The Isle of Capri!

The Isle of Capri...

Yellow dinghy...

The Blue Grotto...

Faraglioni 

The Harbor...

Faraglioni 

View from the top...

Kiss under the arch...

Friday, June 7, 2013. Chop, chop, Cinderella!  Breakfast served at 6:45AM, boat leaves for the Island of Capri at 8:05AM. Bus ride to pier about twenty minutes. If anyone thinks that a bus tour is relaxing, think again. You see a great deal and places you probably would have never seen, however, a strict schedule must be followed. For this privilege you pay a price. As soon as I have this bus seat surgically removed from my backside, I’m sure I will be fine. Our tour is rated four out of five, as moderate difficulty. Moderate for who? There are seniors on this journey and many are having a difficult time. We fall into two categories: the whiners and the complainers and the complainers and the whiners. I fit nicely into both categories and justifiably so. It is a doubled edge sword. So grateful for the opportunity, yet wished we had more time in each place and more time to REST. 

The worst part is the constant packing and unpacking, being disorganized. Somedays we are on the bus as much as eight hours. Rest room stops and lunch always. On occasion a stop in a small village or church in between major stops. We have enjoyed the beauty of Italy, a magical country, however, our next vacation will probably be on a river cruise. Everyone is raving about them. Dealing with about one hundred fifty passengers, as opposed to our Holland America cruise, which carried about twenty four hundred passengers. Although we really enjoyed the comforts of the ship and would cruise a large ship again. 

OK, enough about that! Lets get to the other edge of the sword. Today we visited the Isle of Capri. There are simply not enough adjectives in my vocabulary to describe what we experienced. We took a thirty minute Jetfoil to the Isle, once there we took the Funicular to the main square, a top of the Isle. A three minute ride to the top as opposed to a one hour and forty five minute walk/climb to the top, according to our guide. Yikes! Thank goodness for the Funicular. They are a small series of cable cars that go up the cliff side of the mountain, run by electric. Kind of like going to an amusement park when you were a kid. You grab onto a metal bar, close your eyes and scream all the way up. Oh, and down too! So much fun! 

The square was amazing, bustling with tourists, cafes and a beautiful church. Luigi, our guide took us for a walk downhill to some of the most beautiful views of the Mediterranean, I have yet seen. 

Luigi, arranged a boat tour of the Island and we visited several grottos, including The Blue Grotto, which the Isle is famous for. We did not enter the Blue Grotto, as there was a long wait. We did however enter the Coral Grotto and several others. Some folks on deck were able to touch the walls of the Grottos. We also passed under the arch of the Faraglioni. It is said that if a couple kisses, passing under the arch they will remain together forever. 

Capri, is an extremely wealthy island and relies heavily on tourism. Luigi said, they use to catch fish now they catch tourists. It has attracted artists and writers for centuries.

Also, we learned that capri pants were invented and designed in Capri. We use to call them petal pushers, when I was young. 

Well folks another memorable day, tomorrow our last full day we visit, the Ancient City of Pompeii, dinner and then an evening tour of Rome.