Roman Holidays

Hi everyone! My friend http://christineelaineblack.blogspot.com.au/ - author of Roman historical books - is hosting me today as part of the Goddess Fish Promotions tour.

Christine is an expert on Roman History. Check out her books at http://ceblack.wix.com/author#!bio

It all ties in beautifully with my references to the Emperor Tiberius in Rosamanti. Come on over and discover more, plus you have the chance to win some great prizes.

Rosamanti -- Release day is here!

In February this year, I sat down and wrote Rosamanti in three weeks. The story came from my heart; from a deep love of the beautiful island of Capri; and from a life-long fascination with the Blue Grotto. Today, Rosamanti is published and on sale throughout the world. I feel like pinching myself.

This book is very special to me in many ways. I do hope you enjoy reading it.

Fate drew her to Rosamanti. Love made her stay…

After the death of her husband, best-selling mystery author Sarah Halliman has lost her desire for just about everything. Desperate to break out of her funk and rediscover herself, she answers a newspaper advertisement—For lease: Isolated villa on Capri, Italy. Must love cats. Traveling alone to the beautiful island of Capri, she locates Villa Rosamanti, a gorgeous 400-year-old dwelling nestled in the hillside of Monte Tiberio. Above it lies Villa Jovis, the 2000-year-old villa of Emperor Tiberius, ripe with history and intrigue.

Sarah soon discovers a strong resonance with Rosamanti and its gardens and quirky pets. She begins to feel a deep connection to Elena Lombardi, the deceased owner. But it’s not just the villa Sarah’s fallen in love with. Elena’s grandson, Pietro, is handsome and charming, the epitome of the passionate Italian. His dream is to own a restaurant of his own, but such dreams are for wealthier men.

Between the sparks that Pietro kindles in Sarah’s heart—and her kitchen—and the mystery of nearby Villa Jovis, Sarah’s muse begins to stir. She senses stories in the ancient stones, and romance in the phosphorescent blue waters of the Blue Grotto. But when her curiosity takes her to Elena’s library, a child’s notes and maps lead Sarah to a mystery that could be the answer to everyone’s prayers—or perhaps, be the destruction of everything they hold dear…

Buy Rosamanti here

Amazon   

Barnesand Noble

AllRomance Ebooks    

Kobo 

  

 

Rosamanti - out on November 29th

 

If these walls could talk - inside the Blue Grotto





Villa Jovis photo from http://www.capri.net

The Emperor Tiberius ruled the Roman Empire from the island of Capri for 10 years between 27 and 37 AD.  The reclusive and unconventional Tiberius loved the seclusion and mild climate the island offered, and built 12 villas there. His main residence was Villa Jovis, which stood atop the second highest mountain on the island, on the edge of a 1000 foot high cliff. It was an impregnable fortress, offering Tiberius safety and privacy.

It seems Tiberius frequented the famous Blue Grotto, or Grotta Azzurra, and had a quay carved from rock inside it, enabling him to indulge in his fondness for bathing in the other-worldly blue waters. It’s also said he built a marine nymphaeum, where he indulged in another passion – swimming naked with young boys and girls. Tiberius, from all accounts, was a depraved individual who held orgies of unorthodox sexual practices in several of the grottoes that dot the waterline around Capri.

In AD 121, Suetonius wrote De Vita Caesarum  - The Twelve Caesars. Although considered a primary source of Roman history, Suetonius had his critics, many questioning the truth of some of his claims. Suetonius has painted a picture of Tiberius which some scholars today say may not be true. But one only has to look at the paintings, statues, and other relics in Capri to see that he was probably close to the truth.

Suetonius graphically describes some of the lurid and debauched behaviour perpetrated by Tiberius on all who happened to cross his path. Not just sexual deviance, but murder and cruelty. At Villa Jovis, there is a ledge atop the cliff which is apparently where he would have people pushed to their death, merely on his whim.

This extract – a translation from the Latin – shows just how depraved Tiberius was, and it doesn’t take too much imagination to see what went on in his Blue Grotto nymphaeum.

“After retiring to Capri, where he had a private pleasure palace built, many young men and women trained in sexual practices were brought there for his pleasure, and would have sex in groups in front of him. Some rooms were furnished with pornography and sex manuals from Egypt - which let the people there know what was expected of them. Tiberius also created lechery nooks in the woods and had girls and boys dressed as nymphs and Pans prostitute themselves in the open. Some of the things he did are hard to believe. He had little boys trained as minnows to chase him when he went swimming and to get between his legs and nibble him.”  (Suetonius, De Vita Caesarum , XLIII,XLIV)

Painting from http://www.artvalue.com/auctionresult--italian-school-20-italy-the-emperor-tiberius-caesar-au-1901797.htm

 

For all his wayward and decadent behaviour, Tiberius was also a lover of the finer things in life. He gathered the best architects and craftsmen and set them to work creating complex and massive edifices which allowed him to play his games in luxury.

A statue of Neptune recovered from the Blue Grotto

As recently as 2012, researchers discovered several plinths and statue bases nearly 500 feet
underwater, on the floor of the Blue Grotto.  The number and positions of the bases suggests that there were many statues decorating the grotto. In 1964, archaeologists recovered three statues from the floor of the Blue Grotto – one of the sea god Neptune, and the others were of Triton. Considering seven statue bases in all have been found, experts are confident that another four statues have yet to be discovered.

Boats waiting to enter the small cave opening

Whilst local Caprese fishermen have always known about the existence of the Blue Grotto, it wasn’t until 1826 that the rest of the world heard about it. Two Germans, a writer and a painter visiting Capri, found the small, metre-high opening to the cave by chance.

The wonder of the Blue Grotto, is that it has remained so pristine over the centuries.

No one who visits can ever adequately describe the magical blue light within the cave, caused when sunlight enters the small underwater aperture and is then refracted through the water. The white sandy bottom of the cave reflects the light, producing a vivid blue hue. Any object that is dipped in the water turns silver white. Small fissures in the rock walls emanate a mysterious silver light, adding to the surreal beauty of the grotto.

The Blue Grotto is today one of the most magical of places I've ever been.

Reference: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suet-tiberius-rolfe.asp

 

Rosamanti - out on November 29th

Meet Sarah Halliman

Successful crime author, Sarah, needs to write a new chapter in her life. But right now she’s finding it difficult to write anything, let alone find her place in a world which has turned upside down.

 

Never one to shy away from hardship, she takes a big breath – and a huge leap of faith – and embarks on a solo adventure to the other side of the world. She’s seeking solitude, peace, and inspiration. When she arrives on Capri, the tiny island off the Amalfi Coast, Italy, she finds all of what she needs in huge abundance.

ROSAMANTI

 

Fate drew her to a faraway villa – her heart made her stay

Out on November 29th

What would you do?

Read this ad in the newspaper classifieds.

If you wanted to get away from everything for a while – maybe to pursue your dreams, maybe to recover from something or someone, or maybe just to think for a while – what would you do?

Sarah had this dilemma. Could she pack up and leave her friends and family, and go somewhere she knew no one? Where she couldn’t speak the language? Would it fix the problem?

Rosamanti  -  by Noelle Clark

Out on November 29th

The magic of cuisine

When I think of Capri, I think of many things, but being a lover of food I often think of the cuisine first and foremost.

In Rosamanti, my hero Pietro is a chef. He never set out to be a chef, but life’s twists and turns have landed him in the kitchen at Zia Maria’s restaurant, where he works daily to prepare delicious local meals for the hordes of tourists and day-trippers to the Italian island. But as the story unfolds, it’s clear that food is his passion. But not just any food. Pietro has a deep love for traditional, local dishes, made with fresh produce sourced from local producers.

I’m not saying anymore – you’ll have to wait until November 29th, when Rosamanti is released through Etopia Press to find out more. But just to whet your appetite, here are a few of mine – and Pietro’s – favourite Caprese dishes. Buon appetito!

Insalata Caprese is a simple salad usually served as an antipasto (starter) made of sliced fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil, and seasoned with salt and olive oil. See the recipe here.

Ravioli Caprese is the island’s signature dish. Fresh, hand-made pasta ravioli pillows are filled with locally made caciotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and marjoram, and served with  fresh tomato sauce and tossed in melted butter and sage. For an extra taste bud extravaganza, fry them. Recipe from http://www.capri.net/en/recipes

Ravioli, filled with caciotta and Parmesan cheese and marjoram, is the Island of Capri's signature dish. Prepared in all of the kitchens of Capri, according to age-old recipes handed down from generation to generation. Much loved by both adults and children, the ravioli are served with a fresh tomato sauce or tossed in melted butter and sage. When fried, they provide a delicious starter.
To make the ravioli place the flour in a mound on a flat surface. Make a crater in the middle and pour the olive oil and hot water into it. Work together to obtain a compact dough. Beat the eggs in a bowl and add the caciotta, parmesan cheese and the marjoram. On a floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out a quarter of the mixture into a thin sheet. On half of the sheet, place teaspoonfuls of the cheese mixture, positioning the balls about 6cms apart. Take the other half of the sheet and cover the first half. Proceed to separate the ravioli, cutting around each ball with either a ravioli cutter or a glass, with a diameter of roughly 4 to 5cms. Repeat the procedure with each of the remaining quarters of the dough.
Once you have finished making the ravioli, place them to one side (taking care not to put them one on top of the other), on a flat surface, which has been dusted with flour or on clean teacloths. Cook the ravioli in boiling water for five minutes and serve with a fresh tomato sauce (see recipe for Chiummenzana), Parmesan cheese, and a few leaves of basil. Alternatively, the ravioli can be fried in hot oil until the pasta turns a light golden color. Serve hot.

Ingredients for 4 people

• For the pasta: 500 gr. flour, 2 table spoons of olive oil, half litre of boiling water
• For the filling: 300 gr. Caciotta di Sorrento cheese (grated), 2 eggs, 200 gr. grated Parmesan cheese, marjoram
• For the sauce:: Fresh tomato sauce, grated parmesan cheese, fresh basil, olive oil

Totani ripieni (stuffed cuttlefish) – the cuttlefish have a similar taste and texture to calamari but have a stronger flavour. Cuttlefish form part of the staple diet of local Caprese, and are caught at night in the sea around Capri. On summer evenings, it is easy to spot the flickering lights of the boats heading out for the night’s catch. The stuffing consists of local caciotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and tomatoes. Recipe from http://www.capri.net/en/recipes

This dish is perfect as either first or second course. Clean the cuttlefish and remove tentacles, making sure not to break the cuttlefish's body, which will be stuffed. In a pan, lightly fry the garlic in olive oil and cook the tentacles (cut into little pieces). In a bowl mix the eggs, Parmesan, caciotta, chopped parsley and cuttlefish tentacles. Use this mixture to fill the cuttlefish body and seal together with a cocktail stick. In a saucepan prepare some tomato sauce and then add the stuffed cuttlefish. Cook for 20 minutes. The sauce can also be used with pasta.

Ingredients for 4 people

• 1 kg. of cuttlefish
• 500 gr. tomatoes
• 1 small grated Caciotta cheese
• 100 gr. grated Parmesan cheese

• 4 eggs
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Parsley

Come along and spend some time with Pietro and Sarah at Villa Rosamanti. You’ll get to sample homemade goats cheese from the milk of Geraldina; eat the eggs from the Rosamanti chickens; and sample the home-made wine. No reservations necessary.

Rosamanti – out on November 29th

 

Mother Nature’s gifts – my love affair with Capri

The island of Capri, Italy, is small. It measures only 4 miles long by 2 miles wide, which equates to roughly 4 square miles, or 10 square km. There are two main towns, Anacapri and Capri. Both towns sit atop a rugged spur which stretches lengthwise along the island with a dip in the middle, like a saddle. On my last visit to Capri, I discovered the Natural Arch, or Arco Naturale.

Capri town is a thriving, bustling place made of white washed buildings, cobblestones,

narrow alleyways. It’s also home to designer shops, to-be-seen-in cafes, bars, and restaurants. No cars are allowed in the town, and the cobblestones are well worn by the feet of millions of visitors. Capri is a mecca for the rich and famous, and indeed many celebrities make this their summer vacation town, including the likes of Elton John who is a regular visitor.

My companions and I wanted to see beyond the tourist things, and hopefully get a taste of the history of this place.

Way back in 29 BC, Caesar Augustus visited this island. He loved it so much that he bought it. Well, actually he traded it for the island of Ischia which he owned. His successor, Tiberius, lived on Capri and was responsible for building twelve villas between the years 27 and 37 AD, and the ruins of many are still standing.

So, instead of following the glitterati and well-trodden tourist paths, we followed a steep and winding stone path upwards through the town, passing villas and homes, stopping to look at breathtakingly beautiful scenery overlooking the island and the Bay of Naples. We had no map, we just wanted to explore. It was hot and sunny, making us feel homesick, as the weather was reminiscent of our gorgeous Queensland.

Armed with bottles of water, we walked for hours. Bougainvillea, majestic in its purple, draped over high white walls, wrought iron gates, and archways. Flowering oleanders in pink and white added to the colour. Combined with the blue of the sky and the intense cobalt of the sea beyond, our walk was an intense photo-shoot to try and capture the beauty of the day and the place.

Stumbling upon a sign saying Arco Naturale, we decided to follow it. We passed no one, it was quiet apart from the hum of bees and the occasional squark from a seabird overhead. Passing firstly through the outer ring of homes, it wasn't long before we were in fairly dense bush. We passed many little devotional grottoes with statues of the Virgin Mary. The Italians are very devoted to her and they leave flowers at these little memorials along the roadsides.

A peaceful walk, no traffic, the hot sun beating down. How wonderful to be in this place. Out of the blue, we came upon a café carved into a rock cliff along our track. It had little tables with white cloths. I stopped a waiter. “Si si, Arco Naturale” and he pointed for us to keep on walking.

 

Eventually we found it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A magnificent arch of rock, suspended over a drop of several

 

 hundred metres, right down to the blue water below. We spotted some tourist boats bobbing way, way down, so tiny they were mere dots. We stayed in this glorious place for hours, soaking in the view and the peace. A little kitten came to talk to us. Other than that, we were alone.

 

 

 

 

 

As we finally began to make our way home, Mother Nature was to leave us with one last parting gift. A magical sunset.

The start of an Italian love affair

My love affair with Italy - and in particular Capri – will soon be on show for all to see when my new contemporary romance/romantic suspense, Rosamanti, is released on December 6th. Not only have I visited the Isle of Capri several times, but my connection with the ruggedly beautiful island goes back to when I was 10 years old - but that's another story.

How fitting that Rosamanti is set on Capri. I’m in love with Pietro, my hero, and I’m in love with Capri. And, I poured every single ounce of my love of all things Caprese into Rosamanti.

Over the next few weeks, in the lead up to release day, I’m going to share some of my passions for the place I consider in some ways, to be my spiritual home. I’ll share the food, the aromas, the sights. I’ll share my own photos of the place, and my precious memories.

I hope you’ll join me as I celebrate the forthcoming release of Rosamanti, which is a book very dear to my heart.

Let's have a very traditional toast eh?

Limoncello

Any visitor to southern Italy, around the Bay of Naples, down to the Sorrentine Peninsular and the Amalfi Coast, cannot ignore the abundance of lemon and orange trees. They grow everywhere, and their branches droop to the ground with the weight and number of fruit. The aroma as you drive past is intoxicating. Which brings me nicely into my topic – Limoncello.

This exquisite lemon liqueur was primarily made by Italians for celebrations, and to use up some of the large lemon crops. Nowadays, there are whole stores devoted to the delectable drink in the touristy areas of Capri and the mainland.

I personally love it as a pre-dinner drink, as it cleanses the palate nicely, but it is really a digestive – an after dinner liqueur, and is often served with a slice of lemon cake. Don’t worry, I’ll give you the recipe for several wonderfully understated Capri lemon cakes later.

I have fond memories of my very first encounter with Limoncello. I was sitting with my companions in a noisy outdoor trattoria on the Marina Grande, Capri. We had finished dinner elsewhere some time ago, and gone for la passeggiata – the wonderful traditional walk in the cool of the evening. It was the perfect time to try limoncello, and it didn’t disappoint.

Every Christmas, I make up a batch of limoncello and Capri lemon cake. For just a little while, it takes me back to that balmy summer evening at the Marina Grande, when the full moon rose over the Mediterranean Sea, and I thought I was in heaven.

Recipe for Limoncello

Ingredients

• 8 organic (yellow) lemons. Ensure they are ripe – no green bits
• A 750 ml bottle of Vodka
• 3 1/2 cups of white Sugar (about 25 oz or 800 grams).
• 750 ml of Water
• Several sterilised bottles

1. Wash the lemons thoroughly in cold water.
2. Carefully peel off the zest, ensuring you don’t get any pith (the bitter white part).
3. Transfer half of the bottle of vodka into another bottle, then push half of the lemon zest equally into each bottle and put the lids on tightly and place them in a darkened cupboard.
4. Leave the zest to macerate in the vodka for 48 to 72 hours.
5. After 72 hours, boil 750ml of water in a saucepan or pot. Once it boils, add the sugar then remove it from the stove. Stir the sugar to mix. It’s important to take it off the hot stove here.
6. Let it stand and cool for 10 minutes.
7. Place a fine strainer over the pot, and carefully pour the alcohol into the warm water/syrup mixture, ensuring no pieces of lemon zest gets in.
8. Stir to combine thoroughly.
9. Using a small funnel, carefully pour the liquid into the sterilised bottles, cap tightly, and allow to cool.
10. Once the bottles are at room temperature, place them in the refrigerator).
11. Serve chilled as a digestive liqueur with Caprese Lemon Cake

Buon Limoncello!

Why not try some of these great Limoncello cake recipes! Find the delicious pictures on my Pinterest page.

http://abeautifulbite.com/limoncello-soaked-pound-cake/ Limoncello soaked pound cake

http://abeautifulbite.com/limoncello-and-ricotta-cake/   Limoncello and ricotta cake

http://noblepig.com/2013/06/limoncello-syrup-lemon-cake/  Limoncello syrup lemon cake

Introducing Pietro Lombardi

A proud Caprese, Pietro loves his island home. Who wouldn’t? One of the most popular, well-known, and desirable places in the world, the Isle of Capri, just off the Amalfi Coast of Italy, has for centuries been the destination of the rich and famous – and infamous. The reminders of the years the Roman Emperor Tiberius lived on Capri are everywhere.

1900 re-construction of Villa Jovis by Weichardt

In the 1^st century, Tiberius built twelve villas on Capri, the most famous being Villa Jovis. It was a massive fortress, impregnable to warring attackers, sitting atop Monte Tiberio on the edge of thousand-foot-high sheer cliffs. Today, the vast ruins of the villa are a testament to the skill of Roman architects and builders.

However, the reason for Tiberius’s retreat from Rome to Capri has always been unclear.

In Rome at the time, rumors abounded as to why he had become a recluse, and what exactly he was doing there. In 121 AD, Suetonius wrote The Twelve Caesars, and didn’t hold back on recording exactly what he thought Tiberius was up to at Villa Jovis. He accused Tiberius of debauchery, sexual perversity, cruelty, and wicked ways. The Roman people turned on their emperor, disgusted with him, and after 23 years of rule, he was overthrown by Sejanus, and no longer held the reigns of the Roman Empire.

 

Ruins of Villa Jovis. Photo from Wikipedia

Nearly two thousand years later, Pietro Lombardi grew up on the steep sides of Monte Tiberio in his family home, Villa Rosamanti, a 400 year-old white stone cottage. From his bedroom window, he would have looked up at the huge white ruins that had stood for two thousand years. As a child, he would have explored every inch of the old palace.

Pietro lived with his grandmother – Nonna – and his mother, the only male in the household. From his Nonna, he learned all about loyalty, love, and belonging. Nonna was his rock in a sometimes difficult childhood. She taught him about life, and nurtured him until he was a grown and capable man.

Although life threw some curve balls at Pietro, he grew to be a stoic and reliable man. He is happy working as a chef in his Aunty Maria’s restaurant, turning out authentic Caprese fare to the hordes of tourists and day-trippers to the island.

When Pietro happens to meet an Australian woman who arrives on Capri, his whole world seems to turn upside down. He is forced to face his future, seeing for the first time the opportunities to turn his life in a different direction. But his loyalty to Nonna goes much deeper than pursuing his own dreams. Stubbornly, he fights the notion of change, but there is one thing he is helpless to fight, and that is the power of falling in love.

Rosamanti     --     out on December 6^th from Etopia Press

www.noelleclark.net

The Amalfi Coast - Capri

An Italian Love Affair  

I have had a love affair with the Island of Capri since I was about 10 years old. It started with a book that I borrowed time and time again from my local library called “Secret of the Blue Grotto” by Kelman Dalgety Frost. This book fired my imagination and probably was the catalyst for a lifelong love of adventure, travel, and wonderful places.

I did not own a copy of “Secret of the Blue Grotto” until nearly 50 years later, when I was able to find it on Amazon. I cannot describe the excitement I felt when I received the email from Amazon telling me that a copy had eventually become available. The weeks I waited for that parcel to arrive were akin to a child waiting for their birthday, counting down the days, even hours.

When I got the parcel, I was touched deeply by an inscription written inside the hardcover in a childish hand. “Will the new owner of this book please phone Lisa at 825354. Date: 2nd September 1986”. My eyes misted over. To think that there was another young girl out there somewhere who, 24 years ago, was sad to part with this book.

Lisa read this book 20 years after I did. I read the book that very night. It was so familiar, yet there were bits I didn’t remember. As I finished reading and was about to turn out the light, I hugged the book to my chest, much as I would have, I imagine, back in 1965 when I first read it. To Lisa, wherever you are, thank you for this book and I will treasure it for as long as I live.

In 1977 I first visited the Isle of Capri. I discovered that the Italians call it Capri – with the emphasis on the CAP only sounds like CUP. So romantic the way they say it. I was 22 and I loved it. The whole time I was there, Kelman Frost’s book was at the forefront of my mind. All I wanted to do was to see the famous Blue Grotto, or La Grotta Azzurra.

Visiting the Grotto is dependent on the weather and sea conditions on the day. The entrance is so low that if there is any swell at all, no boats can enter. Luckily for me, that day back in 1977, the seas dropped by lunch time, enabling me to visit this special place for the first time.

Fast forward now until 2007. Thirty years since my first visit to the Blue Grotto, I visited again, this time with my son Matt. I regaled him with my love of Kelman Frost’s novel (at this stage I had not yet become an owner of the book). We lined up on the Marina Grande, Capri’s main harbour, and waited for over an hour for tickets to see the Blue Grotto.

The launch, holding about 12 passengers, motored around the island’s rugged high cliffs until it reached the low hole in the cliff face which was the entrance to the Grotto.

We transferred here, two to a boat, into a small, low dingy. The oarsman skilfully manoeuvred the boat outside the entrance, waiting for our turn to enter. Many little boats were jostling in the choppy swell to maintain their position in the queue.

At last it was our turn. We were told to lie down in the boat. He propelled us forward with a skilful thrust of his oar, then he quickly lay down kind of on top of us as the right wave came and swept us through the low entrance on its swell, and into the most surreal, most beautiful and wondrous sight that you could imagine. The pristine, iridescent blue waters of the Grotto Azzurra. This place was once visited by the Romans way back in 79 AD and was a favourite resort for several Roman Emperors, including Octavia, Augustus II, and of course, Tiberius.

Our oarsman told us to sit up. It took a moment or two for our eyes to adjust. There were several boats like ours in there. The magnificent cavern echoed with the voices of our Italian oarsmen, singing Italian opera, each trying to out sing the next in volume. I stuck my hand over the gunwale and saw how the water made my hand look white, really white, glowing.

The light from outside squeezes in through the low cave opening that the boats come through. There is also, apparently, a lower opening down under the water. The refraction of the sunlight coming through this little opening causes it to glow upwards through the water, thus giving it the eerie but beautiful blue glow.

All too soon, we were out in the bright sunlight again and being ferried back to the Marina Grande. We walked around the little port and eventually decided to stop for lunch at one of the restaurants. We had a lovely meal with an unbelievably wonderful view of the harbour.

Time to head up to the main town, Capri, which sits perched atop the high cliffs behind the Marina Grande. There is a funicular (cable railway) which climbs steeply up the 250 metre high cliffs to Capri. There is also a very steep, very narrow road, which zigzags its way up there. Only a local would attempt to drive up. The queue for the funicular was long, as the perfect hot, sunny day had drawn more than the usual large crowds of day trippers to the island. We opted for a taxi. We climbed into an open top Volvo with a jaunty coloured stripe canvas awning over the top and tassels hanging from its edges in a fringe of colour and jauntiness.

The drive up the steep, narrow road was an experience. It was like being on a roller coaster ride at Dreamworld. Occasionally we would pass a pedestrian who obviously did not value their life. Hairpin bends, horns blaring, a sudden stop as we would encounter another taxi wanting to come down the one lane roadway. It was fun. It was soooooooooo Italian!!

The taxi dropped us at the busy town square of Capri. The view down to Marina Grande, to the blue Mediterranean and across to Naples was magnificent. We could see Mt Vesuvius standing majestically out from the hazy shadow of the mainland.

Capri town is a thriving, bustling place made of white washed buildings, cobblestones, narrow alleyways, and designer shops. No cars are allowed in the town, and the cobblestones are well worn by the feet of millions

of visitors. It is crowded and expensive; designer shops are not for us. We see the well heeled rich people shopping, and indeed many celebrities make this their summer vacation town, including the likes of Elton John who is a regular visitor. We wanted to see beyond the tourist things, and hopefully get a taste of the history of this place.

Way back in 29 BC, Caesar Augustus visited this island. He loved it so much that he bought it. Well, actually he traded it for the island of Ischia which he owned. His successor, Tiberius lived on Capri and was responsible for building many villas between the years 27 and 37 AD, the ruins of which are still standing.

So, instead of following the glitterati, we followed a steep and winding cobblestone path upwards through the town, passing villas and homes, stopping to look at breathtakingly beautiful scenery overlooking the island and the Bay of Naples. We had no map, we just wanted to explore. It was one of the most exciting days of our trip. It was hot and sunny, making us feel homesick, as the weather was reminiscent of our gorgeous Queensland.

We bought bottles of water and walked for hours. Bougainvillea, majestic in its purple, draped everywhere, over high white walls, over wrought iron gates. Flowering oleanders in pink and white added to the colour.  Combined with the blue of the sky and the intense cobalt of the sea beyond, our walk was an intense photo shoot to try and capture the beauty of the day and the place.

We found a sign saying Arco Naturale. Hmm, Natural Arch. That sounded good. So we set off to find it. We walked for a couple of hours, every now and then seeing a sign post. We passed no one. It was quiet, firstly in the outer ring of homes and then into the bush. We passed many little devotional grottoes with statues of the Virgin Mary. The Italians are very devoted to her and they leave flowers at these little memorials along the roadsides.

A peaceful walk, no traffic, the hot sun beating down. How wonderful to be in this place. Out of the blue, we came upon a café carved into a rock cliff along our track. It had little tables with white cloths. I stopped a waiter. “Si si, Arco Naturale” and he pointed for us to keep on walking. Eventually we found it. A magnificent arch of rock, suspended over a drop of several hundred metres, right down to the blue water below. We spotted some tourist boats bobbing way, way down, so tiny they were mere dots. We stayed in this place for an hour. We took photos and soaked in the view and the peace. A little kitten came to talk to us. Other than that, we were alone.

Time to head back. We were tired now from our long walk, but the walk back was easier as it was more downhill than up. We arrived back in the town of Capri and bought a gelato before catching the bus back down to the Marina Grande. Time to board the hydrofoil back to Sorrento. I was sad to leave this place that has been so fascinating to me all my life.

It had been a long day, but Mother Nature was to leave us with one last parting gift. As we stood on the back deck of the hydrofoil as it sped across the Bay of Naples to Sorrento, she put on the most spectacular golden sunset that we had ever seen.

A fitting, regal end to a wonderful day of beauty, adventure and a trip down memory lane. I imagine that Kelman Dalgety Frost also stood on the back of a boat, staring back at the monolithic shape of Capri as she rises up out of the sea with her sheer rock cliffs. I imagine him also being blessed by the sunset of Capri, and standing out on deck until it could no longer be seen.

Ciao Capri. Ciao Kelman. Ciao little Lisa, who has bequeathed her book to me.

Map courtesy of www.planetware.com