Capri, lemons lemons everywhere

when you board the ferry to Capri, you can sense the excitement. Most folks only go for a day trip or a weekend, and we were initially told that a week was WAY too much and we would get tired. I am here to say that aside from the pricetags, I will never get enough of the island.

We landed around noon and checked into our hotel...which I am really not going to talk about much. It was right at the port, so convenient, but that is where my praises shall end. When you get to the front desk and the clerk says: Oh, why did you get THAT room if you're staying a week? Not a good sign. Lesson learned from some charity auctions, that 5* luxury tagline is not always what you get. In this case, they booked us the cheapest, smallest, view of a wall room in the joint and called it a day. This would be amfund.org so proceed with caution...they just wanted your donation.

Alas, after a walk around port, we stopped at a place called Lo Smeraldo situated right on the docks. We had our soon to be favorite pasta of all times, called pacchieri big whopping flat pasta tubes. They literally can hold a whole crustacean and a bunch of sauce in them. Bravo Italians...you've conquered the taste buds again.

We decided to give ourselves a challenge and walk the 600 odd steps up to Capri town. I always think I am in good shape until I walk several hundred stairs and my rheumatoid crap starts kicking in. Alas, we made it...and it was worth the effort in great views, tiny neighborhoods and all. We walked around capri town for a while, gawking at the outrageously expensive stores before settling down in the piazza for a glass of wine. I have said it before, but bears repeating. Italy's worst wine is still good wine. Just get the house red unless you are itching for something in particular. The view of the bell tower and old church, watching the fancy folks in their uncomfortable looking Balenciaga shoes walk on deeply divoted cobblestones, that is the charm of Capri.

I think we were going for a self blugeoning number of steps that day so we continued of (uphill of course) to some really amazing guesthouses with pools, views, lemon trees. If I go back, I am partly staying in one of these, for sure. They listed for about the same as our cardboard box anyway. Specifically Villa Sarah...I swear I will go back just to see the place. At the top of our trek, we found the goal, a restaurant recommended by friends and several well respected blogs, Lo Sfizio . Small but with tables lining the incredibly charming street, these guys have the pizza the locals buy and some seriously incredible dishes. I bungled my way through getting a reservation at 9pm. Oh, if I didn't mention, you're not going to eat early...and if you do, you might get a slightly confused look. We ordered a short rib and truffle dish and some more pacchieri (but with a super delicate garlic and seafood sauce). Tim and I cannot eat a whole meal, ever. So we order things to split and sometimes still overestimate...this was one of those cases. But the food! My. God. And the wine! Gah! I want to go back right now. Dangit.

We mosied back down to the hotel after a little more hopping about. Down the stairs is easier, even with wedges on.