Day 9 Capri

I think there is universal consensus within the group that Capri is the most beautiful location in the world. Today was probably less about a history lesson as such and more about the simple enjoyment of some of the most scenic picturesque vistas imaginable. The cable car slowly pulls its way up from the Marina Grande to Piazza Umberto and we disembark to be confronted by a stunning view back down and across to the Bay of Naples. Brightly whitewashed villas cling to the side of the mountain jutting out in all directions, their gardens brimming with citrus impossibly terraced into the slope. It is a cliche, but it really is like a postcard of Mediterranean paradise. Then, arriving at the Garden of Augustus, the view (astonishingly) improves, with sheer cliffs dropping away to crystalline blue water and forming a spectacularly panoramic backdrop for the beautiful buildings sprouting from the hillside. It is little wonder this island is a playground for the rich and famous today (surely only they could afford to shop in some the luxury boutiques), as it has been throughout history, including for the Roman Emperor, Tiberius.

A small but keen team of seven (with requisite/foolhardy stamina) decide to accept the challenge and embark on the long trek up up up to the ancient ruins of the Villa of Tiberius. The walk itself is breathtaking, offering views back over the island from a range of vantage points, all the while winding along narrow paths strung with gates to villas large and small, some displaying beautiful little religious altars, About half way into our climb we are informed by a local official that the Villa is closed. Disappointed, we decide to carry on anyway and upon reaching the top a man appears at the locked gate and in true Italian fashion declares, "Is closed...but is open" and after paying the entry fee (and wondering where it will end up), the gate is unlocked and we are ushered inside the grounds. After being spoiled by the immaculately preserved ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, the villa could seem a disappointment. However, the decayed state of the villa does not in any way diminish its (readily apparent) scale and majesty. In fact, the ruins as they are, in some sense, become a more powerful embodiment of the extremes of decadence and the subsequent crumbling of empire.

A late burst of shopping in Sorrento before the train arrives and everyone is happy.

The photos...