The Isle of Capri

We survived driving through Italy in our Fiat 590, which we nicknamed Tony. The car was great to drive, the roads and speeds were another story! The Italians sure love their traffic circles. At one point there was a giant, double traffic circle, in the shape of a figure 8. Who does that!? We almost exited out an entrance from it. The only other near miss was the red light we blew through on a rural road. We were on the road in the first place as I navigated us off the wrong exit from the highway and it takes a while to find your way back. (Many highways are toll roads so you can't just get back on them until you get to a toll entrance). As we blew through the light, to the surprise of the poor folks on the other side of the bridge (of course on one of those bridges where traffic can only cross one way at a time), I remarked that it was a red light. J said "I am aware!" In all fairness my noticing the red light as we are going through it, is more stating the obvious than it is any kind of helpful observation. The other issues with driving are the difficultly finding parking, parking fees, rental cost, tolls, gas prices, etc. Over all I prefer the train! We dropped off Tony and took the train from Lucca to Naples. Then we took a taxi to the dock, then a ferry to the the town of Capri on the Isle of Capri, then the Funicular (a cable train) up the hill and then a few blocks walk to arrive in our lovely hotel; La Tosca.

The Isle of Capri has been very relaxing. A highlight for me has been seeing and hearing my name everywhere. Ever since I was a little kid I wanted random items with my name on it, and I would search all over looking for a pen or something with Capri on it. Here it's everywhere! I picked up a necklace, back pack patch, shirt and of course some shirts for J.




We've spent hours wandering the narrow streets taking in the sights. We also did a lovely hilly hike to the Arco Naturale. "This bold Arch is what remains of a large grotto that once penetrated the cliffs. The waves of the sea extended its aperture and washed away its debris. After the uplifting of the island during the paleolithic era, the grotto was freed from the erosive action of the waves and the wind and the rain trasformed its surface. On returning from the Natural Arch, a flight of steps descending to the valley below leads to the Matermania Grotto, an impressive natural cavern trasformed during Roman times into a luxurious Nymphaeum. To-day few remains of the wall, which were originally lined with mosaic "tesserae" made of glass paste and decorated with multi-coloured plaster, shells and marine valves, have survived." source: http://www.capri.net/en/s/arco-naturale-and-pizzolungo




We visited the other island town; Anacapri and watched the sunset. We also took a boat trip around the entire island which gave us a great view of the amazing geological formations. We stopped off at the La Grotta Azzurra (blue grotto). Once you arrive there you transfer onto a row boat and are rowed through the the tiny grotto opening. You have to lay flat so you don't smash your face when the waves toss the boat up and down! Check out a video:



Two more nights on the Isle of Capri and then off to Paris!

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