Fifty Shades of Blue

We dusted the flour off our shoes and headed to Naples the next day, on the train.  In Naples, we rented a car and drove to Sorrento which only made us appreciate the train more.  On the way we stopped to see Herculaneum, another victim of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD similar to Pompeii but apparently a wealthier seaside city of around 5000 people.  It was well worth the stop and easy to access. Very well preserved and so amazing to see a slice of life long ago.  TJ and I have always wanted to stay in an Agriturismo on our travels and Rachel found this one for our stay.  It was amazing! I am ready to add this area to my Italian retreat.  The working olive and lemon farm and accommodation was run by a fellow, his wife (who was pregnant with #2) and his mother.  His parents ran it his entire life and now it is his.  We were their first guests of the season.  We were treated to a full breakfast each day and three course dinner each night.  Everything was delicious and he was so accommodating to our needs and wants, even as far as sharing his 3-year-old daughter's breakfast cereal with one of the boys.  I can't say enough about this experience.  The grounds, the rooms, the views...it was all too perfect.

The view was worth the climb!

One happy customer!

The lemon grove

Perfection!

What a special place!

Pretty sure the view of Capri in the window was not an accident!

Our private sitting area and a view of Capri.

Our main activity here was our boat ride to Capri.  We were blessed with blue skies and smooth water.  I had no idea what a boat person my son-in-law was, but this was his happy place.  It was definitely still the off season, as many/most shops were closed and there was a flurry of activity all over this island preparing shops, hotels and restaurants for the coming tourists.  I can only imagine what it is like in summer.  Idyllic is how I would describe Capri.  It is everything you imagine it to be, personified.  Breathtaking.  I could share hundreds of photos and still not do it justice.  Every cove provided another jaw dropping shade of blue.  I would have loved to swim in those waters, but wrapped in a sweater, a vest and a jacket left me feeling inappropriately dressed.  Someday.  Capri was a bucket list item I never thought I would have the chance to see and can say it lived up to its reputation.

All along the coast

How many colors of blue can you see?

Happiness is...a boat ride

Simply amazing

Coming into the marina

Capri

Why walk when you can all ride in a convertible taxi?

Note to self...come back in April or May.

Faraglioni, iconic Capri rock formations

We spent much too little time in Sorrento and the surrounding area.  Our goal was to show the boys some highlights of Italy and with so much history, scenery, geography it is hard to do an in-depth exploration of it all.  Shoot, I have been to Italy 4 times and still have so much more to explore!  Each time we go we vow to return and so far, we have.  Our hope is that after this trip the boys will too vow to return to Italy or some other equally fascinating country.  

It all seems so long ago, and honestly...it was!  A lot of water has passed under the bridge of life since this trip happened at the end of March.  Yes, I am a bit back logged on the blog.  Hang in there with me, I felt like I needed to close this chapter before starting a new one.