October 5, 2009 – Capri, Italy
We have arrived in Anacapri and it is a lazy afternoon (plus it is a loooong hike to get anywhere from our B&B, some 287 steps plus another 200 meters walk straight up). So I am sitting here with a panoramic view of the Mediterranean sea, the Island of Ischia and various terracotta pots of red and pink geraniums…and the laptop.
I must tell you about the “sausage convention” in Orvieto. At least that is what we called them…the “sausage guys”. They were everywhere in packs of 6 or 7, strolling the streets in their “going-to-town” suits and ties. Luigi, the Italian linguist, said that their dialect was definitely from the “south”…but, no, they were not, or could not be associated with the “M” word (I can’t even bring myself to type that five letter word…I am now in…errrr…almost southern Italy). Their not-so-great-fitting suits and fake silk ties gave them away (and I think they bought their sunglasses from one of those street vendors). They strutted around like a pack (or would that be flock?) of roosters. We asked a waiter at a small caffe’ if they were locals…after he recovered from laughing, he said that they had been around for a week and no one knew who they were and why they were there (and that they all spent hrs on their cells!). We decided that they must be in town for a sausage convention and nicknamed them “the sausage guys”. So…who do we see at the train station waiting for the train to Naples? The “Sausage Guys”!…still wearing the same attire, with NO luggage! Who goes to Orvieto for a whole week with nothing but one suit and one tie? Just imagine…smell……
Forgot to mention, the night at the Opera in a 150 year theatre was quite an experience. These are theatres where operas were first performed…. warm, small, intimate and elegant surroundings…
….much later
It is the evening of our first full day in Anacapri, Capri, the Blue Grotto and managed to go to the highest point of the Island via the chair lift (I was a white-knuckled chair lift-er), then back down to sea level via our two (or would that be four?) feet. The blue grotto is one of the main tourist attractions here…but worth the wait in line to see. What an amazing range of colours of irridescent blue.
After the blue grotto, we did the 2nd most touristy thing to do, the chair lift to Monte Solaro which is the highest point on the Island (589 metres or 1931 feet!). The chair lift up the mountain felt like an eternity for me (the height-challenged)…I think there were amazing views of the Mediterranean sea and Capri below, but I kept my gaze focused on the camera guy in the chair ahead of me (who was, of course, taking pics of his white-knuckled wife).
We made it to the top, took an abundance of photos and videos and decided to hike down…not the easy way either…I should have known not to follow an ex-mountain-man down from the highest point of the Island. The “trail” was called Passetiello, but I call it the “Oh my god…what I have I gotten myself into” trail. I must admit that the mountain-man kept on waiting for me at the most treacherous parts, extending his (in his words – as it sits here beside me) extremely strong arms to help me from stumbling down the rocks and into the sea.
Not surprisingly, there were NO tourists on this “trail”…just the mountain man and me (and the ghost of Augustus, the first roman emperor, and of his guards). I forgot to mention that the “strong armed” man leading the way had also been stung by a wasp at the top of Monte Solaro (I think our picnic lunch of Gorgonzola excited the resident wasps into attack mode!)…so here I am, in the middle of…or rather to top of the Island wondering if my leader may become my patient. Thankfully not (Italians are indeed “strong”, his words).
Hours later we “arrived” in Capri, but not before taking a break to dust ourselves off so we could walk among the tourists and (sort of) blend in among the very well to do people here. A gelato gave us the energy to continue all the way down to Marina Grande to find a pizzeria for supper. Ahhhh….wine, pizza, a chair (on the ground) and the ability to untie the hiking shoes (without being seen!)…felt like heaven. The waiter said Luigi was lucky to have such a beautiful wife (Luigi typing…)….
We are now back at the B&B, sitting outside, on the patio enjoying a glass of wine (Luigi is having a very long conversation in Italian with the manager…it’s all Greek to me). My feet have almost recovered thanks to a soak in the Bidet (I don’t think that is what it is supposed to be used for)….
The bed is calling my name. The mountain man says that tomorrow is another “exploration day” (his words, whatever that means…).. too late to post pictures… tomorrow ….
Buonanotte…