A garden on Capri's Piazzetta??

From the balcony of Al Piccolo Bar, you can take in all the "gardens" and green spots the Piazzetta has to offer ..

Maybe it is this place, in addition to the Grotta Azzurra, Marina Piccola and the Faraglioni, plus the Gardens of Villa Munthe of course, that is the focal point of both visitors and residents of Capri. Recently I came across a delightful book I found at the book store La Conchiglia, appropriately titled "La Piazzetta di Capri". Of course I bought it on the spot and it reminded me that for over a year now, I have been watching closely a small terraced garden located here, and how it changes every season. Since the first Greek settlers of Capri, this place has been a natural level spot and was used as agora or piazza, basically the same way it is used today by both residents and visitors. But there was one difference - instead of bar-cafés (the first set out its tables and chairs in 1938, it was the Bar Al Piccolo) - in former times, the Piazzetta served as market place, where fruit, vegetables, and meat was sold. But today, it is referred to as "the most fashionable and celebrity-packed spot on the world" !!

This book contains old pictures, which make you go back in time, and is a captivating read

In case you don't cross the Piazzetta in Capri in the VERY early morning hours these days, you won't see its flowers but will be intent on watching the crowds instead, and avoiding the hot sun in July. But then, if you take a closer look to take in the proportions of the Piazza, you will notice a tiny "terraced gardens" along the steps leading up to the Church of Santo Stefano (ex-cattedrale di Santo Stefano). I recommend that, in order to get a good view of the Piazzetta, you go up on the first floor of Al Piccolo Bar, which is one of the four cafés located on the Piazzetta. This one is the oldest bar here and has a special feature: A first floor where guests can sit quietly and enjoy their morning cappuccino. There is also a balcony on which you can sit and where it is still cool enough even with midday approaching. A perfect place to contemplate the area of the Piazzetta and its surroundings Still, as you can see, the view is not clear in all directions due to the white sun shades spanning the Piazzetta's four bar-caffés. These days, protection from the sun is indispensible ..

The pastel-colored walls of the houses bordering upon the Piazzetta are adorned with red geranium flower pots - this balcony overlooks the white "decked-out" Piazzetta

And it is from this balcony that you can detect the terraced garden at the foot of the steps leading to the Church of Santo Stefano. These are hardy perennial plants, otherwise they would not survive the parching sun, not even if they were watered regularly. The plants are growing in pots, decorated with colorful tiles depicting the typical lue lizards that are said to live on the Faraglioni rocks and on the Galli islands.

Even from here you can detect the small green & flower spot . the "garden" of the Piazzetta ..

The green spot on the Piazzetta is divided in two halves: the green-greyish curry plants and vermouth, sun loving, are to the left ..

Here you can see the artistic flower pots, depicting the blue Capri lizards.

From this perspective, the plants seem rather large, with the passers-by almost hiding behind them. In the front corner you can also see a small eucalyptus plant with silvery-green long leaves.

People resting on the steps next to the plants

View towards the Piazzetta which to my mind is so embellished by this silvery-green spot with the odd yellow and red flower blossoms ..

And this is how the flower arrangement looked like last year - you see how it has grown since then, but also that the sun-loving hardy plants have survived and have been thriving, while the flowering plants did less well, and some have even disappeared ..