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Published: September 4th 2008
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The Island of Capri
They say the Sirens used the power of song to lure unsuspecting sailors into the bluffs of Capri, an island off the coast of Napoli. Their irresistible voices called to the hearts of all men, and ships would turn towards the rocks in pursuit of something they could neither understand nor resist. The island of Capri is a massive structure rising out of the sea with dramatic cliffs and lush ivy. Walls of granite spike into the sky, stellagtites drip from open caves and waves break against neon tidepools. The ocean glimmers in colors you’d only see in a nightclub - fluorescent turquoise, greens and blues, shades so clear you can see coral scattered on the ocean floor. It’s no wonder sailors were drawn to the island; it’s no wonder the Sirens called this place home.
My friend Mariano and I decided to explore the island by land and by sea. We chartered a small boat to take us around the outside edge of the island to see the Grotto Azul, an underwater cave magically lit from below in an impossible bright blue- apparently the walls of the cave don’t reach the ocean floor and
sunshine sneaks up and under, lighting the cave with a mysterious blue glow. Capri’s lighthouse rises from the farthest edge of the island, and locals lounge on the rocks like shiny seals, jumping from the cliffs and swimming in the salty tide pools. Capri’s residents live in charming white cottages nestled in the walls of the rocks, simple architecture with an elegance only found in the most exclusive wealthy areas. Riding at the nose of the boat with the ocean wind in our faces, Mariano and I squint up at the spectacular cliffs that supposedly caught so many sailors, helpless from the lure of the Sirens’ song.
After a complete tour of the periphery of the island, Mariano and I rent a scooter to explore the island from within. The roads curve dramatically as they wind up the hill, twisting from the coast to the highest point at the center of the island. Riding into Capri’s oldtown, we pass markets of handmade goods and fruit stands with grapes draped from the canopies. We have lunch downtown at a tiny place on a cobblestoned street after sampling fresh figs and grapes from a vendor next door. We return to the
ship salty and windburned and happy.
Istanbul
The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is a melting pot of color and sound. Bargain hunters argue with locals over the cost of a handmade silk scarf or an antique silver necklace. Here you can find brilliant blue pottery and original Turkish carpets. As you wander the maze of stores you are sure to get lost in the endless corridors of beautiful things.
After exploring the bazaar, my friends Luke, Liz and I grab a kabab and a cup of handsqueezed pomagranite juice, and walk to the Blue Mosque, a stunning temple hand painted in a way that is both breathtaking and uncomplicated. Candles hang from wrought-iron chandeliers and reflect off the covered heads of people who come far and wide to pray in Turkey’s most impressive place of worship. We borrow scarves to cover our legs and arms and tiptoe barefoot into the center of the temple, silenced by the beauty and stunned by the spirituality that emanates from the walls of this ancient mosque.
Mt Vessuvius
At the core of the volcano, if you touch a piece of paper to the
surface of the rocks, it spontaneously combusts from the heat and energy held within the lava-coated exterior. The hike is a strenuous 45 minutes from where bus drops us halfway up the mountain. The walls of the volcano are a strange consistency of sand and lava that make each step slide halfway backwards in the heat. From the very top the view of Naples is unparalleled, the expansive town is shrouded in a mist that slides up the coast and into the village.
Mt Vessuvius is an active volcano and scientists know that a huge explosion is not only inevitable but expected sometime soon. It will be an eruption of such magnitude that they will need to evacuate up to 100 square miles. This volcano is famous for the tragic destruction that was Pompeii. People still call Naples home, settled at the base of this volcano, content in the time they have before the unavoidable.
The day we climb the volcano it is 115 degrees, but we are too stunned by the beauty of the climb to notice that the soles of our shoes are melting. There are various stops along the way to the top with locals
offering chilled lemonciello and icy beers; sweat evaporates off our skin before we even feel the condensation. Standing on the rim of the volcano, we feel that we might as well be on top of the world.
Venice Brunch Date
It happens through a series of random unpredictable events that my friend Jocelyn and I befriend three American Air Force boys and a lovely Aussie named Mel, who are stationed about 45 minutes outside of Venice. After a random night of frolicking, cartwheeling and leaping at St Mark’s Square until 7am, our new friends graciously invite us to join them for lunch with a friend of theirs the next day.
With only 3 hours of sleep, Jocelyn and I meet up with our new friends. It turns out that their “friend” is a very important dignitary/air force buddy and we are having lunch at his hotel, a location so exclusive that a private boat picks us up to shuttle us to location on a private piece of land away from the main part of Venice. Upon arriving, we are shown to a beautiful patio on the water, and we commence the most beautiful and
delicious meal I have had in years. Lunch begins with mozerella so fresh I can taste the countryside and tomatoes so ripe they taste like candy. I order ravioli stuffed with fresh seabass and sample prawn tempura and fried zucchini off others’ plates. I finish the perfect meal with crème brule served with wild strawberries and blackberries.
The meal is maginificent but most importantly, the company is amazing. There is something so relaxing about easy conversation with new friends. It felt effortless and this in itself was the real reason we enjoyed ourselves. Jocelyn and I had to rush back to the ship so I could work, and we got a special ride in the hotel’s private boat. We rolled up to the ship like royalty, grinning from ear to ear. I think that the utter randomness of our afternoon was so thrilling because we never saw it coming, and could never forget it after.
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