A Georgia Girl in Germany

After finishing our stroll through Pompeii, we headed to Sorrento for lunch and a little shopping before heading to the Isle of Capri. It was a beautiful day to be outside. During our ride to Sorrento, we could still see Mount Vesuvius looming in the background. The soil in this area is very fertile from all the lava in it. In fact, about 80% of the produce in the area is either oranges or lemons.

After strolling through a shop in the Peninsula of Sorrento, where we found a few beautiful glass necklaces and an inlaid wood music box for MacKenzie -- that coincidentally plays the tune “Return to Sorrento” -- we had a few minutes to admire the town’s Christmas tree and grab a bite for lunch before having to catch our ferry to the Isle of Capri.

We found a group of seats on the back of the ferry, hoping we’d be blocked a bit from the wind during our ride across the Bay of Naples. However, our ferry had gained enough speed that there was no hope of being shielded from the wind, so we huddled together for warmth for most of the ride. I love being able to cuddle up close with Benjamin at times like those since he’s a wonderful source of heat. Plus, quite simply, it’s great to have relaxing cuddle time with any of my kiddos.


Once we arrived on the Isle of Capri, we rode the funicular to the top of the mountain. This beautiful clock/bell tower in the Piazzetta greeted us when we stepped off the funicular.

Talk about a wonderful view of the cliffs and the bay. It was stunning to see the houses and buildings jut right out of the side of the cliffs.


We upheld our tradition of sampling ice cream while playing tourist. Benjamin was just learning how to eat ice cream out of a cone (vice out of a cup) quickly enough so it wouldn’t melt (too much) before he was done.

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After our ice cream treats, we found a quaint pathway that led to the north side of the island. It was a very relaxing stroll through quiet streets that led to the Via Camerelle, a charming, panoramic path overlooking the Greek Villa La Certosella and leading to the Faraglioni stacks.


Behind the kids here is the Certosa di San Giacomo -- a Carthusian Monastery -- which is representative of Capri' s early architecture. It was founded in 1371 by Count Giacomo Arcucci, secretary to Queen Giovanna I of Naples. From there, we followed the Via Camerelle toward the Gardini Augusto.

Just down from the monastery is the Carthusia Profumi -- a small perfumery that uses the same methods as the Carthusian monks once did to make high-quality perfumes using rosemary picked on Monte Solaro and wild carnations from the island in its fragrances. Apparently, even the final products are hand-wrapped. The shop looked like it was closed when we were there (it was Dec. 26, after all), but I imagine the perfumes are very fragrant.

These are the famed Faraglioni stacks in the Bay of Naples. The stacks have been given their own names: Stella (left, still attached to the main island), Faraglione di Mezzo and Faraglione di Fuori or Scopolo.

Next time you eat at Olive Garden, check out the photo on the specials menu -- the images are of these Faraglioni stacks (unless they’ve changed the menu since the last time I ate there)...although sans Benjamin’s cheesy grin!


The Gardini Augusto -- the Gardens of Augustus -- were custom-made in the 1930s by German industrialist and steel millionaire Friedrich Alfred Krupp. These beautiful gardens are one of Capri’s favorite spots and are teeming with native flowers and plants. It’s easy to see why this place is popular since it has a wonderful view over the Charterhouse of St. Giacomo as well as the Faraglioni rocks, Monte Tuoro, the bay of Marina Piccola and Monte Solaro. The garden was beautiful, especially considering it was late December -- mid-winter! I can only imagine how lush and gorgeous it is during summer!

There was a walking path -- the Via Krupp -- from the gardens down to the water that was rather steep and had numerous hairpin turns. It was was built in 1902, also by Krupp, and leads to Marina Piccola. The road is now closed, which was fine with us since if we had trekked down it we would have had a tremendously steep climb back up.

What a wonderful view of the sheer cliff on the opposite side of the Gardini Augusto.

After meandering through the gardens for a while, we strolled back along the calm Via Camerelle and the quaint Via Tragara back to the front of the island.



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We arrived back at the funicular in time to meet our group and head back down to the bay.

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We even managed to hop on the first car so we could have an unobstructed view on the way down. It certainly was interesting to ride on a cogwheel train of sorts that traveled up and down the mountain by way of a counterbalancing train headed in the opposite direction -- especially when we passed the other funicular.


We soon loaded the ferry for our sunset ride back to Naples with the Isle of Capri fading from view as we left the Marina Grande.

Zachary and MacKenzie were tired, and crashed out on our hour-long ferry ride. They had a full day behind them and certainly needed to rest. I did too.

However, Benjamin wasn’t ready to settle down yet, and busied himself in the ferry’s open room -- literally climbing over and under the furniture and exploring many nooks and crannies. It felt good to get them back on the bus at the end of the evening, where I knew they (primarily Benjamin) were contained and couldn’t wander away and get lost.

Labels: Benjamin, Italy, MacKenzie, Travel, Zachary