Beautiful Capri, the Island of Love

Some of my most favourite views in the world are from the top of Monte Solaro near Anacapri (on the island of Capri) – nearly 2,000ft. above the Bay of Naples.  When it is misty, and with the other small islands scattered about on the azure water, it looks mysterious.  Rather like a Japanese painting.

Looking down you can see all the shades of the water, from deep sapphire blue to azure, to green, to pale turquoise.  Then there is the rugged coastline with cliffs rising from the aquamarine shallows.  From here you get a 360 degree panorama showing, when it is clear, Naples, Sorrento, Vesuvius and the neighbouring island of Ischia.

Inland are terraced hills, some adorned with red-roofed white homes and clumps of trees, and the occasional splash of bright blue of a swimming pool.

On arrival in Capri and looking up from the harbour on the Marina Grande to the town above it looks like a tough climb, but don’t despair.  There are buses, cabs and a funicular waiting to take you to Capri Town.

To get to Anacapri, take a bus or a cab up the hair-raising drive to the Square.  To reach the summit of Monte Solaro you literally have to jump onto the chair-lift to see those brilliant views.  (Alternatively you can walk up but that is best left to experienced hikers).

The chair-lift swings out of town over back gardens with men maybe doing some weeding and their ladies hanging out the washing.  Then it is a gentle ride up the slope.  Just like being a bird.  No sounds of machinery, no cars, no loud music, just the swish of the chair on the cable, the breeze soughing through the trees and the delicate perfumes of the herbs and the pines. And at the top there are footpaths and a café so you can stroll around to see all of the scenery then sit down with a cooling drink before jumping onto the chair-lift for the return journey.

Back down in the Square stroll and drool over the designer clothes and the jewellery in the shops.  Or have a snack, but be warned, meals are very expensive in Capri.

An alternative to the shops is the little church of St. Michele in Piazza San Nicola.  The church was founded in 1719 and for a small financial donation you can go in to admire the mosaic floor and walk around the church – on boardwalks which protect the floor.  The mosaic depicts the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. And I love the statue of a young boy dressed as a Roman soldier and wielding a sword, which stands in the entrance.

Capri Town offers more shops, luxury hotels, cafes and restaurants and the opportunity to stroll across to the other side of the island. 

All around the Town are Medieval alleys to investigate and narrow lanes up and down between multi-coloured villas and gardens.  Intermingling aromas of garlic and cheese and of the abundant flowers greet you.  Especially prolific is the bougainvillea with its purple or crimson flowers scaling house walls or draped over garden fences.

Before leaving Capri I took a boat trip.  There is, of course, the famous Blue Grotto but, be warned, it is best visited in the morning and to enter it, one has to lie flat in the boat.  Not for me, I’m afraid.

I went on the coastal cruise which is awe-inspiring.  The craggy, shrub spattered cliffs rise almost sheer from the sea.  Look up and there is someone sunbathing on top of a rocky outcrop.  No it isn’t.  It is a very lifelike black statue!

I may have missed the Blue Grotto but I wasn’t disappointed.  There is another one that is open to the sea.  Here are the most wonderful rock formations seemingly stretching up into infinity.  And the sea is the most gorgeous turquoise you have ever seen.

To try to describe anything else in detail would be an anti-climax but, if sailing along that coast, look up and see if you can see the “anteater”.  That’s my name for a most extraordinary rock formation.

If you have the time to spend a couple of days on Capri do so.  You then get the chance to sample the night-life which is mostly based around the restaurants.  But the best is people watching.  Sit at a restaurant table in the Square overlooked by the Baroque Cathedral and watch the wealthy residents and visitors tricked out in their finery.  It is almost balletic watching them pass to and fro, greeting friends and standing to chat.  Then the group splits and they wander off to meet other friends.

Great fun, especially when seeing the poseurs!

Whatever you do when visiting that part of Italy you must go to the romantic Isle of Capri or, to give it its other title, the “Island of Love”.  Once you’ve been you’ll never forget the flowers, the perfumes or the brilliant views.