2-6 October 2013
Naples - the beating hart of southern Italy... beautiful, vibrant and full of gusto! The island of Ischia could not be more different. We go to experience the two extremes.
A typical Autumn day as we head to Gatwick to catch our 15:10 BA flight to Naples. We sail through customs and hoover up snacks before boarding. The flight is just over two hours and very smooth, we have a game of scrabble and enjoy a complimentary glass of vino. Once at Naples airport, we grab a cab to our hotel which in the centre of the chaotic old quarter. The Hotel Piazza Bellini is modern and comfortable and perfectly positioned for exploring the ancient, graffiti covered streets of the Centro Storico. In the evening we eat at the Restaurant next door to our hotel, delicious home cooked food, a few glasses of local plonk and up to bed.
Thursday 3rd October
A wonderful sunny day with cloud free blue skies. We breakfast early to make the most of our time. A quick amble down through the streets to take some picture, soak up the busy atmosphere and enjoy the City getting ready for another day. Back to the hotel to pack and check-out - we are ready to start our next adventure... Today we are off to Ischia, the largest Island in the bay of Naples. We head down to the Port and purchase tickets for the 10:50 ferry sailing across to Forio, our home for the next two nights. Our hosts from the Poggio del sol Hotel pick us up from the quay-side on their scooters, we enjoy a leisurely drive up through twisty narrow streets. We are soon at the Hotel and are ready to explore. Our hosts are eager to please, and they offer to run us up to our first attraction of the day, the Gardens at Giardini La Mortella are amazing! Designed and built by William Walton and his wife, lady Susana, this is one oasis you won't want to miss. We walk down the hill to the shore and enjoy a swim from the small sandy beach. The sea is wonderful and the views looking back to shore are impressive, the extinct volcano towers above us. We take a moment to dry off in the sun and relax. Next we head along the bay to the Rotunda, this is a sun deck owned by the same family who run our hotel. The third brother is a good host and we enjoy a beer or two as the sun sets on a perfect day. In the evening we enjoy a lovely meal at La Caserccia Restaurant, this is also run by the same family as before. We have home cooked local dishes made with delicious local produce, the fish is pretty good too! We are entrained by a troupe of three local stray kitties who use the restaurant awning as a massive slide, they take it in turns to launch themselves like rockets along the canvas and into the adjoining tree... It's hilarious and they do exactly the same routine at three points throughout the evening. We take the short hike up the hill to our Hotel and bed down for the night.
Friday 4th October, our 12 anniversary!
The sun is shining as we enjoy our breakfast. Today we head out to explore the town of Forio. It's a small friendly place with a pretty harbour and beaches. The centre is busy and full of locals and tourists. The Gardens at Villa Ravino are a mile or so up the road, we walk along the coastal road and head inland to get to the entrance. The cafe, set within the cactus gardens, is beautiful! Rustic chairs and tables in the shade make perfect places to enjoy a cappuccino and soak up the surroundings. This is an amazing place and well worth a visit... after an hour in the gardens we head back along the road to Forio. The beach is calling so we head to the sun deck at the Rotunda, grab a cool drink and do a bit of sunbathing and swimming... Lovely! The clouds bubble up so we make a move back up the hill to our hotel, we chill for a while and grab a beer on the balcony, watching the bay slowly fill up with cloud and mist. Mumma Tina serves up another delicious evening meal in the restaurant, we try the pizza... These are legendary on Ischia and taste delicious. The thunder also starts to rumble around during the eve, what will tomorrows weather hold?
Saturday 5th Oct
As we thought, the weather is overcast and the lightning is crackling away in the Bay. We pack our luggage and head to breakfast. Once done we grab a lift to the port to catch our ferry to Naples. The storm has really taken hold and the rain is torrential as we board, we have no view and are a little anxious about the crossing... Will it be rough...? We tie up alongside Naples harbour and it is still torrential rain, the crossing was actually calm, the surrounding mountains and Vesuvius act as a shield from the worst of the weather. Waiting for a cab at the rank is hilarious, the rain continues to soak us... We eventually get a ride up to the Hotel Piazza Bellini, check in and dry off! This is a great opportunity to go explore Naples. first up, the MADRE gallery of contemporary art. A great collection of big name, site specific installations, and a couple of interesting retrospectives - the cappuccino break was also very welcome! The rain has stopped and the sun is trying to shine, we make the most of the dry conditions to soak up the wonderful atmosphere of the Centro Storico, this place never fails to excite! In the eve we head out for a beer and some pizza before heading back to our hotel to enjoy some super trashy Saturday night television, Italian style! The torrential rain and stormy conditions return during the night and the thunder storm shakes us awake, unfortunately we did not realise that the floor of our room had flooded. We alert reception before enjoying breakfast and packing our luggage for the trip home. Time for a quick walk into the lanes before grabbing a cab to the airport to catch our 12:20 flight back to London Gatwick. Thank you Italy for a truly memorable holiday.
The wonderful Centro Storico in Naples
Scooters and Graffiti in Naples
A wonderful sunny day with cloud free blue skies. We breakfast early to make the most of our time. A quick amble down through the streets to take some picture, soak up the busy atmosphere and enjoy the City getting ready for another day. Back to the hotel to pack and check-out - we are ready to start our next adventure... Today we are off to Ischia, the largest Island in the bay of Naples. We head down to the Port and purchase tickets for the 10:50 ferry sailing across to Forio, our home for the next two nights. Our hosts from the Poggio del sol Hotel pick us up from the quay-side on their scooters, we enjoy a leisurely drive up through twisty narrow streets. We are soon at the Hotel and are ready to explore. Our hosts are eager to please, and they offer to run us up to our first attraction of the day, the Gardens at Giardini La Mortella are amazing! Designed and built by William Walton and his wife, lady Susana, this is one oasis you won't want to miss. We walk down the hill to the shore and enjoy a swim from the small sandy beach. The sea is wonderful and the views looking back to shore are impressive, the extinct volcano towers above us. We take a moment to dry off in the sun and relax. Next we head along the bay to the Rotunda, this is a sun deck owned by the same family who run our hotel. The third brother is a good host and we enjoy a beer or two as the sun sets on a perfect day. In the evening we enjoy a lovely meal at La Caserccia Restaurant, this is also run by the same family as before. We have home cooked local dishes made with delicious local produce, the fish is pretty good too! We are entrained by a troupe of three local stray kitties who use the restaurant awning as a massive slide, they take it in turns to launch themselves like rockets along the canvas and into the adjoining tree... It's hilarious and they do exactly the same routine at three points throughout the evening. We take the short hike up the hill to our Hotel and bed down for the night.
Alex has tea at Giardini La Mortella
Dave enjoys the cool at Mortella
Friday 4th October, our 12 anniversary!
The sun is shining as we enjoy our breakfast. Today we head out to explore the town of Forio. It's a small friendly place with a pretty harbour and beaches. The centre is busy and full of locals and tourists. The Gardens at Villa Ravino are a mile or so up the road, we walk along the coastal road and head inland to get to the entrance. The cafe, set within the cactus gardens, is beautiful! Rustic chairs and tables in the shade make perfect places to enjoy a cappuccino and soak up the surroundings. This is an amazing place and well worth a visit... after an hour in the gardens we head back along the road to Forio. The beach is calling so we head to the sun deck at the Rotunda, grab a cool drink and do a bit of sunbathing and swimming... Lovely! The clouds bubble up so we make a move back up the hill to our hotel, we chill for a while and grab a beer on the balcony, watching the bay slowly fill up with cloud and mist. Mumma Tina serves up another delicious evening meal in the restaurant, we try the pizza... These are legendary on Ischia and taste delicious. The thunder also starts to rumble around during the eve, what will tomorrows weather hold?
La Rotunda
Cactus-fantastic at Villa Ravino
As we thought, the weather is overcast and the lightning is crackling away in the Bay. We pack our luggage and head to breakfast. Once done we grab a lift to the port to catch our ferry to Naples. The storm has really taken hold and the rain is torrential as we board, we have no view and are a little anxious about the crossing... Will it be rough...? We tie up alongside Naples harbour and it is still torrential rain, the crossing was actually calm, the surrounding mountains and Vesuvius act as a shield from the worst of the weather. Waiting for a cab at the rank is hilarious, the rain continues to soak us... We eventually get a ride up to the Hotel Piazza Bellini, check in and dry off! This is a great opportunity to go explore Naples. first up, the MADRE gallery of contemporary art. A great collection of big name, site specific installations, and a couple of interesting retrospectives - the cappuccino break was also very welcome! The rain has stopped and the sun is trying to shine, we make the most of the dry conditions to soak up the wonderful atmosphere of the Centro Storico, this place never fails to excite! In the eve we head out for a beer and some pizza before heading back to our hotel to enjoy some super trashy Saturday night television, Italian style! The torrential rain and stormy conditions return during the night and the thunder storm shakes us awake, unfortunately we did not realise that the floor of our room had flooded. We alert reception before enjoying breakfast and packing our luggage for the trip home. Time for a quick walk into the lanes before grabbing a cab to the airport to catch our 12:20 flight back to London Gatwick. Thank you Italy for a truly memorable holiday.
10 out of 10!
