1936 On the Continent

itself. The hotels of Capri need no special recommendation. They are all satisfactory as regards accommodation, board, service and prices.
    When you are in Capri you will have nothing to do, yet you will find you have no time for anything. The writing of a postcard is a serious job, and even the most thrilling detective thriller proves to be an exhausting study. When you are in Capri you just
are
. From springtill late autumn the visitor is largely occupied with the sea. Bathing from the Piccola Marina and the Faraglionis is excellent and you can hire
sandolins
or sailing boats at low prices for extremely pleasant excursions when the sea is calm. The coast is dotted with caves in which the water is painted green, blue or red by the refraction of the sunlight. The exploration of the caves provides an exciting experience, but even the most experienced oarsmen and the best swimmers only undertake such expeditions when the sea is perfectly calm and the sailors predict good weather. A slight breeze is sufficient to whip up huge waves round the island to which a small sailing boat or
sandolin
cannot stand up, while the swimmer’s position becomes perfectly hopeless. Thus, as we have said, from spring till autumn the visitor spends most of his time bathing, boating and sun-bathing.
    The rest of the time can be spent in walks. If you are only staying on the island for two or three days you must not omit to walk to the Castiglioni, Capri’s wonderful ruined medieval castle, to the Belvedere di Tragaro, which gives a splendid view of the whole of the Bay of Naples, to the Arco Naturale, the Palazzo di Timberio (Tiberius’ villa), and to the S. Maria del Soccorso. These are short walks, occupying from twenty to fifty minutes, but each of them is an experience. A somewhat longer walk—an hour from Anacapri—will take you to the Monte Solaro, from whose 1,500-feet high peak a fantastically lovely view of the Bay of Naples can be obtained.
Sorrento
    If you are staying in Capri for a longish time you must pay a visit to Sorrento, the second pearl of the Bay of Naples, and birthplace of Torquato Tasso. Most of what we have said concerning Capri also applies to Sorrento, and in advising you to visit the latter and some other places mentioned below, I assume that you will find it possible to spend a considerable time at one of them. Of course, if you can afford it, you could not do better than spend part of your life in the Bay of Naples and Salerno. Sorrento walks: the Piccolo S. Angelo, the Deserto, the Massalubrense. They are no less lovely than the Capri walks. The hotels of Sorrento are no less excellent than thoseof Capri, and you can feed just as well at the “Favorita” and the “Campidoglio” as at the
osterias
in Capri.
    You can go from Capri to Sorrento, or direct from Naples, by steamer, though the motorist will no doubt prefer to travel by the lovely road, blasted out of the rocks, on the edge of the sea. Starting from Naples, the motorist will drive along the Pompeii autostrada, then continue by the ordinary road to Castellamare. Part of the latter road is not particularly good, but beyond Castellamare, where it runs along the coast, it gradually improves, while from Sorrento onwards it is first rate. Three-quarters of an hour by car from Sorrento lies Positano, a name which has only become known in recent years. Positano is a charming fishing village built at the foot of a mountain which has for years been popular with authors, artists and other people of small means. Positano is a particularly suitable resort for a prolonged stay if you wish to rest or work in absolute quiet. It has the important advantage that it is very cheap. The rent of a completely furnished cottage in Positano is 100 to 150 lire, and it will pay you to rent a place like this if you intend to stay for long. You will always find in the village a woman—or a young man—to do the housework, in return for a small wage. The cost of living—and living well—in Positano is very low.
Amalfi
    You can reach Amalfi by three different routes. You can go by train from Naples to Salerno, and from there back to Amalfi by road along the sea, or by car or omnibus through Sorrento and Positano, and finally by steamer. Amalfi is also a pleasant resort. In its few medium-class hotels prices are moderate. At two of them, the “Cappucino” and the “Della Luna,” the visitor can spend his holiday in Amalfi in unique surroundings, for both hotels are in