Hello everyone. After the island of Procida, we arrived in Ischia. This is one of the largest islands in the region. Exactly 70.000 people live here. There is also a volcano on this island. Yes, it is dormant, but it has been dormant for 700 years anyway. The last eruption took place in the early tenth century. This volcano not only provides an enormous amount of minerals but also allows wonderful grapes to grow here. Biancolella, grown exclusively in Ischia directly in a kind of pits and niches, has a very intense flavor.
The volcano also provides thermal waters. Ischia is famous for its thermal springs; there are over a hundred springs here. The two largest and most well known thermal parks are Poseidon and Negombo. However, we had our little nephews with us, so we did not go there; but we had many very interesting things to see.
The Aragonese Castle is located here. This castle is often called one of the eight wonders of the world. It was built by the Greeks in the fifth century BCE and later expanded by the Romans and Byzantines. The Romans added water cisterns and the Byzantines built churches. The most interesting part is that there is a convent of the Clarisses inside this castle. In this convent for centuries, nuns were placed in a special room after they died and their lifeless bodies would mummify. This is not a horror movie or a Halloween movie. The Clarisses believed this moment gave the soul the opportunity to make a smooth transition to the other world. This tradition still lives on in memories.
Furthermore, there is still a 400 meter long tunnel inside this castle. It was dug by prisoners in the fifteenth century. Right in the middle of this tunnel, halfway through, there is a chapel. People condemned to death used to stop at this chapel to pray while being led to their execution. For a long time, it was believed to be auspicious to get married directly there, underground. They believed that a marriage officiated deep underground would last forever.
As a matter of fact, you can spend a whole week on vacation in Ischia. We have come here many times before, but I had not started blogging yet. You will definitely not get bored here. The local food is very diverse. They prepare Ischiastyle rabbit. This dish is cooked with olives, vegetables and various herbs. They have amazing parks and of course, thermal parks. Each is worth spending at least a day in. These waters are very healing, good for arthritis and make your skin amazing. Many Italians come here in the off season, namely in October and November when swimming in the sea is no longer possible, stay for a week or two and treat it as a healing cure. The thermal waters flow directly into the sea, but since this is a protected area, it is forbidden to approach by boat.
A special microclimate is formed in these thermal parks thanks to the hot thermal water. Bananas, avocados and other exotic plants grow there all year round. So this is almost a completely different world. If you want to come to an island and live for a week, I can say for sure that you will not be bored here.
The rest of our large group went to the Poseidon thermal park. But small children under the age of 12 are not allowed to swim in the pools. That is why we decided to just rent a speedboat and go to a quiet nearby cove upon the recomendation of the locals.
The town of Casamicciola Terme we arrived at was quite small. This is one of the few ports of Ischia, as there are exactly three ports in Ischia. The town is very cute. Of course, if you do not have a boat, there is not much to do here and it does not have much of a beach either. But the nearest thermal facilities are almost within walking distance. We found a charming residential neighborhood where everyone speaks the local dialect and tourists have not ruined it yet.
There is a symbol of luck used everywhere, especially in Naples. They sell these everywhere. I think you only need to look at this souvenir to understand what this pepper shaped object means, which Neapolitans call cornuto, meaning horn. I suppose there is no need for words, everything is obvious.
We also gave up on going to a traditional restaurant that day. We had our own fish, our own chef and my tired nephews, so we had dinner on the boat.
Our stop the next day was Capri. Yes, this is the most luxurious island. But first thing early in the morning, we went to the symbol of the island, the Blue Grotto, also known as Grotta Azzurra. The color of the water there is incredible because the sunlight reflects directly from under the rocks, from a depth of 40 meters. In ancient times prayers were offered to the gods here, statues of Triton and Neptune were even found and it was believed that sea nymphs lived here. However, when a German poet rediscovered this cave, a tourism boom occurred.
Only the local boatmen here are allowed to enter this cave. Because the entrance is only half a meter wide. To get inside, the boatmen lie down on the boat and lean back over the tourists. So the entrance and exit itself is an adventure in its own right and definitely worth it. The water color is really extraordinary.
All the tourist tours pull up here and wait for the boatmen to come and pick up four tourists, cutting their tickets right in the middle of the sea. The entrance to the cave is 18 Euros, but the boatmen theoretically do not get a single penny from this, so they ask for a tip on top. Even at 9:00 am, a massive queue of tourists and boats had already formed. How good it is that we arrived at 8:50 am, we said. No one knows that the cave can be entered at this hour, they do not even include it in the routes. But our group was very lucky to be with a guide.
Then we went to the island of Capri, the most luxurious of the Italian islands. The hotel prices here are astronomical. Several thousand Euros for a single night. Because first of all, every celebrity can feel like an ordinary tourist and vacationer on this island. This was also the case in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Kennedys, Oscar Wilde and many other celebrities lived here.
Today Capri is once again a meeting point. In fact the main square of Capri was called the living room of Europe for a long time, because scientists, politicians, the wealthy, artists and musicians would gather there. So this is a meeting point especially for Naples and the surrounding cities.
There are two towns on the island of Capri. One is the town of Capri and the other is the slightly more modest Anacapri. Since we were on the boat, we were seeing the most beautiful views of the island from the sea. we did not want to consume everything at once, so we first went swimming near those famous Faraglioni rocks.
It is said that if you pass through the arch under the Faraglioni rocks, you can make a wish and all tourists agree that these wishes really come true. There are not many beaches here, so everyone swims from the boats. There are traditional local boats called gozzos that you can rent and this is actually the easiest way to get around here. Even a tour around the island takes only a few hours and you can see the Villa of Tiberius from the sea. Emperor Tiberius loved this island very much. Just imagine, he moved the capital of the Roman Empire here for a few years and ruled the entire empire from this island. He built 12 villas here dedicated to the twelve main gods. You can still see their ruins here. He had established a quite complex communication system using mirrors and torches to communicate with the mainland.
Of course, Suetonius told every bad story there was about Tiberius. He said that he ruled here like a tyrant and despot, throwing people off the cliffs. This cliff is still called Saltus Tiberii, meaning Tiberius Leap. However, since Suetonius wrote a century later, it is likely that these are nothing but unfounded legends. Still Suetonius knew very well how magnificently this villa was decorated with frescoes and paintings, but unfortunately they did not survive to the present day.
We had many adventures during our journey. Our captain fell into the water while trying to approach the pier in a small boat. Then our engine broke down. Then, while approaching the pier, the rope fell into the sea, got tangled in the engine and we had to get it out with diving goggles. The next day one of the ropes of the other catamaran in our group also broke and he had to climb up to untie it. So it was an action packed journey.
When our engine broke down, we were stranded in a wonderful cove, but we could not weigh anchor and go anywhere. We called the charter company and mechanics set off. But how were we going to go to the large or small port, Marina Piccola or Marina Grande, which were 2 kilometers away? We called a water taxi. The taxi driver demanded 100 euros for this whole service. Yes, prices are very high in Capri, even bargaining did not work. He took us to the large port. Actually we had planned to stay at the Marina Piccola port. But we had an alternative option from the large port. For example, we could take a taxi. By the way all taxis in Capri are open top cabriolets, which are modified vehicles. So are the tourist cars. But when you arrive at the large port by ferry, you can also use the funicular. It is like a small tram. Of course, there are huge queues here in the high season, but since we arrived in the evening hours, we were able to enjoy the view and modern amenities from the funicular.
The ice cream we ate here turned out to be surprisingly delicious. Actually to be honest, whenever I have come to Capri, everything was really very tasty. The only problem is that the prices are two to three times the level we are used to.
And I saw that famous Campfora store. Shoes are handmade here, these are those famous Capri style shoes that all celebrities buy. It is impossible to walk in high heels here. The store has been open since 1946. It features the names of some models purchased by Sophia Loren or Jacqueline Kennedy. In general if you see such shoes on any celebrity on the red carpet, do not think they are sandals. Do you know what they are? Capri shoes.
Where else in the world can you find so many branded stores in a single spot? Some people arrive directly by helicopters from their boats and yachts. Armani, Brunello Cucinelli, Pomellato, etc. We lost my nephew here. We looked around for a while, wondering which boutique our child had entered. Oh, thankfully he was found in a store. He has great taste, a Neapolitan brand.
There are kind of small carts in Capri that carry tourists luggage, meaning everyone still moves around on foot.
There is also a unique tradition here. In the evening, everyone either gathers in the main square or goes to watch the sunset. The sunset is not directly visible, but the sky takes on those magnificent evening hues. Capri is a city of love.
While we were walking, our boats engine was repaired and it had dropped anchor in Marina Piccola, the small port. All the luxury yachts drop anchor exactly here and their guests go ashore to that tiny beach, which I cannot even call a pier. All these yachts, all the boats dock here at night. People board small boats from wet steps in their luxury dresses and absolutely without heels, definitely without heels. Some luxury cruisers even have their own shuttle boats.
The next morning such a strong wind blew that we had to take shelter on the other side of the island and found the magnificent cove of Cala delle Roya. At a time when tourists had not flocked yet, we were able to see that cave resembling a heart. I did not know this place used to be a boat station. Probably local fishermen used to clean the tuna they caught here. But right now, it is only possible to swim.
Cala delle Roya. I even found a cave underwater. There was definitely light, but I do not know if there was oxygen in there. I regret it a little now because I did not dare to swim inside and look. In any case, this place will remain in my heart forever.
After this our path proceeded towards Positano and we had lunch on the way. Our chef prepared his favorite dish, carbonara. And we ate our meal and set our course for Positano...
