I woke up feeling a bit rough for wear, this head cold is going nowhere! I had an early start as I had to take the super early local bus to make sure I did not miss my boat to Capri. My first impressions of Capri I must confess were not great. The trip over was very choppy and the boat staff walked around trying to sell alcoholic drinks (at 1000). And there were plenty of takers.... The boat docked and you cannot see the township of Capri, it is up high on the cliff top. I thought I had arrived in the arse end of Italy, around the harbour there are REALLY bad restaurants and shops selling crap and not much else, I wondered how Capri had the reputation it had based on this appalling start. Then after queuing for 30mins I caught the cable car up to the top and emerged in a different world.

Capri is very eurochick. There are just as many Italian daytrippers here as foreigners. The shops are very upmarket and catering to the rich and famous that come here. Some of the bars and restaurants have brag boards of photos with the owner with a big cheesy grin posing with whatever celebrity has passed through his door - Naomi Campbell, Lindsey lohan, jessica Simpson, Roger federer are all regulars.

I thought donatella Versace was pretty unique but there are her clones all over the island. I see the folly of women of a certain age (50+), tanned caramel, with long platinum hair teased, dripping in gold jewellery wearing flesh baring clothes, faces showing the signs of multiple cosmetic "enhancements" hanging off the arms of equally flashy men. At least the men seem to date in a similar age bracket, but the attempt to be young and hip is so overdone they have become caricatures. The shops here pander to that, and I'm sure they do very well. The mens style - either utterly neutral or a strong coloured shirt, mirrored glasses, shirt half unbuttoned to show a manly hairy chest, manbag with designer blind hanging off it, casually draped scarf, carefully sculpted stubble /facial hair, tan, if unattractive but rich extra appeal points gained by having a very beautiful rare breed of dog.

People watching is so entertaining.

Another thing I have noticed - people are kind to the cats here, even the scruffy ones. I saw a guy feed the strays dry food early in the morning, and there is a friendly but slightly chewed cat standing by a gate and everyone has stopped to give him a pat or say "ciao gatto", one Italian girl even wanted to take him home. It's nice to see random acts of kindness towards animals.

The more local side of Capri is really nice and it doesn't take long to escape the maddening crowds. Peoples homes here are very tidy and it is obvious there is some wealth. The backstreets are beautiful, and one elderly Italian man bailed me up to tell me that if I followed a different direction I would see a much nicer view and he was right (he could not speak English but still took the time to do this). I have gone from thinking I had made a big mistake visiting Capri to really enjoying my glimpse at how the eurotrash travel.

I was hoping to have an aperitif but almost passed out at the prices..... €12 for the drink (scabby nibbles) another €7 for an expresso and €7 for the priviledge of sitting down! That's AUD40 for the priviledge of sitting down having a drink and a mouthful of coffee without a view! Glad I checked the menu before blindly ordering as the most i should have been paying for that was €8 for everything.

I walked back to the harbour following the little laneways used by the locals. I am understanding alot more Italian but speaking it is a different thing again. Still it was nice to understand what was going on around me today for once. The boat trip back was uneventful. I had dinner in positano, found a great little place in a valley that has homemade ricotta ravioli in tomato sauce and they are baking my chocolate cake to order! The waiter is very goodlooking and very flirtatious, but I am feeling horrible and decline his kind offer of a drink later. I know where he works if I change my mind....

I met another guy on the local bus back to my hillside village ..... What is attracting these men, I cannot stop coughing and blowing my nose and feel pretty average! I say goodnight and go back to the hotel and crash for a bit, then spend the rest of the night keeping myself and probably everyone else awake by coughing all night.