NAPLES / ISLE OF CAPRI, ITALY APRIL 13, 2008
The city of Naples with a current population of 4.4 million, was founded by the Greeks between the 7th and 6th centuries BC and given the name Neapolis. During the period of Roman domination, the town preserved the Greek language and original habits.
Naples is rich in historical, artistic, cultural traditions and gastronomy. Hardly true gastronomy, a local restaurant in Naples claims to be the birthplace of pizza, which is traditionally made with mozzarella cheese, tomato, and basil, representing the white, red and green of the Italian flag.
We decided to visit the Isle of Capri instead of the Mt. Vesuvius volcano area to visit the 79 AD ruined towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which we toured on a previous visit.
We gathered our Capri group from the ship and walked from the ship to the ferry docked nearby. Many of the people on the ferry were normal commuters on the 45-minute ride. As we approached the island we could see the high steep cliffs that originally the Romans found attractive as protection against any attacking force. A higher town of Ana Capri was at the top and the larger community of Capri could be found at a lower level. Of course the harbor is where we landed.
We had lunch at a quaint restaurant with lemon trees on the veranda overlooking the bay. The restaurant owner met us carrying his overweight cat with all four feet sticking up in the air. It was probably a testament to the good food. A huge tree called an umbrella pine on the property of the restaurant impressed me.
The town was a marvel of small winding streets with very old buildings. One of the many cafes claims to have invented ice cream. Now many of the shops offer the delicacy. Another story that has led to the marketing of a product is that of the silver bell. A young Capri shepherd was saved by St Michael and given a silver bell. Now the tiny amulet has become a talisman of luck and success. The marketing slogan is “Do not think of leaving the isle of Capri unless you have purchased the lucky bell of St. Michael.”
We took a funicular back down to the harbor for the return trip. On the way back we got a nice view of Vesuvius.
As we left Naples the night view of the renowned harbor was beautiful.
The city of Naples with a current population of 4.4 million, was founded by the Greeks between the 7th and 6th centuries BC and given the name Neapolis. During the period of Roman domination, the town preserved the Greek language and original habits.
Naples is rich in historical, artistic, cultural traditions and gastronomy. Hardly true gastronomy, a local restaurant in Naples claims to be the birthplace of pizza, which is traditionally made with mozzarella cheese, tomato, and basil, representing the white, red and green of the Italian flag.
We decided to visit the Isle of Capri instead of the Mt. Vesuvius volcano area to visit the 79 AD ruined towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which we toured on a previous visit.
We gathered our Capri group from the ship and walked from the ship to the ferry docked nearby. Many of the people on the ferry were normal commuters on the 45-minute ride. As we approached the island we could see the high steep cliffs that originally the Romans found attractive as protection against any attacking force. A higher town of Ana Capri was at the top and the larger community of Capri could be found at a lower level. Of course the harbor is where we landed.
We had lunch at a quaint restaurant with lemon trees on the veranda overlooking the bay. The restaurant owner met us carrying his overweight cat with all four feet sticking up in the air. It was probably a testament to the good food. A huge tree called an umbrella pine on the property of the restaurant impressed me.
The town was a marvel of small winding streets with very old buildings. One of the many cafes claims to have invented ice cream. Now many of the shops offer the delicacy. Another story that has led to the marketing of a product is that of the silver bell. A young Capri shepherd was saved by St Michael and given a silver bell. Now the tiny amulet has become a talisman of luck and success. The marketing slogan is “Do not think of leaving the isle of Capri unless you have purchased the lucky bell of St. Michael.”
We took a funicular back down to the harbor for the return trip. On the way back we got a nice view of Vesuvius.
As we left Naples the night view of the renowned harbor was beautiful.
