Capri, Italy

Last time we wake up to our gorgeous view of the sea. After breakfast we’ll be heading to the Isle of Capri. Had a chance to say goodbye to our favorite waiter at breakfast. He has welcomed us with a big smile each morning and made sure Sue had her honey for her tea. We wish him well. Checked out at the desk. They had our boat reservation made for us, so after the paperwork we were ready to go.

We’ll be taking the jet boat to Capri, which should take just about a half hour. We found the back stairs down to the beach level – they are newer, flatter and not crowded. Pretty quick walk over to the pier. The boat is already docked, but it won’t be boarding for about 30 minutes.

Very nice being next to the water, even if it is just waiting to go. The sea was rolling, not big waves, just swales. The boats were bobbing and the sun was shining. Boarding time came quickly. Easy enough getting the bags across the gang plank. We chose to sit inside. We’ll get lots of fresh air in Capri, no sense tempting Sue’s cold.

The ride over is great. We speed along the shoreline, lots of great views. The boat creates big splashes as we cruise along.

In no time at all, we can see the island. The first glance is always exciting (my friend Dave taught me that in Canada) and there it is. Lots of big yachts anchored just outside the harbor. I thought that one of them was a cruise ship at first – Wow!

The pier is bustling. Our boat was dropping off, another bigger ferry was loading up. People, cars, trucks and porters all squeezing together. We made it to the end of the pier and found a cab to get to the hotel. The cabs are open top vehicles. You feel like you’re part of a parade – sun shining, wind blowing through your hair. The road winds up from the harbor to the Piazzetta Umberto in the town center.

Taxi at the Capri Marina Grande Pier

Our hotel, the Capri Wine Hotel, is about three- fourths of the way to the top. The hotel is a newer boutique hotel. This is their fourth summer open. It’s a family run hotel and our hosts are Rafaele and Elena. The family was previously in the wine business, so the theme is a tribute to Rafaele’s grandfather who was the winemaker.

The room is nice and we have a balcony view of the sea. There is a wine chiller unit that is part of the mini-bar, a big shower and a comfortable bed.

Outside, the grounds are beautiful. There are three different areas to sit and relax or enjoy a glass of wine. The breakfast area is a patio that overlooks the sea with views of Mt Vesuvius. They also have a huge garden and orchard with apricot and lemon trees, artichokes, tomatoes, lettuce, squash and lots of different herbs.

It’s like visiting friends, not staying at a hotel. Elena gave us the rundown on the hotel, gave us lots of suggestions for places to visit and also restaurant suggestions. So we’re ready to tackle Capri…

The walk to the center of town is about ten minutes. We’re going to do a little exploring before dinner. Elena made us reservations at a local favorite called Vergieniella.

As we are 3/4 of the way to town, the walk is headed up. There is a quiet little alley that serves as a short cut, but it is still heading up and there are stairs. With just a little huffing and puffing, we arrive at the upper level and head towards town. We pass by the restaurant and continue forward. Lots of little shops and restaurants line the street. It will be fun to check things out.

But for now – dinner time! The restaurant is definitely more of a local spot, though there is a smattering of english to be heard. We ordered antipasti and pasta, plus a bottle of Amalfi Coast rose’. Everything was good, though Sue’s was a little saltier than she prefers. However, I have to share my antipasti with you. And I probably could have shared with everyone.

I had prosciutto and fresh mozzarella. When the plate arrived, there was a ball of mozzarella the size of a baseball or large orange. It was so fresh and so delicious – mamma mia!

Made our way back to the hotel afterwards – downhill. Met Rafaele as we arrived back and got a big bottle of water for the room. Just finished off the evening listening to Patrizio Buanne before getting a good nights rest.