Capri, Italy

The port of Sorrento was a hive of activity when we arrived. A cruise ship in the bay was bringing tourists ashore and there were lots of other pleasure boats in the marina too. We had to wait in the sun for the ferry to Capri which was running late. There was a guy walking up and down the line selling cold water, we reckoned he was working in cohorts with the ferry! When the boat finally it wasn’t exactly a glamorous affair. People were crammed on board and it was a hot and bumpy ride. We were all glad to catch a convertible taxi from the port to our hotel Villa Patrizi.

A few hours relaxing in our Brigitte Bardot suite and we were ready to explore Capri. We climbed a lot of stairs and arrived in the main town square. There were several cafes catering to the many tourists buzzing about. A short walk from the Piattazza led to the main shopping street. We were initially surprised at all the high end designer stores. It felt like being back in Bloor St. Toronto. When we stopped for an aperitif and paid the bill we decided we were definitely back in Toronto.

We stopped for dinner in restaurant Margarita, not a pizza place as could be expected with a name like that, but a pretty garden place overlooking the sea. Food was good. A nice place but a bit poncy. Next stop…gelato.

Next day we had breakfast at the hotel rooftop buffet. Then spent some time reading and catching up on school work. At lunchtime we headed out to explore another side of Capri, away from Gucci and Prada. First stop pizza in the Piazzetta. Then we headed for the hills of Capri, past lots of houses with pretty gardens and up Mount Tiberio to Villa Jovis.

Villa Jovis is a Roman palace, built by emperor Tiberius and completed in AD 27. Fleeing the chaos of Ancient Rome where people were beginning to revolt against his leadership Tiberius came to Capri to find peace and serenity. He mainly ruled from there until his death in AD 37. This was the largest and most sumptuous of the twelve villas he had built on the island. The view from the north side encompasses most of the Gulf of Naples, stretching from the island of Ischia to Campanella Point, while the view from the south overlooks Capri. The villa is situated at a very secluded spot on the island and Tiberius’s quarters in the north and east of the palatial villa were particularly difficult to reach and heavily guarded. The centre of the villa housed a number of cisterns to collect rainwater, a fundamental design element on this island which has no natural springs, which was used both as drinking water and as a reservoir with which to supply the baths.

Having recently watched a Netflix show on the Roman Empire it was interesting to visit the palace. The walk up Mount Tiberio was taxing but enjoyable. The views from the top were breathtaking.

Walking down hill back to the town we came upon a cliff side bar where we stopped to rest. When the mosquitos chased us away we continued our descent and sought out a restaurant near the Piattazza. Grottino was perfect. An old establishment where the owner chatted to us and showed the boys a picture of himself at ten years old in the restaurant. The walls had some photos of previous guests amongst them were Ted Kennedy, Adam Sandler and Bruno Mars.

A last relaxing breakfast on the terrace with views across the water of Naples and Mount Vesuvius. We were headed there later on but first we still has some of Capri to see.

We had an hour to see the Giardini di Augusta before catching the ferry. Another trek up the steps to town and past all the tourist shops to the beautiful panoramic gardens perched above the sea. The gardens were commissioned by Alfred Krupp to compliment his mansion on the hill. He was also responsible for having the road built. Via Krupp, a series of hairpin bends linking the marina piccolo with the mansion was visible from one side of the gardens while the famous Faraglioni rocks looked splendid in the sun on the other side.