Capri: a touch of Paradise

"You may have the universe, if I may have Italy" allegedly once said a man, called Giuseppe Verdi.  And since that man happened to be a genius with an extraordinary talent, and a sensitivity for beauty - he might have a point (let's forget the bias of speaking of your own country ;-) ).

Actually - scratch that.  As much as I like Verdi (I am notorious for singing along with "Va pensiero" whenever I hear it) - I don't need him to convince me about how great Italy is.  When you are in Italy, you have this overwhelming sensation of being surrounded by beauty.  Beauty that can be found everywhere - in architecture, art, nature, weather, people...  This doesn't mean that buildings are perfectly renovated, that every pavement brick is arranged neatly and that streets are clean.  But you don't need meticulous order to have beauty.  You need a soul, and you need style - and Italy certainly has both.

Talking about style - which place could be more glamorous than the island of Capri?  Tourist tip: Capri is at its best when visited by sea.  Although I have set my foot on mainland Capri, I think a visit by sea does much more justice to the island and reveals its real savage charm.  Instead of struggling through crowds and messy roads, you get to admire majestic cliffs and arches, the serene greenery of quiet bays, and above all - the Blue Cave.  The famous Grotta Azzurra is a unique cave you enter by gondola (the fun part is you need to duck going in through the small cave opening) where the water has an intensely deep blue color. This saturated, mesmerizing blue is pretty much the only thing you can see in the darkness of the grotto – apart from the shadows of other gondolas and their gondolieri.  The sensation is truly surreal, as you glide softly through the magical, cobalt universe. While blissfully floating, you are shaken back to reality by the gondolieri, who somehow feel the urge to sing “o sole mio”, not necessarily in tune.  I guess it is part of the total package...  

A must-do is also an enormous limestone arch - one of three rock formations next to the island, that look like sharp white teeth sticking out of the water.  You can navigate under the arch, one boat at a time (so much fun to wait in line for a few minutes!).  Pretty cool experience, as you sail through the passage while looking up to admire the huge white structure!

There are plenty of options to navigate/swim around the island, one of which is to rent a small motor boat for the day/afternoon and to do the tour yourself.  You get a map of points worth seeing, so that you know your way around.  And thus, you can take your sweet time checking off the list of mapped items, sunbathing, enjoying the wind and waves, or stopping for a snorkel at one of the bathing spots.  

When it comes to mainland Capri, though charming in itself, it did not really live up to my expectations.  I imagined a super fancy, glamorous place, with impressive villas and full of millionaires (or actually billionaires) casually strolling around with their 30 years' younger wives, all dressed up in Versace.  But actually the island is pretty ordinary - it has a fair amount of southern Italian charm, of course – but nothing more than that.  And instead of strolling billionaires, there are tons of tourists pulling their suitcases through the dust, towards hotel taxis, living the dream of spending the night at an overpriced Capri hotel.

Another perfect place to admire the island from is the mainland. And I cannot imagine a better spot than the terrace of the charming boutique hotel, Relais Blu, located in the hills of Massa Lubrense.  The hotel is simply heaven on earth.  There is the modern, clean design combining white and different shades of turquoise, complemented by beautiful pieces of art.  There is the Michelin-star restaurant with exquisite cuisine and wine.  And there is the huge terrace, covering most of the hotel's surface, and bathing in sunlight.  But most of all - there is THE KILLER VIEW.  

The view of Capri simply takes your breath away, and you cannot get enough of it.  It is magnetic, magical, one of a kind.  It is also dynamic.  During the day you are swept away by colors: the blue of the sea and sky, the green of surrounding trees and bushes, and the white of the island.  You can also enjoy the spectacle of hundreds of boats going to Capri - like ants attracted to honey.  In the evening, chances are high that you will catch a spectacular sunset, while enjoying a delicious cocktail as an aperitif on the terrace.

The hotel also has an infinity pool, with - you guessed it by now - the same spectacular view of Capri.  I don't think I have ever seen a swimming pool that nicely placed! And being a "water creature" - I spent most of the time in the pool (even when time came to leave, I did not want to get out, so we stayed for a bit longer).

When it comes to local cuisine, I think Italian food speaks for itself and there is no need to advertise it.  The breakfast on the sunny terrace is a pure delight.  Can there be anything better than enjoying a true Italian cappuccino accompanied by a moist torta al pistacchio, while admiring Capri and feeling the warm, morning sun on your skin?  Well, actually yes - potentially enjoying the same view with a scrumptious cocktail at sunset is a tiny bit better...  For dinner - the Michelin-star restaurant showcases local produce and seafood.  I really liked the grilled octopus with asparagus, as well as a modern spin on the traditional spaghetti alla carbonara - replacing pancetta with tuna tartare. Mmmm... la dolce vita.