Italy - Naples/Capri/Sorrento (2006)

Day 2: 1st May 2006 (Rome - Naples - Capri - Sorrento)

The famous Faraglioni, Stella, Mezzo & Scopolo (@sea stack) in Capri snapped by me

We had an early wake-up call for breakfast as the journey from Hotel Palace 2000 to the Naples Port takes easily 2 and a half hour for about 237 km distance. By 7.30 am, all of us were ready at the hotel lobby with a healthy tummy. We reached the Porto Di Napoli (Port Authority of Naples) before 10.30am and by 11am we were already in the hydrofoil boat crossing the sparkling blue sea to the Isle of Capri.

Garden in Hotel Palace 2000 at 6.48 am

Naples (meaning "new city") is the capital of Campania and the third-largest municipality in Italy, after Rome and Milan. As of 2012, around a million people live within the city's administrative limits, about 5 million in the metropolitan area whilst between 3 to 3.7 million on urban area. It is the 8th most populous urban area in the European Union. Naples is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Bronze Age Greek settlements were established in the Naples area in the second millennium BC.

At the ticket counter of Port Authority of Naples, waiting for tour guide to get our boat ticket to Capri

With Doreen, Mel & husband in Hydrofoil boat ride

By noon time, we were immediately boarded on a small open boat suffice for our group to enjoy the Blue Grotto tour. The Blue Grotto is a sea cave on the coast of the island of Capri, southern Italy. Sunlight, passing through an underwater cavity and shining through the seawater which creates a blue reflection that illuminates the cavern. It is a must visit place should you are already in Capri. You must not let go a lifetime experience to witness a deep blue sea turning pastel green in that special cave.

I was doing okay at the beginning of the ride holding Zuri's camera

A snap inside Blue Grotto

Beside the Blue Grotto (Grotto Azzurra), some of other attraction of the Isle of Capri are the Marina Piccola (the little harbour), the Belvedere of Tragara (a high panoramic promenade lined with villas), the limestone crags called sea stacks that project above the sea (the Faraglioni - shown in the 1st photo), the town of Anacapri and the ruins of the Imperial Roman villas. When we were about to pass underneath the Stella Faraglioni, we were advised by the local tour guide that they believes any wishes will be answered when you are underneath Stella. I was unlucky as sea sick struck me after passing Stella and was vomiting thereafter. I could not remember anything about my wish at that moment. The views of the Blue Grotto becoming miserable as I was hoping to lie down as soon as possible.

Pale face though forced to smile with Zuri after a non-stop sea sick vomiting :)

After the blue grotto tour, our group went straight for lunch at 1 of the restaurant duly booked by the tour agent. I was better after meal. Some of our friend in the same group had a taste of the limoncello, a strong Italian lemon alcoholic drinks (forbidden for me, of course). After lunch, we went to explore what Anacapri City has to offer. There are many local product (foods and wines) originate or creation from the lemon. The size of the fresh lemon on it's tree is a jaw dropping. I've not seen any sizes like that before.  

Limoncello in a bottle on my right side in the picture

The local souvenirs found in a street shops in Anacapri town which are mostly lemon's based, i.e. limoncello, the soap, the sweets etc.

Capri is an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy. The main town Capri on the island shares the name. It has been a resort since the time of the Roman Republic. We were told that only the most famous and richest Italian owns a resort in below photos. Indeed, all villas facing the lake view are mostly are having beautiful view and it's priceless to possess any of it. 

Capri is part of the region of Campania, Province of Naples. The town of Capri is the island's main population centre. The island has two harbours, Marina Piccola and Marina Grande (the main port of the island). The separate commune of Anacapri is located high on the hills to the west.

Among the souvenirs and/or collection that I made sure to bring back to record my journey abroad is a fridge magnet. When I snapped below photo, I wish to have all stick to my fridge back home, in reality I bought only 1 piece.

After finishing the Capri tour, the ferry (no longer on hydrofoil boat) took us to Sorrento for shopping, dinner and resting for a night at a nearby hotel facing sea view. Sorrento is a small town in Campania (a region in Southern Italy, on Italian Peninsula with Mediterranean sea to the west. Unlike Naples, it has a small population of about 17,000 people only. It is a popular tourist destination which can be reached easily from Naples and Pompeii as it lies at the south-eastern end of the Circumvesuviana rail line. The town overlooks the Bay of Naples and many viewpoints allow sight of Naples itself and the Isle of Capri.

We were too exhausted to appreciate the hotels view on arrival. Only the next morning, after breakfast, some of us snapped some photos for memory. The hotel view facing the Bay of Naples and overlooking the Isle of Capri is a breath taking.

The next entry would be on day 3 experience touring Assisi. Thanks for reading, may God bless you all :)