Eighteen hours after we left our house in Atlanta – airplane to Rome, train from Rome to Naples, and then ferry from Naples to Forio – we arrived in Forio, Ischia.  Ischia an island is just north of the island of Capri and is often overshadowed by its southernly neighbor.  In doing research for this trip, I had heard a lot about Capri and wanted to go there – beautiful mountains and coast, breathtakingly blue sea… and throngs of tourists.  Research told me that Ischia was just as beautiful plus it has fewer tourists and – wait for it – thermal hot springs spas.  Um, hello!  Did someone just say “first week of vacation?”  Boom!  Decision made.

Ischia has a rich and storied history.  It was the first and the northernmost Greek settlement in the West.  After the Greeks, the island was part of the Roman Empire.  In fact, there is a thermal hot springs on the western side of the island that was used as a Roman spa and has been in continuous use for 2,600 years.  Just to put things in perspective, the US has been a country for 240 years.  Um, yeah.

When we debarked the ferry in Ischia at 2:30 pm, it was clearly time to stop for lunch for 3 reasons.  One, it was time for lunch.  Two, we hadn’t really eaten in 12 hours.  Three, after being in transport for 18 hours, we just need to stop moving and breath.  And that we did.  As we sat down for lunch on the patio of a harbor-side restaurant, we looked around and Chad said, “Well, this doesn’t suck.”  Clear blue Mediterranean, steep green mountains, brightly painted buildings, Vespas, colorful flowers, and good food and wine.  I could stay here for a while…

After 18 hours of travel, this relaxing seafood lunch was wonderful