Dinner on the Via Roma

The rain, that seemed so certain earlier, never materialized. Just as it appeared the sky would open up and pour, the wind shifted, the humidity dropped, the clouds disappeared and the late afternoon was glorious. We took the hotel van into Capri, roamed the streets and window-shopped.

Calling the city's thoroughfares streets is really an overstatement - most are barely wide enough to accommodate two people walking abreast. Hotel guests' luggage and all the supplies for the hotels and shops are "trucked" in on battery-powered carts that are about two-thirds the width of a golf cart. While pedestrians have the right-of-way, it's wise not to assert that right too vigorously. Cart drivers can be described as aggressive and while they seem to defer to locals, they have little patience with tourists.

The shops in Capri include every premium retailer you can think of - Prada, Vendi, Ferragamo, Gucci, Ferre`, Louis Vuitton, to name just a few. The Via Camerelle is easily the most elegant street on the island and watching the strolling patrons is a fashion show in itself. Prices are rarely displayed - if you have to ask, you can't afford!

Capri is well known for its' fragrances and the parfumerie of choice is Carthusia. Their perfumes are made on the island, from local herbs and flowers and their clientele has included Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Madonna and a host of other headline names.

The other world-famous local product is Limoncello di Capri, made from island grown and picked Sorrento lemons. Jane and I have made our own limoncello, from California lemons, for several years, but as good as it is and as enjoyable as it may be to make, it doesn't compare to the original. Sorrento lemons have a sweet/tart flavor that is unique and as proud as I am of our California product, its in a different league.

It was approaching 7:30 and not having eaten since breakfast, we stepped into a restaurant on the Via Roma. We asked to be seated in the second floor dining room and given the early hour, had our choice of tables. We chose one on a tiny balcony, overlooking the Via Roma. Our waiter brought a tray of fresh fish and we selected one that I'd never seen before. It appeared to be a cross between a mud scupper and a flying fish - quite ugly, in an intriguing sort of way. Fortunately, Jane has adopted my adventuresome eating habits and the fish was quite delicious, though a bit boney.

Our balcony was just across the street from the Prada store, just a few steps from the clock tower that adjoins the city's main piazza and overlooks the Marina Grande (where the ferry's disgorge a steady stream of tourists) and perhaps forty yards from the bus station terminus; so while enjoying our meal, we watched the throng of locals and tourists pass below us on this main thoroughfare.