then dropped onto the tiny cobblestone streets. Shopkeepers were just opening up, as we quickly wandered by, glancing at beautiful window displays of items way beyond our reach! Soon we were outside of the retail area, heading for the Arco Naturale on the coast, our first destination. We passed through streets of whitewashed stucco and stone walls, periodically set with wrought iron gates, giving us mere glimpses of the lovely homes and gardens behind them. Eventually we left the streets behind and began to do some climbing up and down stone paths and stairs that make up the "trails" around the island. Suddenly we came upon the lovely setting of Le Grottelle trattoria, right on the path! It was so enticing, we just had to stop for a quick fresh-squeezed OJ break. Onward to the Arco Naturale, now beginning to encounter a few more like-minded tourists (but thankfully no tour groups seemed to be willing to hoof it this far away from the standard sights). Then
No Addresses, Just Names
The lovely homes and villas we passed on our way out to Arco Naturale nearly all had tile plaques, with evocative names...we connected to the Via Pizzo Lungo path, via 500 plus steps (down, fortunately), which took us around the southeast corner of the island. On the way we stopped at the Grotta di Matermania, a huge cave, in which the Romans built a shrine to the goddess Cybele. Eventually we reached one of the island's iconic sights, I Faraglioni, a photogenic cluster of three limestone rocks right offshore. Soon the path turned back toward town, past more lovely villas and homes and a great view of the Marina Piccola, and finally the shops and the piazza. But wow, what a difference a few hours could make! Now we had to fight our way through the crowds to cross the piazza and wait in an interminable bus line, in order to get up to the other main town on the island, Anacapri. As the clock ticked away, we realized we had a less than optimal amount of time to explore the other part of the island before having to catch our return ferry. So we adjusted our itinerary, and decided to try only to get a bite to eat and view the famed majolica tile floor of St. Michael's Church in
The Dream
and I became a little obsessed with photographing them ;-) Anacapari, before trying to get a bus back to Marina Grande in time to catch our ferry. And that's what we did, once we recovered from the "E-ticket" bus ride (while standing, crammed in like sardines) up the winding, cliff hanging road up to Anacapri. (Ed. note: Of course, this was before we had experienced the joys of the Amalfi Coast road!) I guess we'll just have to return to this beautiful island someday (and ideally stay on the island for a couple of days) to experience the chair lift up to the top of Mt. Solaro and the many other hikes we couldn't squeeze in this time. Maybe we'll even go to the Blue Grotto ;-)
That evening, we toasted to Dave's and my 32nd anniversary on our balcony, with a wonderful bottle of wine provided for the occasion by Sandy. Then Dave and I headed off to Il Buco, a highly touted "slow food--nouvelle cuisine--romantic" restaurant for our anniversary celebration splurge. The menu was poetry, the wine list the size of a coffee-table version of the Bible, the service over the top, and the food was absolutely beautifully presented. But we agreed, except for the delicious amuse
Le Grottelle, A Find Along the Trail
This spot was so lovely, we had to take a little time out here... bouche, provided by the chef, and the amazing lemon souffle we ordered for dessert, the food was pretty tasteless. A little bit of "The Emperor Has No Clothes" syndrome... All was not lost, though, as we toasted our latest adventure in our many years together, and especially our lovely day on gorgeous Capri!
Sandy: GOOD THING--Amazing hikes and views on Capri. BAD THING--The snootiness of staff at our hotel.
Dave: GOOD THING--Spending our anniversary exploring Capri. BAD THING--Capri crowds and "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" on the bus to Anacapri.
Sharon: GOOD THING--Celebrating 32 years of marriage to my sweetie, in Italy no less! BAD THING: Disappointing food at 5 star restaurant, though it sure looked pretty!
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