Tour Day 6, Sorrento, Isle of Capri

Sorrento

I thought that this day of the tour was one of the best days. We were either on the water or looking at it, the sun was shining, I had two thrill rides, and I started my Italian shopping spree. We started out early to take a boat from Sorrento to the Isle of Capri. This photo shows a view that we had of Sorrento from the boat. Anyone want to stay at one of the hotels on the hill––I do.

Sorrento

A wider view of Sorrento from the boat. There was some haze over Sorrento.

Sorrento

One more view of Sorrento.

Sorrento

Isle of Capri

It didn’t take us long to reach the Isle of Capri. We would dock at the Marina Grande, Capri’s main port. The Isle of Capri reminds many people of Catalina Island––it is very similar to it and, at the same time, very different.

Isle of Capri

Another view of the Marina Grande.

Isle of Capri

A close–up of the Marina Grande.

Isle of Capri

Interesting convertible taxis here.

Isle of Capri

We had picked up a local guide in Sorrento to show us around the Isle of Capri. I think his name was Emilo and I thought that he was one of our best guides. Paola also came along on our excursion. We could just hang around Capri or take an optional tour to Anacapri with lunch. I took the optional tour. This is a photo of our local guide.

Isle of Capri

Road to Anacapri

Anacapri is the Isle of Capri’s second town, Capri being the other one. It is higher in elevation than Capri and we took the road shown at the top of this photo to reach it.

Road to Anacapri

Anacapri

There were many Italian ceramic stores in Anacapri and while we were walking I took notice of one and went back there later to purchase two Italian ceramic clocks. I had these shipped back to the U.S. The store told me that they would be delivered to my home in three weeks time and that is exactly when they arrived––to the day––and they arrived in perfect condition. They came via my regular post office delivery.

Anacapri

One of the Italian ceramic shops in Anacapri. I will be putting, later, other shops both here in Capri and elsewhere in Italy on slide shows. Italy was a shopper’s paradise.

Anacapri

Anacapri had white stucco buildings along winding shopping lanes. Many of the buildings had decorative tiles on them.

Anacapri

Another tile.

Anacapri

We next took a single–person chair lift up to the top of the cliff. Some people who go up often in ski lifts found the ride up easy but others of us (me included) found it to be of the thrill–ride variety.

Anacapri

Going Up the Cliff

On our way up.

Going Up the Cliff

We traveled over vineyard and what appears to be a folk art exhibit.

Going Up the Cliff

Another view of the folk art.

Going Up the Cliff

A closer–up view of the folk art and a goldfish pond.

Going Up the Cliff

We also traveled over some fields of crops.

Going Up the Cliff

Onward to the top of the cliff.

Going Up the Cliff

At the Top

View of down below from the top of the cliff.

At the Top

View from the top. I believe that the town below is Capri.

At the Top

View from the top on the side from where we came up. You can see the chair lift in this photo.

At the Top

These columns are from early Roman times.

At the Top

Going Down

Going down was much easier on the nerves than was going up, except that something seemed different to me after I had been sent off the cliff by the chair lift worker. About the same time that I realized what it was, some of my tour group who were still at the top also did and they yelled to me to bring down the safety bar. The chair lift worker forgot to pull in down over me. He was so upset about this that the next one in line to get in a chair had the bar put down so quickly and so hard that it was smashed on her hand. This is Patty in the photo. I told her that if she wanted to be in my movie that she would have to go down in the chair before me. There is a movie of her going down the chair lift on this site––Go to Movies, Western Europe, Italy, “Chair Lift Back to Anacapri.”

Going Down

Going Up the Cliff

I took a photo of this man who passed me while he was going up to the top of the cliff.

Going Up the Cliff

Anacapri

We all made it back from the top of the cliff and went to a restaurant in Anacapri. It was a set menu of pasta with tomato sauce (you had to be careful here––and sometimes elsewhere––not to completely finish your pasta, otherwise the waiter was only too happy to give you a supersize second portion of it). We also had Italian bread with olive oil (extra virgin, cold–pressed, of course), salad, veal, and ice cream. It was a tasty meal.

Anacapri

Going Back to Capri

The roads on the Isle of Capri are quite narrow. We were within inches of scrapping the side of this bus coming up from Capri.

Going Back to Capri

Capri

View of Capri from above.

Capri

Interesting side of a building in Capri.

Capri

This part of Capri is above the Marina Grande. You can take a funicular (on the left of the clock tower) either up or down from Capri to the Marina. There are very nice hotels in this area as well as designer stores.

Capri

Close–up of the clock on the clock tower. This is the design on one of the clocks that I bought in Anacapri except that the colors on my clock are green and gold. My clock is also considerably smaller.

Capri

Our optional tour was completed and we had free time. Some of us went down the funicular to catch a boat to the Blue Grotto.

Capri

On the Way to the Blue Grotto

We took a small boat from the Marina Grande to head to the Blue Grotto. We passed this scene on the way.

On the Way to the Blue Grotto

The water here was a beautiful shade of blue and sometimes a beautiful shade of green.

On the Way to the Blue Grotto

The Blue Grotto

We were to get off our bigger boat and go in groups of three or four into a rowboat. We were told to sit on the bottom of the boat.

The Blue Grotto

Next, we were rowed over to this other boat to pay for our trip into the grotto (we had already paid to come over here on the larger boat). Okay, try to get your money out while you are sitting on the bottom of a rowboat with one or two people leaning on top of you (I went into the rowboat with the necessary Euros in my hand and actually didn’t lose them).

The Blue Grotto

Next step, going into the Blue Grotto. You go into the Grotto through an opening on the bottom of the sea cliff. This photo shows the opening. I also put a movie clip on this site of two boats going into the Grotto: Go to Movies, Western Europe, Italy, “Blue Grotto, Isle of Capri.”

The Blue Grotto

Inside the Blue Grotto

I had no idea whatsoever as to what the Blue Grotto was like. It is a large sea cave, very dark, but some of its water is lit up as iridescent blue by the light streaming in from the hole to the cave. This photo shows the color of the water in the Blue Grotto.

Inside the Blue Grotto

Another photo taken inside the Blue Grotto.

Inside the Blue Grotto

Another photo of inside the Blue Grotto.

Inside the Blue Grotto

Another photo of inside the Blue Grotto.

Inside the Blue Grotto

Getting ready to leave the Blue Grotto. You are only in the Grotto for a couple of minutes or so.

Inside the Blue Grotto

Going Out of the Blue Grotto

On our way out of the Grotto. We are all ducking down.

Going Out of the Blue Grotto

On Our Way Back to the Marina Grande

We passed this seagull on our way back.

On Our Way Back to the Marina Grande

Sidewalk Cafe

I had a Cafe Americano here while waiting for the tour group to meet again. This is the most expensive cup of coffee I had in Italy––5 euros (a bit more than $6.50 U.S.).

Sidewalk Cafe

Capri

Interesting wall in Capri.

Capri

Back to Sorrento

Our tour group met up again and we took a boat back to Sorrento. This photo shows a view of Sorrento from the boat.

Back to Sorrento

Inlaid Wood Factory

We went back to our hotel for awhile before heading off again. We were to visit an inlaid wood factory. I wasn’t interested in inlaid wood and went off with a specific purpose in mind (actually, a specific purchase. When daughter Britt was in Sorrento last year, she bought me a beautiful Sorrento ceramic dish with a cover. She wanted me to find her one similar to it. I went from store to store in Sorrento and finally found one to buy here although it was much smaller. Since this was just the beginning of tourist season, I don’t think that the stores were fully stocked yet). Anyway, to show you what inlaid wood looks like, I found some examples in one of the stores to take a photo of. It is very expensive.

Inlaid Wood Factory

Shopper’s Street

Behind the main street of Sorrento, there is a maze of narrow shopping streets. I found Britt’s present in a small store on one of these streets. Here is one of the streets.

Shopper’s Street

Piazza Tasso

I went to the Piazza Tasso, Sorrento’s main plaza, to meet up again with my tour group.

Piazza Tasso

Another view of Piazza Tasso.

Piazza Tasso

The name of the small church in the photo just off the Piazza Tasso should be the Church of San Francesco. Some of us went inside it and I was so taken with the service being held in the church that I took a movie clip of it which is on this site: Go to Movies, Western Europe, Italy, “Church of San Francesco, Sorrento.” The service was very moving and I was told that it was in Latin and additionally that all Catholic services in Italy are still given in Latin. I was also told that it would okay to take a movie of the service.

Piazza Tasso

I was also able to take this photo of a group of Italian men busy playing some kind of game.

Piazza Tasso

La Stalla

I met up with my tour group and we walked to the La Stalla Restaurant to have dinner. We had another four–course meal which I remember was tasty. Part of the building that the restaurant is in dates back to the Middle Ages. After dinner, we walked back to our hotel. A totally good day.