"The vineyard on the rock, the fissures
of moss, walls that intrigue
the creepers, the plinths of flowers and
stone"
(Pablo Neruda)
Forget Dolce & Gabbana, VIPs and forbidden parties: Capri, especially out of season, is the maze of alleys of its villages, the endless network of paths that connect a myriad of villas, the impervious paths along the coasts, the ruins of ancient palaces from where the Roman emperors administered the empire, quiet streets that empty at sunset, when the "hit and run" tourists return to the mainland.
And crazy prices, yes.
DAY 1
Bus, plane, bus, ship, bus. Getting to Capri is not exactly a walk in the park: at the same time we could have flown over the Atlantic.
We arrive in the early afternoon, quite tired and hungry. However, we are gratified by the beautiful view of Marina Grande and, in the distance, Vesuvius.
We spend the day wandering around the town of Capri, in the tranquility of a Friday in March, without people.
Bus, plane, bus, ship, bus. Getting to Capri is not exactly a walk in the park: at the same time we could have flown over the Atlantic.
We arrive in the early afternoon, quite tired and hungry. However, we are gratified by the beautiful view of Marina Grande and, in the distance, Vesuvius.
We spend the day wandering around the town of Capri, in the tranquility of a Friday in March, without people.
DAY 2
Today we went to Anacapri, the second village on the island, the most mountainous. The weather did not accompany much: little sun and decidedly cold wind, with some short-lived showers.
First, we climbed to the 589 meters of Mount Solaro with the funicular, even if the clouds did not allow us to fully enjoy the view, and we took refuge in the bar to have a hot drink.
The rest of the day was dedicated to exploring Anacapri: decidedly quieter than its sister, it looks more like a small town. Among the noteworthy buildings is "the red house", an eclectic building in Moroccan-Pompeian style, commissioned by the American colonel John Clay MacKowen.
Today we went to Anacapri, the second village on the island, the most mountainous. The weather did not accompany much: little sun and decidedly cold wind, with some short-lived showers.
First, we climbed to the 589 meters of Mount Solaro with the funicular, even if the clouds did not allow us to fully enjoy the view, and we took refuge in the bar to have a hot drink.
The rest of the day was dedicated to exploring Anacapri: decidedly quieter than its sister, it looks more like a small town. Among the noteworthy buildings is "the red house", an eclectic building in Moroccan-Pompeian style, commissioned by the American colonel John Clay MacKowen.
In the afternoon we went to visit the beautiful Villa San Michele, commissioned by the Swedish doctor and writer Axel Munthe.
It is an interesting space especially for the eclectic collection of Roman and Etruscan art, with a myriad of artifacts to adorn rooms and gardens.
It is an interesting space especially for the eclectic collection of Roman and Etruscan art, with a myriad of artifacts to adorn rooms and gardens.
Villa San Giovanni is famous above all for its gardens, adorned with antiquities, with beautiful views of the Gulf of Naples and shady pergola passages.
DAY 3
We got up and went to the port of Marina Grande for a boat tour around the island. Fortunately, there were few people and we immediately found a ticket.
We got up and went to the port of Marina Grande for a boat tour around the island. Fortunately, there were few people and we immediately found a ticket.
We left, therefore, with the boat, and headed immediately to the famous Blue Grotto. Providential haste, because shortly afterwards it would have been closed due to rough seas.
To access it you have to get on small boats, to be paid separately; one of them therefore acts as a cash desk and, even in the middle of the sea, you can easily pay by credit card (we are still in Capri).
Access is through an almost entirely submerged opening, which only emerges for about a meter, and which leads into a much larger cavity. This allows light to penetrate mainly through the submerged part of the entrance, ensuring that the interior receives brightness through water, enhancing its intense blue color.
It's really a spectacle.
The boat made us make two laps of the cave, while the rower sang Neapolitan songs in the most typical of clichés; but this is also Capri. In the second of these tours, we were the only ones inside the cave, a fortune that only touches in the low season.
To access it you have to get on small boats, to be paid separately; one of them therefore acts as a cash desk and, even in the middle of the sea, you can easily pay by credit card (we are still in Capri).
Access is through an almost entirely submerged opening, which only emerges for about a meter, and which leads into a much larger cavity. This allows light to penetrate mainly through the submerged part of the entrance, ensuring that the interior receives brightness through water, enhancing its intense blue color.
It's really a spectacle.
The boat made us make two laps of the cave, while the rower sang Neapolitan songs in the most typical of clichés; but this is also Capri. In the second of these tours, we were the only ones inside the cave, a fortune that only touches in the low season.
Leaving the Blue Grotto, we continued the circumnavigation of the island.
A strong mistral wind rippled the sea, and the crossing was not very smooth.
However, we managed to get to the stacks, one of the symbols of Capri, majestic in the middle of the waves.
A strong mistral wind rippled the sea, and the crossing was not very smooth.
However, we managed to get to the stacks, one of the symbols of Capri, majestic in the middle of the waves.
After recovering from the boat ride, we went with a nice walk to Villa Jovis, which is the remains of Tiberius' palace.
Not much remains, but these ruins overlooking the sea, visited without other people around, fascinated us.
Not much remains, but these ruins overlooking the sea, visited without other people around, fascinated us.
Near Villa Jovis, gardens recently opened to the public offer breathtaking views of the Sorrento peninsula.
In the evening, back in the village, we still had time for a last goodbye to the "faraglioni".
DAY 4
We returned to Anacapri, and immediately headed to the church of San Michele, which we had previously found closed.
The floor is a gigantic majolica depicting the Earthly Paradise, of surprising beauty.
We returned to Anacapri, and immediately headed to the church of San Michele, which we had previously found closed.
The floor is a gigantic majolica depicting the Earthly Paradise, of surprising beauty.
We dedicated the afternoon to the "path of the forts", which runs along the east coast of Capri connecting the remains of eighteenth-century fortifications.
The path is not always well marked, with various ups and downs and paths between the rocks.
However, it allowed us to enjoy the landscape and the encounter with various animals, such as this lizard.
The path is not always well marked, with various ups and downs and paths between the rocks.
However, it allowed us to enjoy the landscape and the encounter with various animals, such as this lizard.
DAY 5
The last day gave us time to visit the gardens of Augustus, not very large but overlooking a beautiful sea
The last day gave us time to visit the gardens of Augustus, not very large but overlooking a beautiful sea
One last look at the stacks, and it's already time to leave Capri with its off-season silences.
