Paradise!

Our 7 1/2 hour trek from La Spezia to Sorrento was survivable, and we arrived early afternoon after a disappointing stopover in Naples. I had hoped to spend a couple of hours there, to see the city and eat a piece of Napolean pizza. After all, Naples is where this much-loved food originated! The city was noisy and, if possible, even more chaotic then Rome. I really wanted to find a true gem in this city to try pizza but the heat, smell and noise just drove us to leave earlier than planned. Bryan was especially annoyed with Naples, perhaps after experiencing a few quieter days recently? I did find a good couple of bananas at a market though!

 

Naples city street - I may not have had pizza but I saw the infamous apartments with laundry drying off the balconies!

But, it was worth it to arrive in Sorrento a bit earlier than planned. Sorrento is absolutely stunning in its character and views of the sea. The town is built in tiers, so while the map looks like streets intersect normally, we found there are times we end up walking down about 4 stories to access the next street. It is very touristy, but the city is energized throughout the day and night with people engaging in lively conversation and much laughter. I've already decided it was a wise, wise choice to drop two nights in Rome to stay here for two more.

 

Tunnel in Sorrento near our hostel.

A view of the Sorrento coast from one marina.

 

Sorrento boats docked at the marina.

 

Our "hostel" (Ulisse Deluxe Hostel) is certainly intriguing as well. When I booked it, it did seem to be a bit nicer than most, but it's designed like a 5 star resort with a very welcoming reception, a bar with many comfy chairs, a side breakfast room, as well as a full spa and wellness center. This hostel even has a parking lot on site! Our room is nothing special, but it's quiet, clean and comfortable. We have our own bathroom, and there is a TV. Really, it's not a lot different from many 2 star hotels at home, for a better price.

Today we visited the island of Capri, and I'm in love...with the nautical transportation; with the interesting tiered towns and many natural pathways; and most importantly with the sea. I have never seen such clear, beautiful blue waters! THIS may be where I buy a second home one day.

Capri (Marina Grande) from our tour boat.

 

As any tourist area, we had to pay to see the natural wonders that Capri has to offer. We took a boat trip this morning to see the Blue Grotto, a cave the Romans found hundreds of years ago. The island has remnants of the old fortress high up on the hills, and there was a door inside the grotto where the king and his men could quickly escape from enemies within. The Blue Grotto was so, so pretty! Once inside, the water glows the most natural blue color because of how the sunlight reflects off the white stone ocean floor. It was truly an amazing effect to see. But, after €13 for the boat ride over, €12,50 to swap into rowboats and go into the Grotto for 5 minutes, plus, of course, the vocally expected tips of the guides (€9), I think I would walk down from Anacapri and go in on my own to save a bit of money.

We took an overcrowded mini-bus to Anacapri and walked around before having some lemonade and lunch. Bryan managed to find a decent hamburger today! We then paid €10 each to take the chairlift up to the top of Mount Solaro where we were exposed to panoramic views of the island and surrounding Sea!

One view from the top of the mountain, overlooking Capri town with the mainland in the background.

 

True to any tourist area, of course there was a lounge and sunbathing area with bar at the top. Anything to exploit your beauty I guess.

 

It's been another scorching hot day so after waiting in the sun for the bus back to Marina Grande, we spent about 45 minutes swimming in the sea. Have I mentioned how wonderful the water is??? I swam out about fifty feet and floated above a patch of sea grass, watching four or five different types of fish swimming below me. I could see the bottom clearly at what I'm guessing was 7-10 meters deep. Amazing!

We've both become enchanted by the sea here and have begun discussing the likelihood of doing a sailing trip in the Mediterranean in the next few years. Being near water is one of our top loves, and I think sailing would be a great way to vacation for a few weeks! Yep, I am definitely coming back to Italy someday soon.

The gardens here are great, but my favorite edible vegetation are the fruit trees. They have orange and lemon trees all over the place, including growing in the middle if the restaurants! I'm loving the fresh lemonade made from the locally grown lemons, and appreciate how many restaurants try to support the local farmers and gardeners through serving locally grown menu items.

Bryan at his best on the ancient rock couch!