Italia Part 3: Isle of Capri

A taxi, a train, and a boat. 

That was the manner of transportation that took my family and I from the thriving and anciently exotic countryside of Rome to the picturesque isle of Capri. It was a half day of travel, but the view that awaited us could not have been more divine.

Capri is a fairy tale, a island of plunging cliffs and turquoise waters nestled along the coast of Italy. The people are energetic and social, zipping along the narrow roads on their mopeds and tiny cars. The rocky landscape is punctuated with verdant and lush gardens filled with an abundance of lemon and orange trees.

My family stayed in the beautiful and somewhat dilapidated Villa Torricella. Situated with a costal view of the Mediterranean, it was a short climb up from Marina Grande. The breath taking views from the villa were the consolation prizes for the odd cold shower, electricity outages, and drafty rooms.

Front entrance gate to Villa Torricella

There was nothing like waking up to the sound of crashing waves, seagulls, and the brilliant sunlight sparkling off the endless blue of the Mediterranean. At night the air was so clear and still we could see the city lights of Naples glittering along the coast. Our days were spent hiking over the countryside, drinking lemoncello liquor, and eating bruschetta over crusty Italian bread. 

Walkway at Villa Torricella.

Breakfast nook

Veranda at Villa Torricella

Morning espresso overlooking Marina Grande

Lemon trees next to the villa

Exploring the grounds

Night time view of the marina and distant Naples coastline

Hiking the island

The natural arch

Justin inside Grotto di Matromania

The family in Capri town center

Sunset over Marina Picolla

Justin on our boat ride around the island

The Faraglioni, the three spurs of rock on Capri's southern coast

Grotta Verde

My parents sharing a traditional "good luck" kiss in Grotta Verde

Marina Grande

All in all, it was nearly two weeks of paradise. I feel so blessed to have gotten to experience such wonderful beauty and adventure with my whole family. We ventured from Venice to Rome to Capri, and finally back to Rome to catch our flight back to the States. Along the way we met wonderful people, Justin conversed in Italian with everyone from cabbies to airline hostesses, and I learned the true meaning of dolce vita. 

Sweet life.