Days 7 & 8: Ischia

We intentionally built in a couple of flex days in Italy, just to give ourselves options. Amalfi obviously treated us well, but we decided to get away from the crowds and head to Ischia, a far less visited island close to both Naples and Capri.

Best decision yet! It had all the charm with much less touristy bustle. Our home away from home, Hotel Villa Jantò, was nestled in the hills of Casamicciolo, far from the standard beachgoer traffic. It was a serene location that was a 100% family affair: Mama cooked delightful meals in the kitchen (more about this later), Papa sourced the meals with bounty from his extensive garden and served as all-around handyman, Francesca the English-speaking daughter ran the front desk and the son waited tables breakfast/lunch/dinner. All absolutely bent over backwards to make us feel at home. The moment we walked in we received hearty "Buongiornos" and handshakes all around! Another plus - we were the only Americans staying there among a group of mostly Italians.

Our first order of business was to down two limonatas (soda water + fresh lemons):

 

I was a feeling a bit under the weather, having caught a cold, but the relaxation at the hotel could not have been a better therapy. Ischia is known for its thermal pools (some claim to have low levels of "beneficial" radioactivity) and the hotel had plenty of pools in which to relax - not to mention Turkish hammam. We spent the first day lazily, only moving to sample Mama's meals. We immediately had to recalibrate our expectation of the definition of "full board." Each meal had at least 3 courses with the enthusiastic son bringing heapings of seconds and thirds despite everyone's protestations and frantic hand signals...

The following day we lounged all morning on a spectacular inlet beach with beautiful sand (as opposed to the rocks of Capri and Amalfi with which we have become well acquainted), and crystal clear water as far as you could see.

That afternoon, we checked out the Castello Aragonese, a beautiful castle perched on an outcropping in Ischia harbor. It was easily one of the best sights of the trip, mainly because it has been maintained so well. Built in 474 BC, the castle is an imposing structure that looks out over the main harbor. The views from the top are stunning, as there are panoramic views of Ischia and the gulf of Naples. During our week there the Ischia Film Festival was being held at the castle at night, which I'm sure was a spectacle, and a likely indication of Ischia's aspiration to be more geared towards ritzy jet setters, like the better known Capri. We might have even checked it out had any of the films been in English!

Sunday before leaving the Italian coast we checked out one of the other top sites on Ischia, Giardini la Mortella. Francesca from our hotel proudly pointed out that it was ranked the best garden in Europe in 2004, and it wasn't hard to see why. The previous owners, Susana and Sir William Walton, spent a lifetime amassing an impressive collection of plants from around the world and it is now open to the public both as a garden and uniquely lush concert hall. Our moms and my grandmother repeatedly came to mind as we wandered around for hours, ogling the larger-than-life water lilies, orchids, and exotic plants that we had never seen before (and some that we had - from Texas!). Overall a well-spent last morning in paradise.

Next up, transit back to gritty Naples and then Rome to depart for our dream safari vacation!