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Posts tagged ‘Capri’

Aug 23

From Napoli to Capri, Part 14: A photo folio to end it all

There are many very good reasons why Capri has long been known one of Europe’s most elegant holiday destinations. Right from the time of the Emperors, when Augustus chose Capri as his favoured holiday isle, and Tiberius moved his entire court there for the final years of his tyrannical rein, through to the heady golden age of Hollywood, when the streets of Capri were peppered with flash bulbs and paparazzi encircling the magnetic draw of superstars such as Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren…Capri has long been known as the land of the rich, the famous and the altogether chic. While today’s island feels far less exclusive in the true sense of the word – after all, thousands of visitors pour onto the island every day – Capri retains its place at the pinnacle of the high-end. Dare to join them?

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Around the bustling Piazzetta and down the famous Via Camerelle, there is so much posing and pouting that Dominik and I felt pressurised into changing our outfits at least 4 times as day (and even then we felt thoroughly self-conscious that passers-by might notice a Zara label rather than the obligatory D&G). And while countless visitors may pour in for the day, to stay on Capri is something of an investment. The prices are so high that one week could bankrupt even the better off. This is serious wallet-busting territory where only the mighty-rich can feel truly comfortable.

Yet beyond the pouting and the Botox, the eye-watering add-ons and the obligatory ego-mania, Capri is a place which exudes beauty. Its natural surroundings are simply stunning. There is no other way to describe them. Whether you turn to face the silhouette of Ischia to the north, the mighty Vesuvius to the East, or the Sorrento Peninsula to the south, Capri’s views are astonishing. But so too are the sights as you turn inwards, as beautiful white washed streets cling onto sloping streets, their shops polished and preened to perfection, everything boutique, floral, and highly manicured. And even those self-obsessed posers, with their haute-couture, and perfectly coiffed hair… well they are just beautiful, and a perfect addition to the scenery.

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So all in all, in a post unapologetically embracing the beauty of Capri, I finish my recollections of our Naples trip with an explosion of the colour, the light, the lines and the landscapes of Capri. From the passionate, gritty streets of Naples, through to the tranquil haven of Ischia and finally onto the millionaire’s playground of Capri, it was quite a trip, one which exposed us to such a rich depth of incredible sights that I left aching from the assault upon my eyes. These places are at once historically magnificent, enshrouded in a kind of mystical enigma from the time of Odysseus, as well as utterly relevant in an age of consumption, self-obsession, and above all things, beauty. We’ve been before, and we returned in glory. It won’t be the last time.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2019. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Aug 21

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Honeymoon and Hotels: Il Gatto Bianco

I told you previously that the views of Capri, particularly from our room at the Hotel Gatto Bianco, had all proved a little overwhelming. That is why, when I ventured out onto our balcony for the first time, and being quite unable to decide which view to capture, I turned one way and made a sketch, and 180 degrees to the other to create this painting. Created using my favourite holiday medium of gouache on paper, this view becomes the latest addition to my collection of Honeymoon and Hotels gouaches.

Capturing both the dense mass of houses and rooftops, alongside the ravishing view of Capri’s most famous Faraglioni rocks, this painting is for me as typical a depiction of Capri as one could get. For it is filled with joy, colour and flowers – the same flowers which fell, cascaded, covered and sprung up all over this island of holiday happiness, a land so entrenched in hedonism and chic that even the most perfumed manifestations of nature’s best blooms race to find a home there.

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Flowers and Faraglioni: View from the Hotel Gatto Bianco (© 2019 Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, gouache on paper)

However perhaps my favourite feature of this painting is also my favourite element of the room itself –  those multicoloured, hand-painted majolica floor tiles which characterised the rooms of the Hotel Gatto Bianco, and which are present throughout the Amalfi Coast. It’s so refreshing to enjoy such tiles which, although devoid of imperfections, are evidentially hand-painted, and all the more beautiful because of it. I can genuinely share the pain of their creator –  this small representation of the type caused me no end of back pain, such was the meticulous detail required. I can only imagine how laborious the work must be when multiplied across 100s and 1000s of tiles. Yet the result is an interior utterly imbued with the spirit of the Mediterranean, and of the stunning island of Capri.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2019. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Aug 16

From Napoli to Capri, Part 12: Ascending Mount Solaro

On our previous trip to Capri, we gasped in wonder at the heady heights of the island’s mountainous landscape. However we had very little time to explore it to the full. Now, with time on our hands, we took the opportunity to explore beyond the Marina Grande and the super-chic centre of Capri Town, extending our reach to the island’s second town, Anacapri, and the vast mountain which extends up behind it, Mount Solaro.

With an elevation of 589m above sea level, the peak of Mount Solaro is the highest point of Capri, and as such the views are understandably ravishing. With a statue of Emperor Augustus – the first Roman emperor to favour the island – presiding over all, the area around the peak is truly photogenic, with wide swathes of wild flowers rolling down across the steep mountain sides making even the foreground of these impressive vistas a treat on the eye.

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But best of all things was the journey up to the peak. No hiking for those swanky visitors to Capri… rather the ascent can be enjoyed in a chair life which enjoys spectacular views from the starting point in Anacapri, to the final mountain peak. Sitting in individual chairs, one lined up behind another, one doesn’t really have the opportunity to chat with fellow travelers. The result is a ride of some 13 minutes one-way spent in near silence, with only the sounds of nature to accompany the journey. It surely made for a welcome contrast to the bustle of Capri’s much visited twin towns.

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Back down from the heights of Mount Solaro, we also had the opportunity to explore the centre of Anacapri, finding a town much lacking in the notorious glamour of Capri Town, but which felt altogether more authentic. I fully suspect that when the tourists go away, this, rather than Capri Town, is the urban centre most frequented by locals unwilling to pay the exorbitant prices elsewhere. It’s accordingly a place which feels like another kind of Capri. Not necessarily better, but certainly not worse for showing something of the local spirit which must pervade the island during the quieter months of the year.

A glimpse of Anacapri

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© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2019. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Aug 14

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My Travel Sketchbook: View from the Hotel Gatto Bianco

I laboured long and hard over choices of where to stay in Capri. It wasn’t that the choice was overwhelming – far from it. Being small, Capri has a more limited stock of good hotels, and with even the cheapest threatening to implode the most generous of budgets, finding something of a deal was always going to be difficult. In the end, I went for the Hotel Gatto Bianco, something of an institution in Capri, which has long been a staple and celebrity haunt (aren’t they all!) thanks to its excellent position in the centre of Capri Town and, in some rooms at least, the most ravishing views over the Town and the island beyond.

We were lucky enough to enjoy one such view, and upon first encounter of our balcony, its floor delightfully tiled with multi-coloured majolica, and its railings filled to bursting with vibrant pink bougainvillea, I didn’t know where to begin in capturing it artistically. In the end, I opted to work on both views, turning inland towards the steep house-covered hillside with my sketchbook, and swiveling 180 degrees seawards for a gouache painting (yet to be revealed… coming soon!).

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View from Room 210 of the Hotel Gatto Bianco (©2019 Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen on paper)

So here is the result. It’s a jam-packed image, and appropriately so, as Capri is something of a populated place, despite its innate exclusivity. But even despite the squeeze, given the stunning scenery and views to die for at every turn, I can well imagine that any one of the many houses captured in this sketch would be well worth the having. One day maybe…

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. For more information on the artwork of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, visit http://www.delacybrown.com 

Aug 12

From Napoli to Capri, Part 11: The Villa San Michele

After many blissful days exploring the passionate streets of Naples and the ruins of Pompeii, and moving onto the tranquil haven of Ischia and its many paradise gardens and seafront villages, we arrived at last in Capri. We have been to Capri before, albeit only on a day trip from Positano. But so enamoured were we by those few hours on the legendary island that we vowed to return. 5 years later, we rolled our suitcases off the Ischia ferry onto the famous docks of Capri’s Marina Grande.

We were back in those scenes from It Started in Naples again, since the port really hasn’t changed all that much since Clark Gable disembarked from a ferry on the very same dock in the 1960 movie. He was there to track down Sophia Loren in her home in the Villa Palazzo Reale. However, as we ventured forth in Capri for the second time, we had a different villa in mind. The Villa San Michele.

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The Villa San Michele has been in my mind for some time this year. It all began when I read an enticing book, The Unfinished Palazzo by Judith Mackrell, in the early weeks of 2019. That book introduced me to the flamboyant Marchesa Luisa Casati whose eccentric homes hosted infamous parties included one villa on the island of Capri. A few months later, coincidence took me to the book, The Story of the Villa San Michele by Axel Munthe, which I picked up purely because of the picture of Capri on its cover. However, once I started reading, I realised that the Villa described was one and the same as the Capri house of Luisa Casati, and a broader picture began to form in my mind. Hooked, I read on, and knew that once in Capri, I would have to make a beeline for the place.

Axel Munthe is a complex character, who can essentially be described as Swedish doctor and psychiatrist, collector of antiquities, animal lover and aesthete. His famous novel does far more than tell the story of his villa. It also tells of his long and complex medical career, treating some of Europe’s most notable aristocrats, and providing medical care to the victims of some of recent history’s most disastrous epidemics. Yet it is the pages when Munthe describes his discovery of the land around San Michele, and his gradual construction of the Villa, which are the most enticing.

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The land once hosted one of several villas owned by Emperor Tiberius. Munthe’s discovery of multiple pieces of antiquity both inspired the villa which resulted and became part of its construction. However the land is also unique for having unparalleled views not only over the Bay of Naples but also over towards Capri Town and the Marina Grande.

Having squeezed into a tiny local bus in order to climb the hair-pin bends of the main road up to Anacapri, we arrived at the Villa San Michele and found it to be every bit the paradise Munthe describes in his novel. Among the relics is a ravishing cafe set upon a rooftop and enjoying those same stunning Vesuvius views. The original little chapel, after which the main Villa is named, features the magnificent and mysterious ancient granite sphinx, whose acquisition Munthe describes in an almost dream-like state. And  best of all things, the gardens offer visitors a lush Elysium of cypress trees and flowering fauna, covered porticoes and citrus-lined avenues.

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We were lucky. We not only got to enjoy the Villa San Michele in the full worship of the day’s sunshine, but also at night. There, as part of the Villa’s annual programme of classical music events, we sat down to watch a performance of the Naples Teatro San Carlo string quartet, as all around us the sun set over a silhouette of Ischia to the West, and Vesuvius just south of it. At that moment, all the year’s reflections on this legendary villa seemed to settle into a wholly satisfactory conclusion. I felt somehow rounded and complete, as though one of the main objectives of 2019 had been satisfied. What a way to commence our return to the exquisite island of Capri.

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© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2019. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Dec 31

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2014: My year in photos

It has become something of a tradition on The Daily Norm to spend the last day of the year looking back at photos capturing the 364 days before it, reflecting on all of the splendid and captivating sights which have made up the year. And perhaps more than any other that has gone before, 2014 has been a year which the camera has loved. For when I look back at my photos of the last 12 months, I am met with an overwhelming body of diverse and beautiful shots which encapsulate a year overflowing with incredible sights and experiences.

I count myself very lucky to have seen and experienced all that has passed in a single year. From the quaint dark streets of Barcelona in February, my travels took me to the incredibly unique medieval citadel of Dubrovnik, the jaw-droppingly beautiful Amalfi Coast (including Positano, Ravello and Capri), the inspiringly-vertiginous mountain town of Ronda in Southern Spain, the vine-rich planes of coastal Tuscany, the floral festival of Pilar in Zaragoza, and the much applauded Czechoslovakian beauty that is Prague. And travels asides, it was the year when I held my first solo art exhibition in 6 years – a huge amount of work which dominated the first half of the year, but a wonderfully satisfying artistic and commercial success which will mark out this year as a creatively significant one.

The famous clock of Capri's main piazza

The ultimate ripples, Palma de Mallorca

Paradise on earth - Capri

Floral walkway, Positano

Colour profile, Marbella

Grape harvest in Castagneto Carducci

Beach umbrellas, Positano

However, appearances can be misleading, and when I look back on these photos, in particular those taken while travelling around Europe, I remember those holidays as escapes into unreality, moments of happiness snatched and nourished in between a stark reality which was becoming more and more difficult to endure. Once my exhibition was over, I found myself faced with a career which failed to inspire me, a city which made life a daily grind, and my partner feeling increasingly depressed for the same reasons. And it was this realisation, and a very unique opportunity that came from it, which triggered perhaps the most significant of all experiences that 2014 brought: our move to Mallorca. A life changer on so many levels; a bundle of new experiences which have only just begun.

And so it is sitting here in sunny Mallorca that I make this review, delightedly gathering up my memories of the year full of the positivity which has accompanied our move to a new life in Spain. Fast forward 365 days, and I look forward to telling you all about it.

Happy New Year to you all!

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Aug 4

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The Daily Norm Photo of the Week: Capri Lizard

Poking his head up over the rough dusty ground of Capri, is a sly little lizard, eyes fixed on the viewer who finds him. His tongue sticks out slightly from his shiny scaled face, but still his eyes stay fixed on yours, as behind that steely gaze, a tiny mind calculates whether it is better to flee or attack. Yet in the apparent calm of his contemplation, who would have known that right behind him was a vertiginous drop, several hundred metres down to the crystal blue sea of the Mediterranean. 

This week’s Daily Norm photo of the week features a very mischievous little lizard, caught in a moment of fleeting movement as this incredible scaly creature ran alongside the edge of a sharp cliff edge plunging down to the sea alongside the vast limestone Arco Naturale in Capri. Despite their not insignificant population in this hot rocky land of Capri, many of whom would be caught in the corner of an eye scattering across our path, it’s always difficult to capture a lizard up close – after all, they move at the speed of lightening, and usually into the shade away from human sight. And that is why I was so pleased to have captured this image – a fleeting glimpse into this speedy creature’s life. 

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All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Jul 17

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My travel sketchbook: Capri 2 – The Arco Naturale

The Arco Naturale in Capri is one of those sights which just takes your breath from you, propelling it into the atmosphere is a shower of fireworks. For there is nothing quite so stunning as the unexpected, and this mighty towering limestone arch looked so deliciously precarious as it balanced several hundred metres above the turquoise sea below that it felt almost like a stage set. There was something almost arousing about its huge teetering mass, thrust upwards into the blue sky like a declaration of robust resilience in the face of nature’s cruel seas; its hardy mass a swollen emboldened spectacle rising above the battered cliffs and sumptuous plant life besides it to frame the surrounding landscape with its gravity-defying arc. And despite the fact that the little pathway skirting alongside this awesome sight was something of a vertiginous spot, with a sheer drop right below it, I could not resist swinging my legs over the side and getting out my sketchbook to capture the impressive prospect before me.

So my fourth sketch of the Amalfi Coast trip was not made without risk, and although my legs were firmly curled around the railings above the cliff edge, I could easily have dropped my pens, or even my beloved sketchbook down that sheer drop – goodness knows how I didn’t. And it wasn’t like I didn’t have distractions – my sketching attracted not just the attention of fellow tourists, but also a dear little cat who curled around me, rubbing itself against the hard edges of my sketchbook, and at times appearing to teeter horrendously closely on the knife edge of the cliff-edge, its perfectly balanced slender body somehow nonplussed by the drop just below. But as you can see, my sketchbook lived to tell the tale – and indeed to be shared, on today’s Daily Norm.

Capri Sketch 2: The Arco Naturale (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen on paper)

Capri Sketch 2: The Arco Naturale (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen on paper)

My sketching companion

My sketching companion

Now that's what I call an artist's studio...

Now that’s what I call an artist’s studio…

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

Jul 16

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Positano & beyond | Capri: Part 2 – Geology, Geraniums and a Granita de Limon

There is no denying the unique pull of ritzy glitzy preened and perfected Capri Town, the bustling micro-sized centre of the stunning Neapolitan island of Capri. But beyond the Dolce and Gabbana, the YSL and the Chanel is an island whose real gleaming star is its jaw-droppingly beautiful natural scenery. Capri’s unique landscape is owed solely to its vast mountainous geology. Capri Town for example is a good 20 minute hike up steep stairways that climb one of the island’s two main mountainous peaks and which leave very little room at sea level for a capital town. And it’s because of this wonderful craggy mountain geology that the island is characterised by a series of stunning natural phenomena – the blue lagoon, the Arco Naturale, and the rocks that jut out to sea like characters from mythology. 

No sooner had we finished our lunch in Capri Town, we bumped into this breathtaking beauty, for mere metres out of the town’s quickly dissipating urbanisation, you are led out into verdant bucolic lanes which simply take your breath away. Of course today much of these areas are overtaken with luxury hotels, but even those maintain huge lush gardens, and the result is an island bursting with almost tropical greenery and the vibrant pinks of abundant bourganvilla. 

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However to see flowers at their best and some of the most amazing views of the island, we headed to the Giardini di Augusto, a small shady set of manicured gardens once owned by German steel industrialist Friedrich Krupp, but begrudgingly given up when he was forced to leave the island in shame after his romantic liasons with local fishermen came to light! Today the gardens are given over to the pleasure of tourists and locals alike, and what pleasure they provide. But the most dazzling aspect of these gardens was not what could be found within, but seen from their periphery. Views so stunning of the turquoise waters and rocky outcrops jutting out to sea below that only photos can really tell of their true beauty…

In the garden…

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and the views from within…

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From one paradise to another, we headed over to the other side of Capri Town, embarking on a walk which at times seemed mad in the searing heat of day, but which was happily broken with a welcome lemon granita enjoyed over lavish sea views, and made all the more worth it by the final destination: the Arco Naturale. I’ve seen some views in my time but this was just something else. A huge rocky arch jutting out to see forming a window onto a little glittering bay below. This huge mass of limestone rock looked to be teetering on a knife edge – at its thinnest point, large cracks could already be seen and it became clear that this natural phenomenon cannot last forever. But this transience made the sight all the more beautiful and we sat and admired it for what seemed like hours. 

The Arco Naturale and taking a rest beside the view

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Of course there were so many other stunning views seen on our day in Capri, although we barely saw a quarter of the island on our short visit. All too soon the last boat back to Positano was calling, but surely a future visit to Capri will be required. After all, the best things in life are always worth the wait. 

Capri fades off into the distance as we head back to Positano

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All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. 

Jul 15

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My travel sketchbook: Capri 1– Roof of the Church of Santo Stefano

Being as the island of Capri is not exactly short of a tourist or two, and seeing as the prices which a café there can evidently get away with are sky high, you can understand why the cafés packed into the little Piazzetta at the centre of Capri Town are keen to do a quick turnaround of customers. After all, at nearly €10 a pop for a glass of wine or something similar, why would they not want to churn out the customers like a supermarket conveyer belt? So there must have been some extent of vexation for the waiters of one such café located directly beneath the square’s famous ceramic-faced campanile when I sat down at the café table and, after ordering myself a coffee, proceeded to open up my travel sketchbook and start sketching. Fearing no doubt that I would be there all day on the price of one coffee, I could almost feel their frustrated eyes burning into the back of my head as I began to sketch. And yet how could I do otherwise? After all, Capri is undoubtedly a place of beauty, and in the centre of its small capital city, the architecture is so cutely quaint that it feels a bit like Toytown. In particular, I adored the rooftop of the church of Santo Stefano, whose small little domes and white-washed walls captivated me from our first steps in the town. And it was those which I sat down to sketch at that little front line café table.

Capri Sketch 1: The church of Santo Stefano (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen on paper)

Capri Sketch 1: Roof of the church of Santo Stefano (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen on paper)

The waiters needn’t have been worried however. As ever with my impromptu sketches made in pen, I wasn’t working on this for long, and in fact had to leave said café before the sketch was completely finished owing to the fast approaching time of the last ferry back to Positano. And yet I’m glad I risked their wrath for the short time I did, because this is definitely one of my favourite sketches of the holiday.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

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