ISCHIA ON SUNDAY - THE WEEKLY ISCHIA BLOG: SUNDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2014
Melons from Ischia
ISCHIA ON SUNDAY - THE WEEKLY ISCHIA BLOG: SUNDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2014
Welcome to our weekly Ischia blog, Ischia on Sunday. Here you can see the entry for Sunday 14th September 2014.
Good Evening Ischia!
So who woke to fireworks this morning? Of course I am not asking in a euphemistic sense, merely enquiring as to who, like me, woke to the sound of fireworks this morning. I ask the question because we've just entered a new round of mini-explosions as dusk settles over Ischia.
As is my duty, I have enquired as to the source and reason for said fireworks and am happy to share this with you but not before welcoming you all to my weekly take on all things Ischia.
Welcome :-)
Ok so the reason for the fireworks is that today is the middle of three days where the people of the village of Panza venerate and celebrate their Patron Saint, San Leonardo. The occasion is marked with traditional sagra-style festivities including a temporary stage in the village centre along with market stalls selling all sorts of sweet delights and huts where you can buy the equally delightful alcohol and grilled sausages before settling back to enjoy the music emanating from the stage. The mathematicians among you will have worked out that tomorrow is the final evening of the celebration so if you're on the island and fancy a bit of friendly Panzese hospitality, make sure you don't miss out on this golden opportunity.
It's been a week of bright colours on the island over the last seven days, the gorgeous azure blues of Maronti Beach providing a dazzling backdrop to the golden yellows of the sand that sits in front of it and the greens provided by the mountain slopes and palm trees alike. It's been one of those weeks where it's been so easy to feel happy with the warm sun energising the smiles of the people who have been aboard the good ship Ischia. In every corner of the island there's been something to excite the eye such as the tantalizing spectacle of the huge yachts in Lacco Ameno, or something much more natural like the sight of the ultra-refreshing melons as shown in this week's photo, taken whilst walking along the seafront in Casamicciola.
On last week's blog I mentioned our endeavour to find the best walking routes on the island, making particular note of the Mount Epomeo Trek which is so popular among visitors to the island. Now whilst in no way claiming to have blazed a trail or anything remotely heroic, we have confirmed a way of climbing the mountain followed by a descent that follows a different path from the one you climbed and leaves you in the beautiful belvedere (kind of "viewing area") of Serrara from where you can take refreshment before hopping on the bus back to your hotel, or even continuing on down to Sant'Angelo without ever having had to walk along the main road. Over the next few days I'll be putting together the details of these routes that work out at around 2 hours from Fontana to Serrara or 3 hours if you go on to Sant'Angelo. With the beautiful views across to Capri, Vivara, Procida and the mainland that can be found along the way, I'm sure this will prove to be a very popular route. As soon as I've created the new page with photos etc I'll make an announcement on our facebook page.
Today was the first day of another important event in Ischia, "Andar per Cantine" lasts four days and includes walks through a number of selected vineyards around Panza and Serrara Fontana. Apart from being a fascinating insight into Ischia's viniculture, it's a great excuse to try out some of the wines whilst enjoying the breathtaking scenery on offer. The end of the four day event is marked by a concert at the Giardini Arimei where there'll be a performance by three renowned tenors from Naples in collaboration with some local Ischitan talent, starting at 21:00. For more info on what the event entails just drop us a line and we'll be happy to explain.
Things are looking quite stable on the weather front, top temperatures around 27° Celcius (80° Fahrenheit) but still nice and warm in the evenings too at around 22°C (71°F) as it is right now. In fact I have the door wide open and I didn't even realise until now, so it's a lovely evening to get out and have a stroll along one of the promenades which I might just do in a moment.
That's pretty much it from me for this week but I would like to give a mention to something that I was reminded of this morning. Last year, one of Ischia's crown jewels La Mortella Gardens, was given the full documentary treatment by English television presenter Monty Don as he wandered around Italy to find the country's best gardens. Part three of that series featured La Mortella and can be seen in all its glory by clicking on the video below. It's a charming series, beautifully filmed and offers an intriguing insight in to the lives of the garden's founders, Sir William and Lady Susana Walton, as well as showcasing some of the glorious botanical examples that can be found within the park's environs.
Ok that's me done for this week, feel free to drop us a line with any feedback, requests for advice or just general friendliness and you will be very warmly received.
A presto
Dion Protani
Sunday 14th September 2014 - [email protected]
Today's Saint's day/Name day: Esaltazione della Santa Croce
Today in history: Great Britain converts to the Gregorian calendar along with the American colonies (1752)
Born on this day: Australian actor Sam Neill (1947) and tragic English singer Amy Winehouse (1983)
Sun-rise (alba): 06:42hrs - Sun-set (tramonto): 19:15hrs
So who woke to fireworks this morning? Of course I am not asking in a euphemistic sense, merely enquiring as to who, like me, woke to the sound of fireworks this morning. I ask the question because we've just entered a new round of mini-explosions as dusk settles over Ischia.
As is my duty, I have enquired as to the source and reason for said fireworks and am happy to share this with you but not before welcoming you all to my weekly take on all things Ischia.
Welcome :-)
Ok so the reason for the fireworks is that today is the middle of three days where the people of the village of Panza venerate and celebrate their Patron Saint, San Leonardo. The occasion is marked with traditional sagra-style festivities including a temporary stage in the village centre along with market stalls selling all sorts of sweet delights and huts where you can buy the equally delightful alcohol and grilled sausages before settling back to enjoy the music emanating from the stage. The mathematicians among you will have worked out that tomorrow is the final evening of the celebration so if you're on the island and fancy a bit of friendly Panzese hospitality, make sure you don't miss out on this golden opportunity.
It's been a week of bright colours on the island over the last seven days, the gorgeous azure blues of Maronti Beach providing a dazzling backdrop to the golden yellows of the sand that sits in front of it and the greens provided by the mountain slopes and palm trees alike. It's been one of those weeks where it's been so easy to feel happy with the warm sun energising the smiles of the people who have been aboard the good ship Ischia. In every corner of the island there's been something to excite the eye such as the tantalizing spectacle of the huge yachts in Lacco Ameno, or something much more natural like the sight of the ultra-refreshing melons as shown in this week's photo, taken whilst walking along the seafront in Casamicciola.
On last week's blog I mentioned our endeavour to find the best walking routes on the island, making particular note of the Mount Epomeo Trek which is so popular among visitors to the island. Now whilst in no way claiming to have blazed a trail or anything remotely heroic, we have confirmed a way of climbing the mountain followed by a descent that follows a different path from the one you climbed and leaves you in the beautiful belvedere (kind of "viewing area") of Serrara from where you can take refreshment before hopping on the bus back to your hotel, or even continuing on down to Sant'Angelo without ever having had to walk along the main road. Over the next few days I'll be putting together the details of these routes that work out at around 2 hours from Fontana to Serrara or 3 hours if you go on to Sant'Angelo. With the beautiful views across to Capri, Vivara, Procida and the mainland that can be found along the way, I'm sure this will prove to be a very popular route. As soon as I've created the new page with photos etc I'll make an announcement on our facebook page.
Today was the first day of another important event in Ischia, "Andar per Cantine" lasts four days and includes walks through a number of selected vineyards around Panza and Serrara Fontana. Apart from being a fascinating insight into Ischia's viniculture, it's a great excuse to try out some of the wines whilst enjoying the breathtaking scenery on offer. The end of the four day event is marked by a concert at the Giardini Arimei where there'll be a performance by three renowned tenors from Naples in collaboration with some local Ischitan talent, starting at 21:00. For more info on what the event entails just drop us a line and we'll be happy to explain.
Things are looking quite stable on the weather front, top temperatures around 27° Celcius (80° Fahrenheit) but still nice and warm in the evenings too at around 22°C (71°F) as it is right now. In fact I have the door wide open and I didn't even realise until now, so it's a lovely evening to get out and have a stroll along one of the promenades which I might just do in a moment.
That's pretty much it from me for this week but I would like to give a mention to something that I was reminded of this morning. Last year, one of Ischia's crown jewels La Mortella Gardens, was given the full documentary treatment by English television presenter Monty Don as he wandered around Italy to find the country's best gardens. Part three of that series featured La Mortella and can be seen in all its glory by clicking on the video below. It's a charming series, beautifully filmed and offers an intriguing insight in to the lives of the garden's founders, Sir William and Lady Susana Walton, as well as showcasing some of the glorious botanical examples that can be found within the park's environs.
Ok that's me done for this week, feel free to drop us a line with any feedback, requests for advice or just general friendliness and you will be very warmly received.
A presto
Dion Protani
Sunday 14th September 2014 - [email protected]
Today's Saint's day/Name day: Esaltazione della Santa Croce
Today in history: Great Britain converts to the Gregorian calendar along with the American colonies (1752)
Born on this day: Australian actor Sam Neill (1947) and tragic English singer Amy Winehouse (1983)
Sun-rise (alba): 06:42hrs - Sun-set (tramonto): 19:15hrs
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