I'm on a hydrofoil to Capri today. I have a feeling its going to be a kitschy, overpriced tourist trap. But the island looks beautiful & I want to explore it, so we'll see.
For some reason I was under the impression that Capri was small enough that I could see the whole island in one day. Um no, it is quite large in fact, & quite steep, lots of ups & downs. Maybe if I'd started earlier & ended later i could have done it all, but still, so much to do & see. I didn't have a map & had a rough agenda, so after arriving @ the port I followed a path up the hill to the center of Capri Town. I mostly found my way by following signs. From the center I followed a long trail to one edge of the island to see the Arco Naturale, a huge limestone arch. Then I followed another walking path that took me to the Grotta di Matermania-an ancient cave used for sacred rituals, then along the edge of the island, overlooking the water & cliffs, finally leading to views of the Faraglioni- 3 tall rocks that rise out of the sea. The trail eventually took me back into town, where I rode a bus up to Anacapri. Wild ride, packed like sardines and dangling on the edge of the cliffs along the steep windy road. I was nauseous when we got to the top. I headed straight to the chairlift, which took me up to the very top of the highest mountain, from which you could see Anacapri, Capri & the Faraglioni below, & in the distance the bay of Naples & the island Ischia, all fading into the sea & hazy sky. After returning to Anacapri I visited the Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo, which had this amazing painted tile floor depicting the expulsion from Eden, with a giant tree & all kinds of animals. I took the bus back down to Capri, then walked down to the port in order to catch the boat back to Sorrento. It would have been nice to see more of the island, as well as the numerous grottoes by boat, but I just did not have the time. It also would have been nice while I was in this area to see Pompeii or Herculaneum & go up Mt. Vesuvius, but I just didn't plan for any of it. Well, this will not be the last time I visit this beautiful country.
