Sunday 3rd June 2018

L Festa della Ginestra, Buonopane

Good morning everyone. It's another sumptuous day in Ischia. Sitting in my vantage point in Forio I'm happy to report the sea is once again a picture of calm and I'm met with a vista of a beautiful yacht entering stage left just as I type. Last night I was lucky enough to be in Sant'Angelo for the Raiz concert which took place in the village square. The music was really wonderful, a haunting mix of Neapolitan and Arabic styles so I think I'll have to go and download one of the albums today. This morning sees another important event on the island - the annual Festa della Ginestra. This takes place in the village of Buonopane where people gather to start a Sunday hike through the picturesque hills there. ​Starting at 10:45am the group then proceeds into the forest where they eventually stop for refreshments and entertainment. One of the showpieces of the day is the performance of the traditional Ischitan dance know as the "'ndrezzata" where a group of guys seemingly attack each other with sticks but don't worry, it's all beautifully choreographed and nobody gets hurt, well not much anyway.  The temperature today will be hitting 26°C (79°F) so if you're on the island right now, sit back, relax and enjoy the sunshine. If you're not here yet then get yourself here soon! I'll be back with another update in the next few days. Ciao :-)