Capri, Capri, Capri….!!!
Here are our Capri pictures.
Actually our next city on the map to tour was Rome but after our disappointment of Florence we all really longed just to get away and be somewhere relaxing. We researched a little bit and decided to head on out and spend a day or 2 at the island of Capri. It was described at one of the most romantic spots in the world.
We had to spend the night in a roadside hotel that was enroute to Capri. We found a hotel pretty late at night. (Do you see a pattern forming?) This is the night that Scott had a pretty bad headache and had to sit out in the car while we had a 3 hour dinner! Poor thing! So, anyway we had to tote our luggage across a courtyard where Scott promptly stumbled over his in the dark, only when he bent over the pick his up the sprinklers came on. He was screaming, “Man down!”
We got to our rooms and they were like saunas! I am not kidding you. We were sweating so bad that we woke up in a puddle of on top of our sheets. When I went to the mirror that next morning my face was greasy I had sweated so much! The bad news is that Steve and Darcella thought to open their window and they were so cold they had to put on extra blankets!
Anyway, we had to go to Naples to take a ferry to Capri. I am NOT kidding you that it took us over 3 hours to find out where to park in order to get on the ferry! It was the most confusing thing! Also, driving around in Naples was one of the scariest things I have ever endured. There are no lanes! Everyone just whizzes around you at about 90 miles an hour! When we finally pulled over once we had arrived in Naples to get our bearings, having only been inside the city limits for about 10 minutes, Steve was promptly approached by someone on a fast Vespa who sped over and offered him a used (stolen) camcorder for only $300 Euro. Steve declined and the Vespa sped off to another potential client!
We finally got on what was called the hydrafoil that carried us across to Capri. It lifted up on wings beneath the boat and sort of glided us over. When we arrived at the marina I thought I had seen the most breath-taking view I could ever have seen. THIS was the Italy I had been looking for! There are NO cars on the island of Capri! Woohoo!!
We got to our hotel and I was in awe! We stayed at the Hotel La Vega. The island was so quaint and charming and naturally beautiful. The area where we had breakfast in every morning was a place I could have lived in and been happy the rest of my life. Our rooms were overlooking high cliffs onto the water.
The first day we toured around and went to Anacapri which is on top of the island of Capri. Once at Anacapri we took a chairlift to the very summit. THAT was truly heaven. You could see everything! And here I thought our hotel view was up high and the most beautiful. We could see the city of Sorrento off in the distance. We also toured Axel Munthe's Villa di San Michele, built by a Swedish doctor and now open to visitors. It had a beautiful terraced garden but unfortunately my camera battery had gone caput on me.
The liquor, lemoncello, was invented in Capri and every time you have a meal you are served this at the end. I guess it’s kind of a traditional thing. Every shop has it in abundance in every kind of option.
The next day we took a private tour of the island on a boat. This was my favorite day of the entire trip. Did I mention this was my birthday? ;) Well, it was and the only thing that could have made it better was to have my children there.
We went inside the Blue Grotto. The day before we were told it was closed and when we actually got to go inside, I could see why. You have to lie flat inside a small narrow boat to get in and wait until the waves go down and you are pulled in by your guide tugging abruptly on a rope. Once you are in, it almost seemed you weren’t going to get out because if a large boat went by, the opening to the grotto was flooded. It was very beautiful inside, but NONE of my pictures turned out because it was so dark. The water is so blue it is unbelievably spectacular. The sun somehow mysteriously shines through the water and illuminates the cavern with its blue reflection.
We saw many beautiful and colorful grottos that day. We went to one particular grotto right before lunch where we all 4 decided to get out and swim through. We knew there was some jellyfish in the water but didn’t see any in this particular area. Once we got inside the grotto however, they were EVERYWHERE! I had a mask and saw a jellyfish in between me and Darcella and when I came up Steve was telling her not to move and she of course was hightailing it for the boat. At that instant, Scott set off a panic by saying the jellyfish were everywhere. I had swallowed some seawater and when I tried to go down and clear my snorkel and catch my breath, the water was so cold in the cave that it took my breath away. I thought I was drowning and the jellyfish were going to bring me down. Darcella tried to help me by putting her hand on my shoulder but I thought she was going to push me down so I panicked more! We all went back to the boat, except for Steve, and I was so embarrassed!
The rest of the day, I kept mentioning that I was glad to have survived that birthday because I almost drowned! ;)
We had lunch at a wonderful place overlooking the water and finished our cruise. There were people sunbathing in the nude that CLEARLY should not have been.
When we saw the marina come into view, I did not want the day to end!
I forgot to mention that earlier that morning Scott waited until I came back from breakfast and had a bag on the bed for my birthday waiting for me. I opened it to find a pair of my shoes in it. I thanked him and began to get ready for the day. Scott looked at me funny and asked if I didn’t want to him with a PILLOW??? I realized then that there was another gift bag under my pillow. Inside was a beautiful new Rolex that we had seen in a shop there in Capri a day earlier. It had a rose gold face! Who would have thought I would have gotten a pink Rolex? ;) Happy Birthday to me!
Recent Comments