15 to 19 April

I’d been somewhat hesitant to visit Capri. Afterall, this was a touristy island and notorious playground of the rich and famous with a wide array of high-end shopping options rather than somewhere low-key and off the beaten track-places I tend to gravitate towards. But its reknown beauty intrigued me.

I was pleasantly surprised when the ferry I took from Napoli(Naples), pulled in to a somewhat scruffy looking port where fishing boats were shuttling to and fro.

The only sign of glamor in Marina Grande (main harbor)-where I’d opted to rent an apartment-was the gleaming fleet of convertible taxis.

My home was a few steps from where the ferries docked. I quickly settled in to venture out again, aware of my short four-day stay.

The funicular generally used to climb up from the port to the town of Capri was out of order and small buses were used instead. These same buses brought locals and tourists throughout the island, including along a precipitous road, to the other main town, interestingly named, Anacapri.

Each ride was an adventure. The bus drivers navigated impossibly narrow, two-way serpentine roads where vehicles inched back and forth to make room for one another, miraculously avoiding to scrape anything as they skimmed by. What was equally impressive were the intrepid pedestrians who blithely shared these roads, often wearing head phones, casually entrusting drivers to avoid them. Miraculously this arrangement seemed to exhibit no casualties, at least while I was there. The drivers’ aplomb was noteworthy.

I, however, decided not to test my fate, nor the dexterity of the drivers. I took refuge inside the buses or walked down to the harbor from the town of Capri, using a seemingly endless staircase-one of many I would encounter.

Yes, there were tourists around the harbor-mostly here for day trips (the Blue Grotto is a major attraction), and high-end shops near the main piazza.

But the relaxed pace, kind locals, splendid walks around the island on virtually isolated pathways enchanted me-there was the occasional sidestepping from specially designed vehicles used for transporting goods:the pathways are equally narrow.

The sight of lemon and orange trees heavy with fruit, ancient ruins, stunning villas, fragrant blossoms, and gorgeous views of the landscape and turquoise sea were the primary and pleasant distractions.

I had booked a short stay thinking I would quickly tire of the artificial scene. It was bittersweet to discover I had been wrong.