Thank you Fodorites! Trip report on Italy.
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Thank you Fodorites! Trip report on Italy.
My husband and I returned on 9/28 from 10 days in Italy. We left on 9/28 from Newark,NJ on an Alitalia flight. No complaints with Alitalia though their food is only fair. Landed in Rome and had 1 1/2 hour layover until our flight to Naples. Upon arrival in Naples collected luggage and proceded to exit door of Arrivals area to catch bus to the port, Molo Beverello (1st piece of advice from fodorites). I did stop at info desk adjacent to the door to ask which bus and whether i could pay for the ticket on the bus. We were lucky and were able to catch a bus right away and just payed the driver 3 euros per person.
Everything we heard about Naples driving IS TRUE! Never have seen anything like it in my life. Took about 5-10 minutes to reach port. We had our first experience crossing a crazy Naples street, and with our luggage too! Made it in one piece and proceeded to ticket booth to purchase hydrofoil ticket. Ticets were 22 euros round trip each. Don't think I would purchase round trip again, but that is a later story. We had to wait about 10 minutes to board the boat and after we got on the boatman was trying to tell us something about our tickets but he didn't speak English. I did try to teach myself some Italian prior to the trip but I did not understand what he was saying. Finally he kept pointing vigorously at our bags and yelling biglietto so we realized that we also needed tickets for our luggage. He also kept saying due so we knew that we only needed them for our luggage not our carry-ons. Bill had to run back to the ticket area to get our baggage ticket. The hydrofoil was very nice and we were able to keep our bags with us, lots of room. We finally arrive at Marina Grande! As we were told on Fodors, there were porters there ready to wisk our luggage to our hotel. We found the funicular, bought our tickets for 1.30 euro each and were up and away to Capri Town. We were charmed by the main piazza, Piazza Umberto I, and decided to get a gelato since we now were hot and a little tired. We bought our gelato at Bar Tiberio in the piazza and then proceeded to sit at a table(there were a few empty) only to be told that we weren't allowed to if only purchasing ice cream. We later found that if you buy ice cream you pay more if you are going to sit and eat it. It left me feeling a little despondent. We proceed to find our hotel which we did with no problem. We were staying at the Hotel Mamela per the recommendations of this forum. We gave them our nane and they proceeded to tell us that our reservation was cancelled. They didn't know by who and told us they didn't have a room. I felt like I was going to have a meltdown. I very patiently explained to the gentleman that we did not cancel our reservation and that I had already paid my American Express bill that our travel agent had billed. Another gentleman there seem a little irritated with the desk clerk and spoke to him in Italian and miraculously we had the sea front room that we had reserved. Since it was Sunday we had to wait until the next day for them to call and resove it. Everything worked out fine, still don't know what happened. We were taken to our room which was very nice. It had a bright ceramic tile floor and the room was very clean. The bed looked like a King but was 2 beds pushed together. Very comfy beds. Our room had a lovely view of the pool,the Faraglioni, and the sea. We thought that the Mamela was a very good value and also would recommend it. Someone complained on this forum about the hairdryers and i would have to agree. It was different than any dryer i have ever used before. It was like drying your hair with a vacuum hose that has a slanted end. I did get used to it but it is a skill that takes time to develop.
We changed into our swimsuits and went down to the pool. Hubby quickly fell asleep and I read..though did doze off on a couple catnaps. We went back to our room, showered and went to the piazza for wine. We loved people watching and drinking wine but alas we needed to eat. Went down one of the side streets and ate at the La Grotina. Very good food and excellent service. Walked around awhile after dinner just soaking up the ambience.
Day 2: Breakfast at the hotel, pretty standard continental style. Coffee Americano takes getting adjusted to. Took us a couple days to figure out that we needed to diute it 50/50 with milk to make it enjoyable to us. Set off for a climb to Villa Jovis. We started talking to a man that was doing gardening. He spoke excellent english. Very interesting man and he told us that he has a daughter who lives in Washington state. She is a physician and that they will be married 50 years this year so they are going out to see her. The admission to Villa Jovis was 2 euros each. Unless you bought a book there you really don't have much information. There was a diagram but not much info. It was still neat knowing that it was the palace of Tiberius. We made the trek back down and then took a turn for the Arco Naturale. On the way we happened on La Grotelle, which was so highly recommended. It looked so delightful that we decided to stop and eat there. There were alot of tables that had reservation markers on them so we were lucky to get a table. They had the best Ravioli on this planet. It was so soft that you could cut through it with a fork like butter. Wonderful dining experience!! We then proceeded towards the natural arch. Beautiful place. When you look down at the water from way up high the color of the water is the beautiful sea foam color you see in the Caribbean. We retraced our steps bck to Le Grotelle and took a path that went down just adjacent to the restaurant. It was a verrrrrrry long but gorgeous walk which took us all the way to Punta Tragara. All this exercise has been great but now hot, tired and my calfs were starting to hurt because of all the steps i had to climb. Pool time! Went to Villa Brunella for dinner. Another wonderful dinner and the atmosphere was very charming. Went for nice walk after dinner and then wine on our balcony.
Day 3: Went to Marina Grande in search of how to do the Blue Grotto tour. Was approached by a young guy offering us a privat boat tour around island and stated that he could get us in the grotto very quickly. He told us that the bigger boats can take almost an hour to get you on the smaller boat to go into the grotto. It was going to cost us 29 euros each more to take a private tour so we told him we needed to discuss it. He was very patient while we did. We decided to use him and we were very glad we did. He was a great guy and explained a lot of things to us as we toured the island. There were alot of the boats at the grotto when we got there but we were in the grotto within 10 minutes. We had to transfer from his boat into a smaller boat with another driver. He then rowed us over to this floating "office" where they collect the fee to go into the grotto, 4 euros per person. I have to admit i was a little nervous while awaiting our turn, as the waves were reaching the top of the grotto opening. We reclined way back in the boat so our head were below the top of the boat and at just the right moment our driver pulled us through the opening. They do that with a chain that is from the mouth of the grotto to inside the grotto. What an awesome site. The water was a bright, almost fluorescent blue. I can see why so many people advise to do it on a sunny day b/c the color is dependent on sunlight coming through the opening of the grotto. We were very happy that we decided to do it when we did b/c the grotto was closed for two days while we were in Capri b/c of the choppy bay. My advice would be to do it the first sunny day you have b/c you never know how choppy it will be subsequent days. When we came out of the Grotto Azzurra "Jack" was waiting for us on his boat. We transferred back to his boat and continued our tour around the island. When we reached the Grotto Verdi(green grotto) Jack asked if we would like to swim. Bill had his suit on but i did not. Jack put a ladder on the boat and Bill went in as did some other people from a couple of other boats. Jack never pressured Bill to get back in the boat but he only swam for about 15 min. We went through the hole in one of the Faraglioni and prior to going through Jack told us to make a wish as we went through. After returning to Marina Grande we decided to explore the marina area and ate a late lunch. Pool time! Every time we go to the pool we end up meeting new people form all over. Lots of fun conversing with them. That night went to Di Giorgio's in Marina Grande for dinner. Funny story: I kept smelling this " fried smell" since we arrived in Capri. It smelled absolutely heavenly so i just had to have whatever it was. I figured out that i thought it might be potato fritters. I saw on DiGiorgio's menu potate frittae so i thought i was ordering potato pancakes. Imagine my shock when they brought out FRENCH FRIES. I didn't know that they even ate them in Italy. Well, they were the best FF I have ever had in my life. We ended up ordering them 3 other times while in Capri. I usually rarely eat FF here at home. If one of the major fast food chains could replicate them they would corner the market. We did a taste test in Rome, and they wer just like here at home. Capri has the best fries anywhere.
Will continue tomorrow, getting late.
Everything we heard about Naples driving IS TRUE! Never have seen anything like it in my life. Took about 5-10 minutes to reach port. We had our first experience crossing a crazy Naples street, and with our luggage too! Made it in one piece and proceeded to ticket booth to purchase hydrofoil ticket. Ticets were 22 euros round trip each. Don't think I would purchase round trip again, but that is a later story. We had to wait about 10 minutes to board the boat and after we got on the boatman was trying to tell us something about our tickets but he didn't speak English. I did try to teach myself some Italian prior to the trip but I did not understand what he was saying. Finally he kept pointing vigorously at our bags and yelling biglietto so we realized that we also needed tickets for our luggage. He also kept saying due so we knew that we only needed them for our luggage not our carry-ons. Bill had to run back to the ticket area to get our baggage ticket. The hydrofoil was very nice and we were able to keep our bags with us, lots of room. We finally arrive at Marina Grande! As we were told on Fodors, there were porters there ready to wisk our luggage to our hotel. We found the funicular, bought our tickets for 1.30 euro each and were up and away to Capri Town. We were charmed by the main piazza, Piazza Umberto I, and decided to get a gelato since we now were hot and a little tired. We bought our gelato at Bar Tiberio in the piazza and then proceeded to sit at a table(there were a few empty) only to be told that we weren't allowed to if only purchasing ice cream. We later found that if you buy ice cream you pay more if you are going to sit and eat it. It left me feeling a little despondent. We proceed to find our hotel which we did with no problem. We were staying at the Hotel Mamela per the recommendations of this forum. We gave them our nane and they proceeded to tell us that our reservation was cancelled. They didn't know by who and told us they didn't have a room. I felt like I was going to have a meltdown. I very patiently explained to the gentleman that we did not cancel our reservation and that I had already paid my American Express bill that our travel agent had billed. Another gentleman there seem a little irritated with the desk clerk and spoke to him in Italian and miraculously we had the sea front room that we had reserved. Since it was Sunday we had to wait until the next day for them to call and resove it. Everything worked out fine, still don't know what happened. We were taken to our room which was very nice. It had a bright ceramic tile floor and the room was very clean. The bed looked like a King but was 2 beds pushed together. Very comfy beds. Our room had a lovely view of the pool,the Faraglioni, and the sea. We thought that the Mamela was a very good value and also would recommend it. Someone complained on this forum about the hairdryers and i would have to agree. It was different than any dryer i have ever used before. It was like drying your hair with a vacuum hose that has a slanted end. I did get used to it but it is a skill that takes time to develop.
We changed into our swimsuits and went down to the pool. Hubby quickly fell asleep and I read..though did doze off on a couple catnaps. We went back to our room, showered and went to the piazza for wine. We loved people watching and drinking wine but alas we needed to eat. Went down one of the side streets and ate at the La Grotina. Very good food and excellent service. Walked around awhile after dinner just soaking up the ambience.
Day 2: Breakfast at the hotel, pretty standard continental style. Coffee Americano takes getting adjusted to. Took us a couple days to figure out that we needed to diute it 50/50 with milk to make it enjoyable to us. Set off for a climb to Villa Jovis. We started talking to a man that was doing gardening. He spoke excellent english. Very interesting man and he told us that he has a daughter who lives in Washington state. She is a physician and that they will be married 50 years this year so they are going out to see her. The admission to Villa Jovis was 2 euros each. Unless you bought a book there you really don't have much information. There was a diagram but not much info. It was still neat knowing that it was the palace of Tiberius. We made the trek back down and then took a turn for the Arco Naturale. On the way we happened on La Grotelle, which was so highly recommended. It looked so delightful that we decided to stop and eat there. There were alot of tables that had reservation markers on them so we were lucky to get a table. They had the best Ravioli on this planet. It was so soft that you could cut through it with a fork like butter. Wonderful dining experience!! We then proceeded towards the natural arch. Beautiful place. When you look down at the water from way up high the color of the water is the beautiful sea foam color you see in the Caribbean. We retraced our steps bck to Le Grotelle and took a path that went down just adjacent to the restaurant. It was a verrrrrrry long but gorgeous walk which took us all the way to Punta Tragara. All this exercise has been great but now hot, tired and my calfs were starting to hurt because of all the steps i had to climb. Pool time! Went to Villa Brunella for dinner. Another wonderful dinner and the atmosphere was very charming. Went for nice walk after dinner and then wine on our balcony.
Day 3: Went to Marina Grande in search of how to do the Blue Grotto tour. Was approached by a young guy offering us a privat boat tour around island and stated that he could get us in the grotto very quickly. He told us that the bigger boats can take almost an hour to get you on the smaller boat to go into the grotto. It was going to cost us 29 euros each more to take a private tour so we told him we needed to discuss it. He was very patient while we did. We decided to use him and we were very glad we did. He was a great guy and explained a lot of things to us as we toured the island. There were alot of the boats at the grotto when we got there but we were in the grotto within 10 minutes. We had to transfer from his boat into a smaller boat with another driver. He then rowed us over to this floating "office" where they collect the fee to go into the grotto, 4 euros per person. I have to admit i was a little nervous while awaiting our turn, as the waves were reaching the top of the grotto opening. We reclined way back in the boat so our head were below the top of the boat and at just the right moment our driver pulled us through the opening. They do that with a chain that is from the mouth of the grotto to inside the grotto. What an awesome site. The water was a bright, almost fluorescent blue. I can see why so many people advise to do it on a sunny day b/c the color is dependent on sunlight coming through the opening of the grotto. We were very happy that we decided to do it when we did b/c the grotto was closed for two days while we were in Capri b/c of the choppy bay. My advice would be to do it the first sunny day you have b/c you never know how choppy it will be subsequent days. When we came out of the Grotto Azzurra "Jack" was waiting for us on his boat. We transferred back to his boat and continued our tour around the island. When we reached the Grotto Verdi(green grotto) Jack asked if we would like to swim. Bill had his suit on but i did not. Jack put a ladder on the boat and Bill went in as did some other people from a couple of other boats. Jack never pressured Bill to get back in the boat but he only swam for about 15 min. We went through the hole in one of the Faraglioni and prior to going through Jack told us to make a wish as we went through. After returning to Marina Grande we decided to explore the marina area and ate a late lunch. Pool time! Every time we go to the pool we end up meeting new people form all over. Lots of fun conversing with them. That night went to Di Giorgio's in Marina Grande for dinner. Funny story: I kept smelling this " fried smell" since we arrived in Capri. It smelled absolutely heavenly so i just had to have whatever it was. I figured out that i thought it might be potato fritters. I saw on DiGiorgio's menu potate frittae so i thought i was ordering potato pancakes. Imagine my shock when they brought out FRENCH FRIES. I didn't know that they even ate them in Italy. Well, they were the best FF I have ever had in my life. We ended up ordering them 3 other times while in Capri. I usually rarely eat FF here at home. If one of the major fast food chains could replicate them they would corner the market. We did a taste test in Rome, and they wer just like here at home. Capri has the best fries anywhere.
Will continue tomorrow, getting late.
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I am enjoying your trip report very much, but I second the request to separate it into short paragraphs, it's very hard to read such a dense paragraph on screen!
I got as far as the Naples bus part and then my eyes gave out..
I got as far as the Naples bus part and then my eyes gave out..
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very glad to hear your hotel situation worked out and that you had some fun adventures and yummy food.
I remember all too well the dash across the street in Naples to Molo Beverello to get over to Procida.
Pretty invigorating
I remember all too well the dash across the street in Naples to Molo Beverello to get over to Procida.
Pretty invigorating
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Thank you again, Fodrites! Overlooked the paragraph thing, and you are so right. Will try to do better this time.
Day 4: We are off on our first bus ride to Anacapri! Wow, what an experience that was. The ticket booth for the bus and hydrofoils is near the funicular station beyond the main piazza. Price is 1.30 euro per person. We were lucky b/c the bus was almost empty. Not so lucky on the return trip, we were packed in like sardines. Bill hated the ride up. I have to admit it was a little frightening. The road is very narrow and hugs the cliffside. It winds all the way up to Anacapri and we literally hugged other buses that were going the other way. The buses must have been specially designed for that road making them the absolute largest they could make them so that when they were side by side they JUST FIT on the road. There were places on the road that when we came upon another vehicle one of the vehicles would have to reverse and then they would try to squeeze past one another. Bill wants to know what the life expectancy is for a driver that does that run. He did not mind the Amalfi coast road as much as he did this road.
We first took a walk to the Villa of Axel Munth. Breathtaking views! We also took a walk to the hotel Caesar Augustus which we were a litte disappointed in. We had heard so much about it from a friend of ours and from reviews that when we were there it was like seeing a movie that has been so hyped. The people that have sea front rooms have just incredible views! The grounds didn't appear as well maintained as the Mamela and we peeked in the lobby and it was vey nice but for the huge difference in price it made us very happy with our hotel choice.
We then returned to the central piazza and rode the chairlift to the summit. That was enjoyable. Being in Italy i really got an appreciation for the Italians ability to utilize space. As we were riding up the lift there are grapes and vegtables grown almost all the way up the mountain. The view was so beautiful at the top. There is
a restaurant at the top but we just had water and went to this swing and just relaxed and took in all the beauty.
We got back on the chairlift and made our descent back down. We then explored the other side of the main piazza and really got a good appreciation of the difference between Anacapri and the town of Capri.
the flavor of this town is different. They also have two different local goverments according to Jack the guy who gave us our boat tour).
Lunch was great! We went into a deli, Alimentari Russo, and was a couple haveing a sandwich made. It was on a very large roll, tomatoes, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and basil. Fresh basil, of course. We asked him to make us the same. We had him cut it in half and it was more than enough for both of us. It was wonderful!
Continued to explore the town and finally found the Blue Gotto Cafe. My friend had rented a house in Anacapri two years ago and often got things at that cafe and wanted me to say hello to them for her. She forgot to tell me that they did not speak a word of Emglish. I did attempt to communicate but even though i tried to learn some of the language i am somewhat limited. Really don't know if they understood. Back down to Capri around 3pm,changed and again it is pooltime!
Dinner tonight at DiGemmas, which also was wonderful. I might mention that we have only had wonderful food since we got here. I also have to note for anyone who has never been here before that quite often you will have to pay for the use of the table(service charge), you will have to pay for water,and quite often the service charge is added on. When you order water they will ask you if you want gas in your water or not.
We strolled around town and went into some shops and bought some wine and cheese in a grocery store. We just pointed to the cheese we wanted and the gentleman took it out placed it on a cutting board and took his knife and motioned to where he thought we may want it cut and we said Si. The cheese seemed to be a little cheaper than at home.
To be continued!
Day 4: We are off on our first bus ride to Anacapri! Wow, what an experience that was. The ticket booth for the bus and hydrofoils is near the funicular station beyond the main piazza. Price is 1.30 euro per person. We were lucky b/c the bus was almost empty. Not so lucky on the return trip, we were packed in like sardines. Bill hated the ride up. I have to admit it was a little frightening. The road is very narrow and hugs the cliffside. It winds all the way up to Anacapri and we literally hugged other buses that were going the other way. The buses must have been specially designed for that road making them the absolute largest they could make them so that when they were side by side they JUST FIT on the road. There were places on the road that when we came upon another vehicle one of the vehicles would have to reverse and then they would try to squeeze past one another. Bill wants to know what the life expectancy is for a driver that does that run. He did not mind the Amalfi coast road as much as he did this road.
We first took a walk to the Villa of Axel Munth. Breathtaking views! We also took a walk to the hotel Caesar Augustus which we were a litte disappointed in. We had heard so much about it from a friend of ours and from reviews that when we were there it was like seeing a movie that has been so hyped. The people that have sea front rooms have just incredible views! The grounds didn't appear as well maintained as the Mamela and we peeked in the lobby and it was vey nice but for the huge difference in price it made us very happy with our hotel choice.
We then returned to the central piazza and rode the chairlift to the summit. That was enjoyable. Being in Italy i really got an appreciation for the Italians ability to utilize space. As we were riding up the lift there are grapes and vegtables grown almost all the way up the mountain. The view was so beautiful at the top. There is
a restaurant at the top but we just had water and went to this swing and just relaxed and took in all the beauty.
We got back on the chairlift and made our descent back down. We then explored the other side of the main piazza and really got a good appreciation of the difference between Anacapri and the town of Capri.
the flavor of this town is different. They also have two different local goverments according to Jack the guy who gave us our boat tour).
Lunch was great! We went into a deli, Alimentari Russo, and was a couple haveing a sandwich made. It was on a very large roll, tomatoes, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and basil. Fresh basil, of course. We asked him to make us the same. We had him cut it in half and it was more than enough for both of us. It was wonderful!
Continued to explore the town and finally found the Blue Gotto Cafe. My friend had rented a house in Anacapri two years ago and often got things at that cafe and wanted me to say hello to them for her. She forgot to tell me that they did not speak a word of Emglish. I did attempt to communicate but even though i tried to learn some of the language i am somewhat limited. Really don't know if they understood. Back down to Capri around 3pm,changed and again it is pooltime!
Dinner tonight at DiGemmas, which also was wonderful. I might mention that we have only had wonderful food since we got here. I also have to note for anyone who has never been here before that quite often you will have to pay for the use of the table(service charge), you will have to pay for water,and quite often the service charge is added on. When you order water they will ask you if you want gas in your water or not.
We strolled around town and went into some shops and bought some wine and cheese in a grocery store. We just pointed to the cheese we wanted and the gentleman took it out placed it on a cutting board and took his knife and motioned to where he thought we may want it cut and we said Si. The cheese seemed to be a little cheaper than at home.
To be continued!
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Thanks for the great trip report! I have never been to Capri, but it sounds lovely.
Unfortunately many countries in Europe have service charges for use of tables. While it seems kind of like a strange concept, I rather enjoy it because we never feel rushed to leave and the people watching is usually great!
Tracu
Unfortunately many countries in Europe have service charges for use of tables. While it seems kind of like a strange concept, I rather enjoy it because we never feel rushed to leave and the people watching is usually great!
Tracu
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So true Tracu about never feeling rushed. We always had to ask for the check which is rather nice b/c it gave us time to relax, enjoy our wine and ambience and as you said, people watch. Didn't mind paying it but was rather suprised the first time we saw it.
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Capri really is a very lovely island. If you were only to visit it for one day you would miss out on so much. I think alot of people visit it when on a cruise and only have a few hours there. There really was alot to do on the island. Our usual vacation style is to do intensive "sightseeing" but since this was a 25th anniversary trip for us we wanted to see things but also relax and enjoy the atmosphere.
Capri also attracts alot of hiking groups. We saw many groups with backpacks, hiking shoes and special poles that they use to assist them on their walks. We met two women at our hotel who were there to hike but not with any group. They had an itinerary from some group and was just following that. We unknowingly did some of the hikes on their list!
The day we rode the chairlift up to the summit we ran into these women when we were ready to ride back down. I couldn't believe when they told me that they had hiked up to the summit. That is one heck of a climb, believe me. They said that it was similar to many of the trails that we had been on but that there were areas that they had to do some real climbing. They also said that it wasn't anything that we couldn't handle. Loved the exercise i was getting but that was just too much for me to consider!
More to come of my report!
Capri also attracts alot of hiking groups. We saw many groups with backpacks, hiking shoes and special poles that they use to assist them on their walks. We met two women at our hotel who were there to hike but not with any group. They had an itinerary from some group and was just following that. We unknowingly did some of the hikes on their list!
The day we rode the chairlift up to the summit we ran into these women when we were ready to ride back down. I couldn't believe when they told me that they had hiked up to the summit. That is one heck of a climb, believe me. They said that it was similar to many of the trails that we had been on but that there were areas that they had to do some real climbing. They also said that it wasn't anything that we couldn't handle. Loved the exercise i was getting but that was just too much for me to consider!
More to come of my report!
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This tHOROUGH report is great! We were there for only a day last year, but I could see the excellent possibilities of a longer and more thorough visit... Capri has often, on this site, been maligned and had negative reports...but I think the people did not see the true and lovely possiblities of a longer stay. It's wonderful to see this very NICE report.
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Thank you Mari5.
Italy trip Day 5: Today we are off via hydrofoil to Sorrento and Positano. Arrived at Marina Piccolo in Sorrento and was unsure as to what to do. We could tell that the town sat up alot higher so we figured that we needed to take a taxi or bus uphill.
We wandered over to the booth that sold bus tickets but the attendent was busy at the time so we started talking to the couple in front of us in line. They are Americans visiting Italy for a total oof 8 weeks. They were middle-aged, as we are, and their names are Kathy and Mike. They both were very helpful and forthcoming with information to orient us to the area. Kathy was a little chatterbug and we found her delightful. They told us what they had seen so far on their trip and we discovered that we would be on the same Eurostar train on Saturday to Rome. We rode the bus up to Piazza Tasso together but bid them farewell when we got there.
We walked a bit in a couple directions and both Bill and I were disappointed in Sorrento. It was a city, but on first impression not a city that was appealing to us. We stopped at a sidewalk cafe and had coffee and a croissant to sort out what we wanted to do. We decided that Sorrento just didn't feel right so we were going to take a bus and move on to Positano. I know i am going to take some heat on this forum for this but i just didn't like it there. I do concede that it deserves more of a chance than an hour and a half. Bill and i decided that on our next visit to this area of Italy that we will give more consideration to Sorrento. With so many areas of the coast to see we just didn't want to spend too much time in a place that just didn't appeal to us.
We went to the bus/train station and bought a ticket on the SITA bus. There was a mass of people waiting for the time we wanted to depart. The bus did not leave on time but approx. 25 min later. Fortunately another bus was scheduled to leave at that time so between both buses it handled all the people although it was very crowded. I loved the ride and even Bill did not mind the ride as much as he had the ride up to Anacapri. We had an Italian gentleman in front of us and were very happy we did. Several of us that were seated around him were unsure as to when to exit the bus b/c it stopped a few time around Positano but he assured us that he would tell us when to get off.
When we got off the bus we went into a Tabachi shop and asked about the bus down through Positano. We bought our ticket from the shopkeeper and went to the bus stop that he told us. The bus came around 5 minutes later. Positano is a very interesting town and goes back to what i was saying on an earlier entry. The Ialians are masters at utilizing space and the resources that they have available. We thought that Positano was very charming. Walked around town visiting shops and taking note of hotels for a possible future visit. Some people have said on this forum that they prefer Positano as a home base when staying on the Amalfi coast rather than Sorrento, and i would have to agree with that. We do plan to visit this region again in the future and we will stay in Positano or Ravello.
We had a late lunch and had planned to take the late afternoon hydrofoil back to Capri but the water was getting very choppy and checked with the ticket booth and they said that the next hydrofoil was guaranteed to run but the late afternoon one might be cancelled b/c of chance of thunderstorms. We had planned to do more but decided to not chance it and went back to Capri.
Since we arrived back earlier that expected we decided to go see Giardini di Augusto, which is a large garden, located not far from our hotel but in a direction we had not been. The gardens were beautiful with breathtaking views. They had a couple lookout areas that were perfect places for "kodak moments". We were able to get a partial view of Via Krupp which is a serpentine walk that winds from Capri town down to Marina Piccolo, which is quite a distance downhill.
While at the gardens i spotted 2 boys,one wearing a Penn State t-shirt and the other a Phiadelphia Phillies t-shirt. Since our son graduated from Penn State and our one daughter is a senior there i said something to him. It turns out that they were Italian and come from Pisa. They were very nice young men that had been exchange students at the high school that my daughter's roomate had graduated from. We spent about 10 minutes talking to them and Bill got a picture of them with me and we had them take a picture of us. It was indeed a very nice encounter!!
Day 6: First breakfast in the hotel and then off to the shops to buy some gifts since we hadn't bought one thing since being here. Had been eyeing some beautiful ceramic jars and such in one shop and that was my mission today, to buy one of those jars for myself. I bought one and it is on my kitchen counter and I LOVE IT! It reminds me daily of my wonderful visit. We also bought limoncello for one of our friends and a couple other items. We went back to the hotel around 11:30 or so and changed into bathing suits then walked down to the Hotel Punta Tragara. Just adjacent to the look-out point at the hotel is a walkway that goes all the way down to the water(300 meters) to a restaurant, La Fontelina. I thought that the food here was especially great, but maybe it was because i was so hungry after such a long walk. After lunch we went to the beach that is below the restaurant. It cost 13 euros each to use the beach and that did include a beach chair for each of us. It is rather steep but it was a very enjoyable couple of hours soaking up the sun and reading. Bill swam and at one point i was taking pictures of him in the water. I was standing on s set of steps and i had left my shoes a couple of steps higher figuring they would be okay. A huge wave came and next thing i knew my shoes were being washed away. I started to yell for Bill to get my shoes but he was to far to hear me and i was holding the digital camera( which i was hesitant to set down).
Alas, a worker at the restaurant came with a net, walked out on the rocks and netted my shoes. All i could think when all this was happening was that Bill would have to walk all the way back to the hotel to get me another pair of shoes, walk all the way back to where the beach is and then all the way back uphill again. I tipped the man and he was laughing. When i went to the ladies room later we made eye contact and he started to laugh again. I am sure glad I made his day! Just a note about this restaurant. They often have a boat that they can take you from the beach to Marina Piccolo when you want to leave but the bay was so choppy that they didn't have a boat docked there this day and even the workers would have to walk all the way back up to Punta Tragara when they finished their day.
Survived the trek back up to the top and was so hot by the time we returned to the hotel that we jumped in the pool. It was only about 80 degrees out but between the direct sun and the uphill walk I was very hot.
We are so happy that we got a hotel with a pool. Our travel agent originally had us in one that didn't. Alot of the hotels don't have one. I would consider it a "must" item. We used it every day to cool off.
After our showers we wandered in town soaking up the atmosphere since this is our last night befor heading to Rome. We went to dinner at Villa Verde on Via Sella Orta. Meal was fabulous! Bill had grilled swordfish and i had spaghetti with zucchini. My entree was especially good and the portion was extemely generous. Bill helped me eat mine and he loved it. We walked to the Embassy Bar across from Dolce and Gabanna on Via Camarella and sat and had gelato. We had a very enjoyable chat with the couple at the next table.
Back to the hotel to pack up for our train trip to Rome the next day.
To be continued, goodnight.
Italy trip Day 5: Today we are off via hydrofoil to Sorrento and Positano. Arrived at Marina Piccolo in Sorrento and was unsure as to what to do. We could tell that the town sat up alot higher so we figured that we needed to take a taxi or bus uphill.
We wandered over to the booth that sold bus tickets but the attendent was busy at the time so we started talking to the couple in front of us in line. They are Americans visiting Italy for a total oof 8 weeks. They were middle-aged, as we are, and their names are Kathy and Mike. They both were very helpful and forthcoming with information to orient us to the area. Kathy was a little chatterbug and we found her delightful. They told us what they had seen so far on their trip and we discovered that we would be on the same Eurostar train on Saturday to Rome. We rode the bus up to Piazza Tasso together but bid them farewell when we got there.
We walked a bit in a couple directions and both Bill and I were disappointed in Sorrento. It was a city, but on first impression not a city that was appealing to us. We stopped at a sidewalk cafe and had coffee and a croissant to sort out what we wanted to do. We decided that Sorrento just didn't feel right so we were going to take a bus and move on to Positano. I know i am going to take some heat on this forum for this but i just didn't like it there. I do concede that it deserves more of a chance than an hour and a half. Bill and i decided that on our next visit to this area of Italy that we will give more consideration to Sorrento. With so many areas of the coast to see we just didn't want to spend too much time in a place that just didn't appeal to us.
We went to the bus/train station and bought a ticket on the SITA bus. There was a mass of people waiting for the time we wanted to depart. The bus did not leave on time but approx. 25 min later. Fortunately another bus was scheduled to leave at that time so between both buses it handled all the people although it was very crowded. I loved the ride and even Bill did not mind the ride as much as he had the ride up to Anacapri. We had an Italian gentleman in front of us and were very happy we did. Several of us that were seated around him were unsure as to when to exit the bus b/c it stopped a few time around Positano but he assured us that he would tell us when to get off.
When we got off the bus we went into a Tabachi shop and asked about the bus down through Positano. We bought our ticket from the shopkeeper and went to the bus stop that he told us. The bus came around 5 minutes later. Positano is a very interesting town and goes back to what i was saying on an earlier entry. The Ialians are masters at utilizing space and the resources that they have available. We thought that Positano was very charming. Walked around town visiting shops and taking note of hotels for a possible future visit. Some people have said on this forum that they prefer Positano as a home base when staying on the Amalfi coast rather than Sorrento, and i would have to agree with that. We do plan to visit this region again in the future and we will stay in Positano or Ravello.
We had a late lunch and had planned to take the late afternoon hydrofoil back to Capri but the water was getting very choppy and checked with the ticket booth and they said that the next hydrofoil was guaranteed to run but the late afternoon one might be cancelled b/c of chance of thunderstorms. We had planned to do more but decided to not chance it and went back to Capri.
Since we arrived back earlier that expected we decided to go see Giardini di Augusto, which is a large garden, located not far from our hotel but in a direction we had not been. The gardens were beautiful with breathtaking views. They had a couple lookout areas that were perfect places for "kodak moments". We were able to get a partial view of Via Krupp which is a serpentine walk that winds from Capri town down to Marina Piccolo, which is quite a distance downhill.
While at the gardens i spotted 2 boys,one wearing a Penn State t-shirt and the other a Phiadelphia Phillies t-shirt. Since our son graduated from Penn State and our one daughter is a senior there i said something to him. It turns out that they were Italian and come from Pisa. They were very nice young men that had been exchange students at the high school that my daughter's roomate had graduated from. We spent about 10 minutes talking to them and Bill got a picture of them with me and we had them take a picture of us. It was indeed a very nice encounter!!
Day 6: First breakfast in the hotel and then off to the shops to buy some gifts since we hadn't bought one thing since being here. Had been eyeing some beautiful ceramic jars and such in one shop and that was my mission today, to buy one of those jars for myself. I bought one and it is on my kitchen counter and I LOVE IT! It reminds me daily of my wonderful visit. We also bought limoncello for one of our friends and a couple other items. We went back to the hotel around 11:30 or so and changed into bathing suits then walked down to the Hotel Punta Tragara. Just adjacent to the look-out point at the hotel is a walkway that goes all the way down to the water(300 meters) to a restaurant, La Fontelina. I thought that the food here was especially great, but maybe it was because i was so hungry after such a long walk. After lunch we went to the beach that is below the restaurant. It cost 13 euros each to use the beach and that did include a beach chair for each of us. It is rather steep but it was a very enjoyable couple of hours soaking up the sun and reading. Bill swam and at one point i was taking pictures of him in the water. I was standing on s set of steps and i had left my shoes a couple of steps higher figuring they would be okay. A huge wave came and next thing i knew my shoes were being washed away. I started to yell for Bill to get my shoes but he was to far to hear me and i was holding the digital camera( which i was hesitant to set down).
Alas, a worker at the restaurant came with a net, walked out on the rocks and netted my shoes. All i could think when all this was happening was that Bill would have to walk all the way back to the hotel to get me another pair of shoes, walk all the way back to where the beach is and then all the way back uphill again. I tipped the man and he was laughing. When i went to the ladies room later we made eye contact and he started to laugh again. I am sure glad I made his day! Just a note about this restaurant. They often have a boat that they can take you from the beach to Marina Piccolo when you want to leave but the bay was so choppy that they didn't have a boat docked there this day and even the workers would have to walk all the way back up to Punta Tragara when they finished their day.
Survived the trek back up to the top and was so hot by the time we returned to the hotel that we jumped in the pool. It was only about 80 degrees out but between the direct sun and the uphill walk I was very hot.
We are so happy that we got a hotel with a pool. Our travel agent originally had us in one that didn't. Alot of the hotels don't have one. I would consider it a "must" item. We used it every day to cool off.
After our showers we wandered in town soaking up the atmosphere since this is our last night befor heading to Rome. We went to dinner at Villa Verde on Via Sella Orta. Meal was fabulous! Bill had grilled swordfish and i had spaghetti with zucchini. My entree was especially good and the portion was extemely generous. Bill helped me eat mine and he loved it. We walked to the Embassy Bar across from Dolce and Gabanna on Via Camarella and sat and had gelato. We had a very enjoyable chat with the couple at the next table.
Back to the hotel to pack up for our train trip to Rome the next day.
To be continued, goodnight.
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May 18th, 2010 08:45 AM