DAY 107 - SORRENTO, ITALY - MAY 14, 2010

WE WERE WIDE AWAKE LONG BEFORE ENTERING THE BAY OF NAPLES AND DROPPING ANCHOR AT SORRENTO. THE SORRENTO PORT IS NOT DEEP ENOUGH FOR CRUISE SHIP AND IS ONE OF THE FEW PORTS ON THIS CRUISE WHERE TENDERING IS REQUIRED.

I WAS READY BEFORE GEORGIA AND HEADED FOR THE TOP DECK TO GET SOME PICTURES AS WE TRAVELED ALONG THE COAST AND INTO THE BAY. ALTHOUGH THE SKY WAS OVERCAST AND HAZY, THE SHORELINE WAS VISIBLE AND THE PICTURES WERE NOT GREAT. AMALFI AND POSITANO WERE NOT CLEAR BUT HAVING BEEN TO ITALY BEFORE, THE SHORELINE WAS UNMISTAKABLE.

AS WE ATE BREAKFAST THE WEATHER LOOKED AS THOUGH IT WAS GOING TO BE THE FIRST BAD TOUR DAY OF THE CRUISE. HOWEVER, OUR EXCITEMENT OF GOING TO CAPRI FOR THE FIRST TIME WOULD NOT BE DENIED BY A LITTLE BAD WEATHER.

AS WITH ALL SHIP TOURS WE HEADED FOR THE LOUNGE FOR CHECK-IN AND BUS ASSIGNMENT. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I CAN REMEMBER HAVING EVERYONE GATHERED SO QUICKLY FOR TRANSPORT TO SHORE. WE WERE ON THE TENDER AND HEADING STRAIGHT FOR THE SORRENTO CLIFFSIDE WHERE OUR TOUR GUIDE, ENZO, WAS WAITING. HE GAVE US OUR TICKETS FOR THE JET-BOAT TO CAPRI AND BEFORE WE KNEW IT WE WERE WHISKING ALONG THE WATER TO CAPRI. THE CLOUDS WERE BREAKING, THE SUN WAS PEEPING THROUGH AND THE DAY WAS BEGINNING TO LOOK PRETTY BRIGHT.

OUR BOAT PULLED ALONG THE PIER AND WE ALL MET A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY NEAR SOME RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS. THE LITTLE HARBOR WAS JUST AS I HAD SEEN IT ON THE TRAVEL CHANNEL. COLORFUL SHOP FRONTS, SEVERAL DOZEN SMALL FISHING BOATS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.

THE TOWN OF CAPRI ACTUALLY SITS HIGH ON THE HILL AND IN ORDER TO GET TO THE TOWN FROM THE PIER SMALL BUSES PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION. OUR GROUP WAITED FORTY MINUTES BEFORE BOARDING TWO BUSES FOR THE HAIR RAISING TRIP TO THE TOP. OUR FIRST STOP WAS THE TOWN OF ANACAPRI.

ANACAPRI SITS ON A HIGHER HILL THAN CAPRI AND THE TRIP IS FILLED WITH DOZENS OF SWITCHBACKS, NARROW PASSAGES AND CLIFFSIDE THRILLS. THE SMALL TOWN IS MORE LIKE A TINY SHOPPING COMMUNITY AS THERE ARE VERY FEW HOMES IN THE AREA.

WE MET WITH OUR GUIDE AND HE OUTLINED OUR SCHEDULE. WE HAD A FEW MINUTES IN AN EXCLUSIVE SET OF SHOPS. THE PLAN ALSO CALLED FOR A VISIT TO THE ST. MICHELLE MUSEUM. HOWEVER HE LEFT IT OPEN AND WHEN GEORGIA AND I HEARD THE OPTION WE JUMPED AT THE OPPORTUNITY TO STRAY FROM THE GROUP. OUR MEETING TIME WAS SET FOR 11:30 NEAR THE STEPS.

OUR CHOICE WAS TO RIDE THE SKI-LIKE CHAIRS TO THE VERY HIGHEST POINT ON THE ISLAND. A ROUND TRIP COST US NINE EURO EACH AND WAS, BY FAR, THE MOST SPECTACULAR VANTAGE POINT ON THE ISLE OF CAPRI. UNLIKE MOST SKI LIFT CHAIRS THESE WERE ONLY MADE FOR ONE. GEORGIA HOPPED ON FIRST AND I FOLLOWED. I KNEW GEORGIA WOULD BE HOLDING ON FOR DEAR LIFE, AND PERHAPS HAVE HER EYES CLOSED AS WE CLIMBED TO THE TOP. I HANDLED THE CAMERA AND PICTURE TAKING AS WE ROSE TO THE TOP.

THE TRIP TAKES ABOUT FOURTEEN MINUTES AND AT ONE POINT AS YOU REACH ONE OF THE TOWERS, THE LIFT SINKS INTO THE VALLEY BEFORE BEGINNING THE CLIMB AGAIN. THE VIEW OF THE FINAL DESTINATION DROPS OUT OF SIGHT FOR A SHORT TIME. WHEN THE CHAIR REACHES THE PLATFORM, TWO ASSISTANTS HELP YOU EXIT THE LIFT BEFORE IT SWEEPS AROUND THE LARGE IRON WHEEL AS IT STARTS ITS FOURTEEN MINUTE RETURN TRIP DOWN HILL.

GEORGIA AND I CLIMBED THE STAIRS TO THE OBSERVATION AREA AND ENJOYED THE BEAUTIFUL, MARVELOUS, VIEW OF THE CAPRI COASTLINE AND THE BAY OF NAPLES. EACH DIRECTION PROVED TO BE EXCEPTIONABLE AND PROVIDED AN ALMOST 360 DEGREE PANORAMIC VIEW. AS WE PREPARED FOR OUR JOURNEY DOWN THE MOUNTAIN A SLIGHT MIST BEGAN TO CROSS A PORTION OF THE NORTHERN TIP OF THE ISLAND ADDING A MYSTERIOUS ERA FOR OUR ADVENTURE DOWNHILL.

WE BOARDED OUR CHAIRS FOR THE TRIP DOWN, GEORGIA HELD ON TIGHT AND I HANDLED THE CAMERA. AS WE REACHED THE FIRST OF THE FOURTEEN TOWERS THE MIST BROKE AND THE BLUE SKIES RETURNED, PROVIDING BREATHTAKING VIEWS OF THE VALLEY BELOW. THE BLUE WATER OF THE BAY AND THE LUSH GREEN VALLEY WERE IDEAL FOR SNAPPING PICTURE AFTER PICTURE. WE REACHED THE BOTTOM AT EXACTLY 11:30 AND THE SCHEDULED MEETING TIME.

AFTER ANOTHER FORTY MINUTE WAIT FOR TWO BUSES OUR GROUP BEGAN THE JOURNEY TO CAPRI, AND LUNCH AT A LOCAL HOTEL, OF WHICH THERE ARE MANY. WE EXITED THE BUS AND WALKED TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE SMALL TOWN. THERE IS A CERTAIN SPOT ALONG THE WAY WHERE NO CARS ARE PERMITTED ON THE STREETS. IT IS ESPECIALLY APPROPRIATE THAT NO CARS ARE ALLOWED BECAUSE THE CROWDS ARE OVERWHELMING.

OUR GUIDE RELATED THEIR ARE 12,000 RESIDENCE ON THE ISLAND AND DURING THE TOURIST SEASON AS MANY AS 15,000 ADDITIONAL PEOPLE INVADE THE ISLAND. WE ARE HERE AT THAT IN BETWEEN SEASON AND I CAN’T IMAGE MORE PEOPLE THAN THOSE WE ENCOUNTERED TODAY.

ENZO SHOWED US OUR MEETING PLACE, WHICH WAS CURRENTLY SET FOR 3:30, AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON HOW FAST WE GET THROUGH LUNCH. A SHORT FIVE MINUTE WALK DOWN SEVERAL HILLS AND WINDING ALLIES, WE REACHED OUR HOTEL RESTAURANT. IT WAS A COZY LITTLE PLACE, THE RESTAURANT WAS TOWARD THE BACK AND OUR ROOM WAS A GLASS ENCLOSURE WITH VIEWS OF THE GARDEN.

WHEN WE FINISHED LUNCH WE MET ENZO. THE PLAN WAS TO VISIT AN OUTDOOR GARDEN DOWN NEAR THE COAST AND BELOW THE HOTEL. HOWEVER, GEORGIA AND I OPTED TO LEAVE THE GROUP AND WALK THE NARROW STREETS OF THE TOWN. WE STOPPED OCCASIONALLY TO TAKE PICTURES AND WINDOW SHOP, MY FAVORITE KIND OF SHOPPING.

THE ULTIMATE GOAL WAS TO WALK OFF ENOUGH CALORIES TO ENJOY AN ITALIAN GELATO. NO TRIP TO ITALY IS A TRIP TO ITALY WITHOUT HAVING A BIG CONE OR CUP OF GELATO. THERE MAY NOT ALWAYS BE ROOM FOR JELLO, BUT THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR GELATO. WE FINISHED THEM WHILE WAITING FOR THE ENTIRE GROUP TO GATHER.

ENZO GAVE US OUR FUNICULAR TICKETS AND ANOTHER MEETING TIME AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL NEAR THE PIER. SHORTLY AFTER GATHERING WE WALKED TO THE JET-BOAT AND BEGAN OUR TRIP BACK TO THE SORRENTO PIER. A SHORT WALK FROM OUR DROP POINT WE BOARDED OUR TENDER FOR THE SHIP.

WE BOARDED THE SHIP AND HAD TIME TO CLEANUP AND MEET FOR OUR LAST SUPPER, SO TO SPEAK, ON THE PACIFIC PRINCESS. OUR LUGGAGE WAS OUTSIDE OUR CABIN DOOR BEFORE LEAVING FOR DINNER. ALL OF OUR TABLE MATES SHOWED UP FOR DINNER. IN AS MUCH AS GEORGIA AND I ATE LUNCH, AND A BIG ONE AT THAT, SO LATE WE LIMITED OUR CHOICES FOR DINNER. WE DID HOWEVER SAVE ROOM FOR THE INFAMOUS SHIP DESSERT, BAKED ALASKA.

THE FINAL SHOW WAS NOTHING SHORT OF SPECTACULAR. THE GROUP WAS CALLED THE BEATLES REUNION. FOR ALMOST AN HOUR THEY PERFORMED ALL BEATLE SONGS. THEY DRESSED, SOUNDED AND LOOKED LIKE THE FAB FOUR. THEY WERE EVEN FROM LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND. AFTER THE SHOW WE HEADED FOR THE CABIN, DID SOME LAST MINUTE PACKING TO OUR CARRYON LUGGAGE, SET THE ALARMS AND FELL ASLEEP. THE SHIP DOCKS AT 5:00 AND OUR SCHEDULED TIME OF DISEMBARKING IS 6:30.