Captivating Capri (Capri affascinante)
Trip Start
Jun 27, 2008
1
3
8
Trip End
Jul 06, 2008
Capri,
Campania,
Italy
Sunday, June 29, 2008
O Sole Mio
The sounds of the pealing church bells woke me up on this beautiful Sunday morning on Capri. It was almost past 10AM. The radiant sun cast its intense warmth over the reflectively azure water. Below on the Marina Grande, tourists were beginning to arrive in droves, and the bustling activities on the sea promenade were in full swing. Luigi got up and was preparing for me and Luna some espresso. His mother had thoughtfully dropped off some fresh Italian fruit-filled pastries for us early this morning. "Sono distrutta (I'm destroyed)," uttered Luna in a daze, still trying to recuperate from dancing at two clubs last night. They both came back as the sun was beginning to rise around 5AM.
I walked out into the glaring sunlight splashed onto Luigi's patio and beheld a marvelous panorama of the deep-blue Mediterranean Sea, majestic mountains, and bustling Marina Grande spread out below. I still did not believe I was actually on Capri. Just two days earlier, I was surrounded by the traffic congestion back home in Housotn
Magnificent Panorama from Luigi's Summer House
. "Non è possibile! (It's not possible)," I mentioned to Luna. It felt like a dream breathing in the fresh, salty air, listening to the song of the seabirds, sipping my espresso, and relaxing on the lounge chair overlooking the intense beauty of Capri. Luigi's gardener was tending to the lush vegetable gardens, and I greeted him with a robust "Buongiorno!" He saluted me back.Then, Luigi took me around his property. He explained to me that while in Houston, he was missing this kind of life. Since Capri was only an hour away from Naples by ferry, he usually would leave the stress and mental attrition of congested Naples behind and take advantage of a two or three day weekend every week at one of the two summer houses owned by his family. While he was in Houston, I did not understand how severe the differences in his life were between Houston and Naples. Now I could. To be accustomed to a relaxing weekend escapade embedded in intense beauty and abruptly losing it would have been life-altering. He stated there was no need for him to search afar for a vacation since this island already had what he wanted in a vacation - natural beauty, friends, family; in fact, it was already considered as a prime vacation destination for the world's jetsetters.
We came back inside to get ready for today's activities. All of us still were recovering from the Gozzo Party yesterday. Luigi then took us to retrieve his motorboat. I asked him what was in store for us today
Summer Flowers - Via Marina Grande
. What would the locals do on a hot, beautiful, sunny afternoon on this island? Naturally, it would be a shame not to take advantage of the sea, so the plan was for us to have a smaller, more relaxing party on his boat with five of his close friends. There were eight of us altogether, and again, we set off and sailed around the rocky silhouette of Capri in search of a quiet, picturesque cove to anchor the boat to have a picnic. Normally back home, when one wanted to go for a picnic, one would drive around the park in search of a nice picnic table, but here, the usual criteria were the following: crystal-clear water, dramatic grottos, and secluded coves. Easy criteria for the locals to check off. LA DOLCE VITA
The weather on this beautiful Sunday attracted so many boats out on the water. Sitting on our boat, which was floating dreamily on the Mediterranean Sea, we hastily put on sunscreen, turned on some music, set the food out, and started suntanning. Some people, including myself, immediately made a splash in the refreshing sea. The water was so beautifully clear that I could see the corals on the bottom. We would get back on the boat, enjoyed the fresh panini sandwiches with breaded chicken cutlet, parmesian-roasted eggplants, and cheese-interlaced focaccia bread while relaxing in the sun. And when it got a little hot, we would jump back in the water again and float aimlessly without a worry in the world. This carefree, slow-paced Sunday activity was the perfect compliment to yesterday's Gozzo party.
By late afternoon, Luigi started the engine again, and we went around the island, admiring the graceful charm of the changing morphology of the coastline
Patio With View of Capri Town Center
. Once on land again, we temporarily split up to get ready for this evening's activities. Luna, however, had to return back to Naples for work tomorrow, so we said goodbye to each other as she boarded the last ferry of the day.A FRIEND'S GRAND OPENING PARTY
In the early evening, I followed Luigi to Sergio's Grand Opening Party. He and three colleagues had just opened a new physical medicine and rehabilitation (equivalent to PM&R in the US) practice on the island, and it would be fully operational tomorrow. Coursing through the narrow alleys of Capri, we were stopped so many times by countless friends and acquaintaces of Luigi, who all wanted to chat, before we actually arrived to Sergio's new medical office. It was located in a picturesque side street, and already, there were so many people inside as well as outside. Greeting us was Sergio's sister, one of the medical colleagues who would be sharing the practice, who offered us some champagne and delicious Italian hors d'oeuvres. The office had two patient exam rooms, and the details applied for the interior décor gave an ambience of a relaxing, elegant spa. Such was the purpose since almost all the patients to be seen by this medical group were in need of rehabilitaiton after some surgical procedures. Luigi and I congratulated Sergio, who was beaming and constantly interrupted by other friends and relatives. We briefly took leave of him and told him to join us for dinner later in the evening
Golden Curtain Glistening in Late Afternoon Sun
. He gladly accepted.A VISIT FROM A POLITICAL CELEBRITY
The island of Capri was truly a refined jewel in the Mediterranean, complete with a striking coastline, dazzling landscapes, an unforgettable terrace overlooking the sea, high-end shopping, and elegantly-clad people. No wonder Hollywood was coming here for a little rest and relaxation. It was like Italy's version of Saint Tropez in France. As the sunset created a vibrant palette of violet and magenta in the firmament, Luigi and I sat down and enjoyed some drinks at the Gran Caffè right in the town square called Piazza Umberto I. Then, there was a huge security contingent palpable all over the square. The next thing I knew, the President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, walked past us and sat down near us. Local police and national security forces, including some men with black shades, were everywhere. Tourists started crowding around President Napolitano's table to take pictures, and emulating the mass, I jumped right in to snap a few photos. Luckily, I did not get my passport confiscated since I thought I behaved myself well. The President sat out in the main square, drank a little, did some people watching, and then left with his security team. Then, normalcy returned to the area once again.
CELEBRATORY DINNER
When it was almost 10:30PM, people in Capri would start heading for the restaurants. On this particular evening, people were amassing around the TV for the Final Championship of the Euro 2008 Soccer Match between Germany and Spain
Serene Walkway In Luigi's Garden
. It seemed that whenever Spain, a fellow Latin country, was making the right moves, the entire square exploded in cheers. When the championship game was over, Luigi and I went to the pre-arranged meeting point for dinner, but the restaurant was completely booked. Then, a change in game plan was made, and after a few calls, Luigi was able to gather the other people to Ristorante Longano. For appetizers, we had freshly-made pizzas, followed by pasta entrées, and such desserts as Tiramisù. Sergio came a little late, and the entire room erupted in congratulations and cheers to the future success of his new practice. Once more, the dinner ambience was as brilliant as the night before, full of warmth, laughter, jokes (told by Sergio, especially interesting was the joke about a female snake and a mouse told in Italian), coupled with great wine. After dinner we went altogether for a short stroll around midnight and then sat outside for a few drinks at Bar Tiberio under a canopy of scintillating stars. I called it an evening at around 1:30AM, for I had to wake up early to catch the ferry to Amalfi in a few hours. The adventure continues along the alluring Amalfi Coast (with stunning photos, I promise) in the next blog.
