Discover Gems of the Mediterranean Coastlines-

The Isle of Capri, floating off the tip of the Sorrento Peninsula at the southern end of the Bay of Naples, has been straining the vocabulary of travelers of 2,000 years. Superlatives seem to spring spontaneously to the lips of every traveler who steps off the boat onto this garden-studded island. The Roman emperor Augustus, recognizing the rare beauty of the place, acquired it from the Neapolitans during the first century BC, in exchange for the nearby Isle of Ischia; the
fact that he was willing to trade a larger and more fertile island should indicate the power that Capri holds on the senses.

The often mispronounced island (the emphasis should be on the first syllable, not the second) is part of the same limestone massif that forms the Amalfi coast, but the landscape is, if anything, even more dramatic. The cliffs seem even more precipitous here, the water even deeper azure, the gardens even more riotous with color and scent. Unfortunately, however, the streets are even more crowded with tourists as well. Capri attracts excursion boats from Naples, Sorrento, Ischia, and Amalfi, and on summer weekends the entire island can take on the appearance of downtown Naples during a hectic rush hour. Your best bet is to come during the off-season or on weekdays and stay overnight; the island becomes almost peaceful in the evenings, after the day-trippers have left.

Capri is shaped roughly like a camel’s back–two high mountains flanking a saddle area that slopes gently to the sea. Capri town, located on the shoulder of the eastern hump, is the heart of island life, teeming with luxury hotels, boutiques, and trattorias. The smaller town of Anacapri is high on the western hump. Between and around the two are footpaths crying out to be explored. They lead past villas of the rich and famous, and every once in a while open up to reveal stunning vistas of cliff and sea.

The island’s most famous attraction is probably the Blue Grotto, but it is, alas, the quintessential tourist trap. You reach it by taking a motorboat from the harbor below Capri (about $5) to the cove around the grotto, where you transfer to smaller boats piloted by aggressive oarsmen. After paying the admission fee (about $6), you will be ferried through a tiny tunnel into the admittedly beautiful grotto and out to the cove again, where the oarsman will kindly inform you that you are
entitled, even encouraged, to tip him. The bill for a three-minute glimpse of the grotto? About $12 or $13, depending on how vunerable you are to the oarsman’s extortion.

There are, however, more rewarding sights to see here. The Villa Jovis, perched on a sheer cliff at the eastern end of the island, is one of the ruined palaces of the emperor Tiberius, who retired to Capri in AD 27. And the Villa San Michele in Anacapri is truly lovely. Built by the Swedish physician Axel Munthe (who wrote a best-selling book, The Story of San Michele, about his life on Capri), the villa is now a pleasant little museum. And its tidy garden provides a welcome escape from the crowds.

Today the port of Civitavecchia has the advantage of being the Italian “stepping stone to the Mediterranean” thanks to its excellent weather conditions and ideal geographical location.

From Civitavecchia it is a train ride to almost anywhere in Italy and a quick jaunt to Sardinia. Its position has helped make it the main national coastal shipping port.

Turkey is a great country to visit. The Turks are mostly overwhelmingly friendly to foreign visitors, the cuisine is frequently excellent, the cities are dotted with majestic old buildings and the countryside is often worth a good old-fashioned gasp. There’s an enormous variety of things to see and do ranging from water sports to mountain trekking, archaeology to night-clubbing and river rafting to raki drinking. Whether you leave Turkey with magnificent carpets, amulets to ward off evil, belly-dancing tips, an appreciation of its history, or just a tan, you’re likely to want to go back for more.

The famous city of Istanbul stands where Europe meets Asia and where East meets West, with all its magnificence, and signs from its far-reaching past. It has such a location that it constitutes not only a city of history, but also one of natural beauty beyond example. Extending on the two sides of the Bosphorus bordered by green groves, it also possesses beautiful shores along the internal Marmara Sea. Facing the city there exists small, pretty islands, adorning this big sea, Iying in the middle of the region. The sea features the land in that the climatic characteristics of the Black Sea influencing the north of it, is separated from the typical Mediterranean climate prevailing in its south. Rainfall is high enough to facilitate growing a variety of fruits, while snowfall enlivens the winter holidays. Indeed, it is Istanbul’s variety that fascinates its visitors. The museums, churches, palaces, great mosques, bazaars and sights of natural beauty seem inexhaustilbe.

Istanbul is also an international art and cultural center. In fact whatever intrigues your heart and mind can be discovered in this city where time lives on.

Itea is famous for its honey and olives. That said, it is the perfect little town to stay in as a starting point for day trips to such places as Delphi, one of the most popular and interesting archaeological sites in the world, and Amphissa, the capital of prefecture. Itea is also host to many festivals in the winter and summer months.

Mykonos is the most chic and sophisticated of all the Greek Islands–instantly recognized by its glittering crescent of white-washed houses lining an azure bay. The beaches here are unspoiled and inviting, especially along Plati Tialos Bay. Miniature churches, lazy windmills, and tiny cafes serving up Greek specialties line the streets. Sample the freshest squid or lobster just snatched from the blue Aegean Sea, or shop for typical flokati rugs.

Nice (nês), city (1990 pop. 342,439), capital of Alpes-Maritimes dept., SE France, on the Mediterranean Sea. This famous French Riviera resort relies mostly on tourists, but electronics and other manufactures are important. Nice probably originated as a Greek colony in the 5th cent. B.C. Sardinia held it from 1814 to 1860, when a plebiscite gave it to France.

It lies just west of Monaco and enjoys moderate weather during the winter months and lovely warm weather in the Spring and Summer. Whether you are just driving through or staying, Nice is a very nice place to stay! Many great hotels and restaurants are to be found along the coastline and in the surrounding hills overlooking the Mediterranean.

Volos is a modern port, 110 miles northwest of Athens. See the museums and countryside. Mt. Pilion forest is not far off.