ISCHIA ON SUNDAY - THE WEEKLY ISCHIA BLOG: SUNDAY 8TH JUNE 2014
San Francesco Bay with Forio in the distance
ISCHIA ON SUNDAY - THE WEEKLY ISCHIA BLOG: SUNDAY 8TH JUNE 2014
Welcome to our weekly Ischia blog, Ischia on Sunday. Here you can see the entry for Sunday 8th June 2014
Good Evening Ischia!
Wow, are we back to Sunday night already? The time has completely flown by after another very busy week on the island but I wouldn't be able to rest my head this evening without filling you in on some of the details about what's been going and what's to come. The first thing to talk about, as it often is, is the weather which has been very newsworthy of late. We've not seen a drop of rain for about three weeks now (as far as I can remember but please correct me if I'm wrong) and over the last few days the temperatures have soared to above 30° Celsius (86° Fahrenheit).
Looking ahead for the rest of the week there's still no sign of rain on the horizon (although I should add that my information comes from more than merely looking at the horizon), and we're set for more of the same hot weather with the maximum temperatures hovering between 32°C (90°F) and 28°C (82°F) for at least the next seven days. Despite all that I still haven't managed to get myself down to the beach for my first dip of the year but I will be looking to put that right over the next few days if time permits!
It's got to the stage now where once a week, on a Sunday, I'll upload all of the photos that I've taken over the course of the week, before choosing the best one to put on the blog. This process also gives me a pictorial reminder of what I've been doing and who I've met etc. This week's set of photos have shown me that I've been to pretty much every corner of the island at some point or another, with shots of Sant'Angelo, Maronti Beach, Lacco Ameno, Sorgeto and Ischia Porto among the collection. I've met lots of nice people, seen some great views, been intrigued by new ideas and had lots of laughs along the way with the most pleasing aspect of that being all the happy faces I've encountered along the way which is almost a microcosm of my last 18 months or so in Ischia.
Speaking of those photos, it was a very hard choice to choose my favourite one but I've plumped for a view that I've shown on the blog before. Whilst I always strive to try and show you all new and interesting angles of Ischia, the view in today's photo never ceases to draw gasps when people witness it for the first time, and even though I've been there many times myself, the view from Zaro down to San Francesco Bay and Forio really is stunning and deserves to be shown again. I still find myself staring in amazement when I pass places such as Maronti or Citara beaches which seem to look different each time with the clarity and brightness of the blue shades that dance around as the water shimmers under the bright sun. This particular photo was taken yesterday afternoon and whilst I've always loved this little viewing area complete with picnic table from where you can sit and admire the view, I don't think I've ever seen it looking quite so spectacular as it was right at that moment.
My collection of photos from this week also includes those from last night where we went high up into the mountains to visit a friend who's just had a great idea. The area known as Santa Maria al Monte in Forio is at one of the highest points of the island and is best known for the annual festa of the same name which takes place on September 12th. It's not the easiest place to get to as it's some 700 metres above sea level but if you've got a car, or even better a scooter then you can find your way to the top within about 10 minutes or so. Once there the first thing of note is the spectacular views, best enjoyed at sunset when the islands of Ventotene and Ponza are clearly visible in the distance. There are also lots of wooded paths with interesting trails, one of which leads to the intriguing house of one of our friends.
The house is intriguing because it's very different to most other houses on the island and most other houses anywhere in the western world as it doesn't have any electricity or a running water supply. Visiting the house really is like taking a step back in time to the days when people were self-sufficient and lived off the land and that is what our friend Valeria has been doing for the best part of her life, perfecting her survival skills to live an idyllic life at one with nature. So whilst the thought of not having electricity or running water might sound a bit scary at first, you soon realise that it's possible to live well enough without these things, at least for a short while as you engage with the more basic pleasures of life such as growing your own food or harnessing nature to supply you with the water you need and simply switching off from the rigours of everyday modern life. Valeria's idea is to open up her beautiful house to guests for a few days at a time, to give them a taste of the life she leads where they can also learn new cooking and agricultural skills whilst having the pleasure of peace and quiet and some stunning sunsets. Over the next few weeks we're going to put some more information together about this experience and offer it up to any visitors to Ischia who fancy doing something a little bit off the beaten track for a little while. However, if you're already intrigued and want to know more just let us know and we'll get straight back to you to explain how it will all work.
Ok that's nearly it from me for this week, next weekend we have one of the most important festivals of the year, the Festa di San Vito which takes place in Forio from Saturday. Actually I missed last year's event and I'm really looking forward to seeing it this year having been very impressed by the other major events such as the Festa di Sant'Anna in Ischia Ponte, the Festa di Santa Restituta in Lacco Ameno and the Festa di San Michele in Sant'Angelo. We'll bring you some more details about the Festa di San Vito on our facebook page over the next week so keep an eye on that if you'd like to know what it's all about or simply drop us a line and we'll tell you.
I've decided to add another new little feature to the blog, something everybody can get involved with. At the end of each blog from now on I'll be asking a question about Ischia that you can answer or discuss on our facebook page. This week I've spoken about some of my favourite views on the island so my question this week is:
What's your favourite view in Ischia? (you can leave a note at the bottom of the blog by clicking where it says "comments" or alternatively on our facebook page where you can also add photos to back up your opinion!)
Ok, I look forward to hearing from you all. Have a great week wherever you are and I'll be back with more next Sunday.
A presto!
Dion Protani
Sunday 8th June 2014 - [email protected]
Today's Saint's day/Name day: Bishop San Medardo
Today in history: The first reported theft of a car. (1896) (Something that's virtually impossible to do in Ischia by the way!)
Born on this day: English singer Mick Hucknall (1960)
Sun-rise (alba): 05:30hrs - Sun-set (tramonto): 20:34hrs
Wow, are we back to Sunday night already? The time has completely flown by after another very busy week on the island but I wouldn't be able to rest my head this evening without filling you in on some of the details about what's been going and what's to come. The first thing to talk about, as it often is, is the weather which has been very newsworthy of late. We've not seen a drop of rain for about three weeks now (as far as I can remember but please correct me if I'm wrong) and over the last few days the temperatures have soared to above 30° Celsius (86° Fahrenheit).
Looking ahead for the rest of the week there's still no sign of rain on the horizon (although I should add that my information comes from more than merely looking at the horizon), and we're set for more of the same hot weather with the maximum temperatures hovering between 32°C (90°F) and 28°C (82°F) for at least the next seven days. Despite all that I still haven't managed to get myself down to the beach for my first dip of the year but I will be looking to put that right over the next few days if time permits!
It's got to the stage now where once a week, on a Sunday, I'll upload all of the photos that I've taken over the course of the week, before choosing the best one to put on the blog. This process also gives me a pictorial reminder of what I've been doing and who I've met etc. This week's set of photos have shown me that I've been to pretty much every corner of the island at some point or another, with shots of Sant'Angelo, Maronti Beach, Lacco Ameno, Sorgeto and Ischia Porto among the collection. I've met lots of nice people, seen some great views, been intrigued by new ideas and had lots of laughs along the way with the most pleasing aspect of that being all the happy faces I've encountered along the way which is almost a microcosm of my last 18 months or so in Ischia.
Speaking of those photos, it was a very hard choice to choose my favourite one but I've plumped for a view that I've shown on the blog before. Whilst I always strive to try and show you all new and interesting angles of Ischia, the view in today's photo never ceases to draw gasps when people witness it for the first time, and even though I've been there many times myself, the view from Zaro down to San Francesco Bay and Forio really is stunning and deserves to be shown again. I still find myself staring in amazement when I pass places such as Maronti or Citara beaches which seem to look different each time with the clarity and brightness of the blue shades that dance around as the water shimmers under the bright sun. This particular photo was taken yesterday afternoon and whilst I've always loved this little viewing area complete with picnic table from where you can sit and admire the view, I don't think I've ever seen it looking quite so spectacular as it was right at that moment.
My collection of photos from this week also includes those from last night where we went high up into the mountains to visit a friend who's just had a great idea. The area known as Santa Maria al Monte in Forio is at one of the highest points of the island and is best known for the annual festa of the same name which takes place on September 12th. It's not the easiest place to get to as it's some 700 metres above sea level but if you've got a car, or even better a scooter then you can find your way to the top within about 10 minutes or so. Once there the first thing of note is the spectacular views, best enjoyed at sunset when the islands of Ventotene and Ponza are clearly visible in the distance. There are also lots of wooded paths with interesting trails, one of which leads to the intriguing house of one of our friends.
The house is intriguing because it's very different to most other houses on the island and most other houses anywhere in the western world as it doesn't have any electricity or a running water supply. Visiting the house really is like taking a step back in time to the days when people were self-sufficient and lived off the land and that is what our friend Valeria has been doing for the best part of her life, perfecting her survival skills to live an idyllic life at one with nature. So whilst the thought of not having electricity or running water might sound a bit scary at first, you soon realise that it's possible to live well enough without these things, at least for a short while as you engage with the more basic pleasures of life such as growing your own food or harnessing nature to supply you with the water you need and simply switching off from the rigours of everyday modern life. Valeria's idea is to open up her beautiful house to guests for a few days at a time, to give them a taste of the life she leads where they can also learn new cooking and agricultural skills whilst having the pleasure of peace and quiet and some stunning sunsets. Over the next few weeks we're going to put some more information together about this experience and offer it up to any visitors to Ischia who fancy doing something a little bit off the beaten track for a little while. However, if you're already intrigued and want to know more just let us know and we'll get straight back to you to explain how it will all work.
Ok that's nearly it from me for this week, next weekend we have one of the most important festivals of the year, the Festa di San Vito which takes place in Forio from Saturday. Actually I missed last year's event and I'm really looking forward to seeing it this year having been very impressed by the other major events such as the Festa di Sant'Anna in Ischia Ponte, the Festa di Santa Restituta in Lacco Ameno and the Festa di San Michele in Sant'Angelo. We'll bring you some more details about the Festa di San Vito on our facebook page over the next week so keep an eye on that if you'd like to know what it's all about or simply drop us a line and we'll tell you.
I've decided to add another new little feature to the blog, something everybody can get involved with. At the end of each blog from now on I'll be asking a question about Ischia that you can answer or discuss on our facebook page. This week I've spoken about some of my favourite views on the island so my question this week is:
What's your favourite view in Ischia? (you can leave a note at the bottom of the blog by clicking where it says "comments" or alternatively on our facebook page where you can also add photos to back up your opinion!)
Ok, I look forward to hearing from you all. Have a great week wherever you are and I'll be back with more next Sunday.
A presto!
Dion Protani
Sunday 8th June 2014 - [email protected]
Today's Saint's day/Name day: Bishop San Medardo
Today in history: The first reported theft of a car. (1896) (Something that's virtually impossible to do in Ischia by the way!)
Born on this day: English singer Mick Hucknall (1960)
Sun-rise (alba): 05:30hrs - Sun-set (tramonto): 20:34hrs
|
|
