Capri...with more coming soon

The day after the big walk from Ravello to Amalfi, Cathy and I rode the bus down to Amalfi, where we boarded the hydrofoil to Capri. The last time we rode a ferry was on the way home from Cape May a day or two after the last Harry Potter book came out. The ferry lounge was full of pre-teen Hogwarts fans deeply engrossed in their reading and totally ignoring the TV over the bar.

There was one feeble TV on the Amalfi-to-Capri hydro, no HP readers, and no bar, either. The trip took less than half an hour, and the older gentleman who kept trying to tune in an Italian football game gave up very soon. By the time he realized the TV signal was too weak, we already were in sight of Capri. People over there pronounce this COP-ree instead of the usual yankee cuh-PREE.

The fuzzy picture at the top shows the three Faraglioni rocks that are Capri's trademark. The one closest to Capri's western shore (and actually joined to it) is called "Stella." The middle one is Faraglioni di mezzo, and the outermost is called "Scopolo" or Faraglioni di fuori.

The following photo, taken from the Augustini formal gardens in Capri town, shows the sparse vegatation on these rocks--dwarf pine, most visibly. Scopolo also is home to a rare blue lizard, doubtless the cousin of all the little green lizards we saw on our walk down the mountain. Perhaps living on the rocks so close to the sea, they've taken on the beautiful blue coloration from the surrounding water. Capri, by the way, is home to the famous Blue Grotto. Since it involved another boat trip, we did not see it.



We dropped our bags at the hotel and rode up the funiculare from the harbor area to Capri town. By the time we got to the town square, it was raining, and a nice waiter at the sidewalk cafe was using a broom handle to arrange the umbrellas and awnings so that the water would run off the canvas, not drip down in between onto the customers. Italian men work hard, and the ones we encountered were very kind and friendly, too. This man was there in the morning when we sat down for a cup of coffee at his cafe. At night, about 9:30 p.m., when we were going back to the hotel after dinner, we passed back through the piazzetta, and he was STILL THERE!! They are no strangers to the art of sweeping, either. I saw only one woman sweeping the streets with those ubiquitous brooms made from twigs, the manufacture of which has been going on since medieval times or before.



It was not raining hard, but it was enough to make these two nuns hurry to shelter. I just barely had time to snap this picture before they were out of sight.


We started to shop a bit (i.e., enter shops, look around and smile, and go on to the next one--the American peso does not go very far in Euro Land), but since it was after 1 p.m., we decided to get in out of the rain and have lunch. The place was jammed, so we sat at the bar. It's always fun to sit at the bar because not only can you avoid waiting for a table, you get to see what's going on. Here is
the salad guy making DOZENS of caprese salads: fresh buffalo mozzarella, RIPE tomatoes, basil, and other little greens and veg for color. Of course, we had to have one:
The head bartender was emptying this bottle into a glass with the young woman watching him fill it too full. With her dark hair and eyes and sensitive face, she made me think of Gemma when she was that age.


Boats coming to Capri land at Marina Grande, Capri's main harbor. Here is the scene at the docks. I took these photos from our hotel room balcony. I don't know what kind of cactus this is, but I found it fascinating that such a watery place could have so many cacti!




Standing outside in the street and peering through this window, we watched this chef filet a fresh fish, cut it into chunks, flour and season it, and fry it in hot oil. Next, he added some chopped peppers and onions, prepared by his helpers at the tables along the back wall, then he added a ladle of broth and a splash of wine (from a big jug that he kept on the floor). He tasted his cooking frequently with a small spoon that he kept in the pocket of his chef's jacket. After each taste, he dipped the spoon into the boiling water and slipped it back into his pocket. Then he'd add a pinch of salt and a sprinkling of fresh herbs. While the fish & vegetable dish was cooking, he went to the big stainless refrigerator to the right and took out a portion of fresh noodles. He dropped the noodles into the well of boiling water on the right corner of the stove nearest the window. He also tossed TWO HANDfuls of salt into the water. When the noodles were cooked, he lifted out the basket and added them to the fish & vegetables. He let it all cook for a little while longer, then he plated it and stuck a sprig or two of basil on the side. We clapped our hands, to which he grinned, and then we left to walk back to the funiculare.



These highly ornate tiles decorated the waiting room at the top of the funiculare. They show a bit of Capri's salient points, including a Saracen pirate (maybe the famous one who wrecked the Carthusian monastery in the 1500s) and the Blue Grotto.



As much as we loved the food and the people watching, however, the highlight of our trip to Capri was a visit from my niece Carey, who lives in Naples. Carey was always smart as a whip even as an infant. She was less than a year old when she could say simple sentences--especially after being coached by her late, beloved Uncle Jim-- "Jimmer boom deers!" "Jimmer 'mash cars!" She called us Saturday morning about 9 a.m. and said she was taking the hydro from Naples. Our hotel looked down on the harbor, and maybe 15 minutes later, Cathy pointed out this one at the dock.
It was too soon to expect Carey's boat, but then a few minutes later, we spotted a very fast ferry approaching from the east.


And there she is....