Ischia
Today we took a 50 minute ferry ride to the island of Ischia.
Napoli looked good, bathed in sunlight as we sailed past.
Ischia itself is a pretty island, positioning itself to be like Capri, but not as expensive. It had a very chilled vibe – an amazing contrast to the hustle, bustle and noise we had left behind in nearby Napoli – and it certainly was more affordable than its more famous, luxurious cousin, but whilst pretty, it didn’t have the same stunning beauty of Capri.
Nevertheless, we had a happy day on the island.
About 3km from the port is a castle on a hill at the end of a causeway, so we ambled our way towards it, stopping to take in the views, do a little window shopping, and drink the inevitable coffees (and, to my delight, I got a high-five from the cafe owner when paying, in recognition of my attempt – which must have been understandable – to talk to him in Italiano)
“Lift kaput” said the lady as we paid our 15 euros (each) to enter the castle, so it was more upward stairs as we climbed to the top to take in the views back over the island.
On leaving the castle, we found a bakery, bought some lunch and found a quiet spot to sit and eat in the sun.
Of course, I couldn’t resist the water and before long I was “enjoying” my first swim of the year, even if the water was molto, molto freddo!
On our return to the mainland, we decided to find the “big” mural of Maradona and the shrine beneath him. It is amazing how one man can be so deified.
However, as someone who still remembers la mano de Dios, I was not worshipping!