Carousing in Capri

---

Geo: 40.5509, 14.2429

A day in Capri. Hydrofoil to the island, funicular from the port up to CaprI town, then the local bus to Anacapri. This was the more attractive side of the island and the views from the top of the chairlift at Mount Solaro back to the Sorrentine peninsula were magnificent.

We lunched near the Chiesa Monumentale di San Michele which has the most beautiful hand painted ceramic tiled floor showing the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. It was created in 1761 by Leonardo Chiaiese and is highly detailed and colorful.

However the most intriguing sight was the yacht moored offshore. I had seen it sailing along the Amalfi coast a few days before and here it was again, the super yacht belonging to Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko. The A$400 million yacht is named "A". It may well be the biggest yacht in the world but it is certainly not the most attractive!

Back at the Capri end of the island we walked up the tiny alleyways out to Villa Lysis, a elegant palazzo built in1904 by Count Fersen, who dedicated it to "à la jeunesse d'amour" - To the youth of love. Fersen, together with his lover Nino Cesarini chose to live here in self-imposed exile to escape a series of sex scandals back in France.

Fun Fact 1: Superyacht 'A' has 8 decks with 3 masts that are nearly 100m tall (higher than Big Ben). The keel incorporates one of the largest single pieces of curved glass ever made at 193 square feet, creating an underwater lounge on the bottom deck. It has seven luxurious cabins for up to 14 guests and accommodation for 42 crew members.

Fun Fact 2: During construction of the house Fersen visited Ceylon and became addicted to opium. Subsequently one of the roms was decorated in an Oriental style and became his opium den.

---