The rugged southern shore dividing the Bay of Naples from the Gulf of Salerno is a restful and picturesque area. Miniature towns shelter in precipitous coastal ravines and tranquil seas calmly lap the shores of quiet pebbled beaches. Our Travel Manager Samantha Paul shares her recent experience living La Dolce Vita in beautiful Capri, Italy:
Welcome to Capri. Full of glamour, gorgeous views, and ritzy shopping; the uninterrupted leisure of la dolce vita.
Described by Augustus as the city of sweet idleness, Capri is nestled between the gulf of Naples and Salerno. Stunningly beautiful with its limestone cliffs that descend rapidly to the sea.
On a map, Capri is a rectangle that covers only four square miles. In reality, Capri is alot of little mountains with ups, downs and arounds that make its terrain seem infinitely larger.
Lemon tree groves permeate the air with their familiar scent and the jacaranda and oleander spill over walls providing amazing punctuation of color. This beautiful island is every bit as charming and wonderful as everyone promised it would be. This was by far, the most relaxing stop on our travels. I could have spent a few more days here lounging, enjoying the views, and indulging in a little luxury.
Anacapri was pleasantly sleepy and clearly removed from the outside world. With the exception of the school kids who skipped and sprinted around the piazza, the town was largely silent.
We took a leisurely afternoon saunter to the Villa San Michele, a striking whitewashed structure built Axel Munthe (1857 – 1949 ), a Swedish doctor and humanist, whose many acts of generosity included tending to the victims of plague and cholera in Naples. Struck by the beauty of this hilltop site with an abandoned chapel, Munthe restored the chapel and built an extraordinary house. Furnished sparsely but with discerning taste, it almost glows with marble mosaic floors, antique sculptures and ornaments.
Another walk beginning at Capri town’s Piazza Umberto I, the island’s most celebrated gathering place and known simply as la Piazzetta, took us along Capri’s elegant shopping street, the Via Camerelle. The window of its boutiques, often built into an old Roman wall, glittered with Gucci, Ferragamo and other design confections, as well as sleek Italian shoes displayed like jewels.
We ended the last night there in the glow of this beautiful sunset … I was so sad to leave such a relaxing and beautiful place. I will definitely be back !
Until the next adventure, Ciao Ciao!
Looking for more information on travelling to Italy? Samantha Paul is a Travel Manager at our Corporate Traveller office in Toronto and can be reached by e-mail or calling 1-866-829-9042
