Video of Beautiful view of Ischia’s Island resort showing the Epomeo huts on crystal blue waters
Over Napoli and Ischia
28th, 2008
Napoli, Neapolitan: Nàpule) is an historic city in southern Italy, the capital of the Campania region and the province of Naples. The city is noted for its rich history, art, culture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,500 years old. Naples is located halfway between two volcanic areas, the volcano Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, sitting on the coast by the Gulf of Naples. Full Story →
Easter to Ischia
15th, 2008
March in Ischia: everything starts. With many novelties: the Garden of Ravino, wine cellars and hotels, with low season prices. Sun, sea and thermal baths. The usual Ischia? Not really. While Naples is invaded by tons of garbage, the green island is ready for Easter. And if the sea were still cold, you can go for vineyards, wine cellars, gardens and, naturally, for baths and thermal muds. On March 22 the Poseidon Gardens open in the Bay of Cithara (Forio of Ischia, tel. 081.90.87.111), the greater thermal park of the island, with 22 swimming pools.
The beach, exposed to west, gives the longest insolation and an idyll sunset. The irreducible ones of the bath in sea in every season can reach the Bay of Sorgeto (both in boat and on foot, on a steep ramp of staircases from the suburb of Panza), where you can enjoy hot rising and mineral water.
Then you can discover the vinicole firms that still cultivates the autochtonous wines: besides D’Ambra and Pietratorcia, the novelty is the Muratori Brothers’ s wine cellar “Giardini Arimei”, inaugurated last autumn (via delle Ginestre, Forio d’ Ischia, tel. 081.90.96.14). The terraced wineyards looks at the sea and from these grapes a conversation wine is born, pleasant to smell and taste.
Not far, on the street that conducts to Panza, there is another novelty: Giardini Ravino (Forio d’ Ischia, tel. 081.99.77.83). Opened in mute last year, it is a small botanical heaven, but also a cultural circle with jazz, reading of poetry and art shows. The collection of plants includes over 1000 exotic and Mediterranean varieties: cactacee and fat plants, aromatic (from the pink pepper to the cinnamon, from ginger to coffeeplant) essences, bonsai, a pond with papyruses, fior of lotus and ninfee. In March (it opens the 1° of the month) the flowerings begin: cactuses with garlands of flowers in garish colors. In the proximities there is the Mortella Garden, one of the most celebrated in Italy, born from the genius of Russel Page and from the passion of lady Susana Walton, that is still alive. Besides a botanical run of rare beauty, it entertains the musical foundation in memory of William Walton and, from last year, also a suggestive Greek Theater devoted to the exhibitions of the juvenile symphonic orchestras (had opened since March 22, via Calise 39, Forio d’ Ischia, tel. 081.99.01.18).
With reference to its volcanic origins, the hydrothermal heritage of the island of Ischia is, as is well known, one of the richest in the world. The thermo-mineral island springs with their clearly evident “hyperthermability” captured the attention of the ancients right from the beginning. It is therefore hardly surprising that the thermal cures of Ischia actually date back to the VIII Century A.D., when the first Greek colonies, originating from Eubea, settled on the island.
Ischia Restaurants Pizzerie and Pub
8th, 2008
Many local recipes use rabbit which live in the wild in the local woods (also full of mushrooms, berries and strawberry trees), but that have also been bred for centuries in pits dug out in the country, or kept in cages.
Practically every family and trattoria prepares “Ischia-style rabbit”, which is made with garlic, wine, cherry tomatoes and aromatic herbs. Goats and sheep are raised on the island, and their milk is used to make rare cheses. Pigs are lso raised, and their meat is used for tasty sausages.
The age-old rural culture means that all sorts of vegetables are grown: auberginees, courgettes, potatoes, artichokes, arugula and peppers. Foods, small but of great nutritional value such as lentils, chickpears and beans are also grown. There are also two types of rare beans grown hare the purplish red “zampognari” and the black “fascisti” varieties.
The volcanic solid is ideal for growing tomatoes, which are normally harvested on the vine and plaited to form characteristic “pendulums” that are preserved in well ventilated, dry areas. Along the coast the daily toils of fishermen suply sea bass, white bream, gilthead, small tuna, prawns, cuttlefish, squid and lobster which, with less prized fish (that nevertheless can be extraordinarily delicious) fill the menus of specialized restaurants and farm holiday establishments.
