1936 On the Continent

and a few houses that have remained in a perfect state of preservation. It is possible to see both towns in a day, but there are romantically-minded people who move to one of Pompeii’s excellent hotels for a few days in order to enjoy the atmosphere of antiquity. Without wishing to criticise such people, I would observe that there are at least half a dozen other places in the region that are far more suitable for holiday purposes. I. should advise the tourist to do Pompeii and Herculanum inone day, lunching at Pompeii and consuming at leisure a glass of the Vesuvian wine, the “Lacrime Christi,” then in the evening returning to Naples.
    Those who after the almost obligatory excursions to Vesuvius and Pompeii return home feeling that they have “done” all that is expected of them, have no idea what they are missing. Some of the travel guides do not go further than Naples, as though in accordance with the old saying: “See Naples and die!”—all who have seen Naples proceeded to expire. On the other hand, some students of Italy say that Italy only
begins
at Naples, and you, gentle reader, will undoubtedly agree with them if you take a trip to Capri and put up at one of its excellent hotels or boarding-houses.
Capri
    Capri is a part of Italy to which every nation lays claim to some extent. The Germans say that Capri was made famous by a German, Gregorovis. The French take a proprietary interest in Capri because they bombarded it from 1806 till 1808; while the English defended it against them, and have in recent times ousted the natives by the peaceful method of purchasing a great deal of property. The Swedish claim rests on the fact that it was here that Axel Munthe wrote his famous novel about his Villa San Michele, the world’s worst joke. Finally, the Italians say that it is in Capri that the most attractive characteristics of the typical Italian have become crystallised—simplicity, kindliness, naturalness. But even within Italy a contrary point of view is represented by Rome, for according to the Romans Capri is not Italian but Roman. A little boy in Rome once told me that the reason for this was that the Emperor Tiberius, who had a number of pleasure palaces and villas on the Island of Capri, had all the natives thrown into the sea, for he could only suffer Romans round him. Foreigners who happened to land on the island were thrown into the sea from a mountain that is to-day known as Monte di Timberio.
    Nowadays, foreigners visiting Capri can count on a far friendlier reception. Practically the whole island lives on them, and any building that is not an hotel is sure to contain rooms to let, unless the owner is a foreigner himself, inwhich case he will view the foreign tourist with horror and consign him—mentally at any rate—to the nether regions. It is one of the peculiarities of Capri that when you have been there for three or four days you regard yourself as a native and probably regard with tolerant contempt the fresh crowds of tourists as they are disgorged twice daily, at noon and in the evening, by the funicular railway, having arrived by steamer from Naples. But in three days’ time these new arrivals will also be sitting on the terrace of some café on the Piazza and view with the same tolerant contempt as yourself the newly-arrived Germans, Frenchmen and Anglo-Saxons.
    You will have guessed from the above that there are two or three steamers—according to the season—from Naples to this tropically situated fairy island. In addition, there are steamers from Amalfi and Sorrento and, of course, similar services from Capri to all these places.
Strenuous Idleness
    To those whose experience of Capri lies in the future (after your first visit you will get on swimmingly on your own) I offer the following advice with regard to the choice of accommodation. You can stay in one of three districts in Capri—on the Grande Marina or harbour, in Capri itself, or in Anacapri, which is less than an hour’s journey from Capri. All three places have their advantages. If you are staying near the harbour (where the “Grotte Bleu” is the only hotel I can recommend) you will not have far to walk for your bathing. However, the best bathing is not on the Grande Marina but on the Piccola Marina on the opposite side. Capri itself is naturally the centre of the island. All roads start from here and lead here. Anacapri is only for those who require absolute quiet. Thus it is really best to stay at Capri