After Naples, we traveled to Taormina on the east coast of Sicily.  When Chad told me that we would be taking a train from Naples (on the mainland) to Taormina (which is on an island), I didn’t understand how we were going to cross the sea to get there.  Is there a bridge to Sicily?  Why no, there is not.  Instead, the train drove onto a boat, and the boat carried us across the water.  What???  I didn’t even know that was possible.  I kind of felt like I was seeing a platypus in real life.

Our train loaded on a ferry, ready to sail to Sicily

Once the boat reached Sicily, the train drove off onto the tracks on land and took us to Taormina. 

View from the train as we traveled along the coast of Sicily – the Italian mainland is in the distance

Taormina was a resort town when it was occupied by the ancient Greeks and then the Roman empire, and it is still a resort town today.  The place is expensive and overcrowded with tourists in high season.  However, I succumbed to the allure of the place.

The town itself is nestled on the side of a mountain, high above the sea.  Buildings spill down the mountain with a variety of architectural styles, each vying for the perfect view of the water.  The main draw of Taormina is the many beaches in the vicinity, but the town itself has much to offer.

View of the town from the old Greek theater

The old town is the real draw.  Because the streets are so narrow, motorized traffic is severely limited which adds to the appeal of the place.  The main street, Corso Umberto, is loaded with tourist shops, expensive clothing stores, bars, restaurants, piazzas, churches, and cool little buildings.

Fortification wall and entry portal to the old town

Corso Umberto early in the morning

Another view of Corso Umberto

A large piazza with a 12th-century clock tower

A pretty mosaic inside the clock tower passageway

Entrance to a cute side street – steps lead down the hill

This side street was only about 2 feet wide

The Passagiata in the evenings here is insane, with the Corso packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people taking a gentle stroll – some in flip-flops, some in high heels – window shopping, eating a gelato.

An evening in the main piazza

Evening passagiata on Corso Umberto

The same view in the morning before the tourists arrive

The biggest draw, however, is the old amphitheater.  Originally built by the Greeks, the Romans restored it in the 2nd century AD, and it continues to be a performance venue to this day.  And I must say, the setting is stunning as it is perched on a hilltop and looks over the town and the sea.  Those Greeks knew a thing or two about architecture and urban planning.

The old Greek theater with a view towards the sea

Sitting in the theater

Theater stage backdrop

Ancient columns just lying around because ancient columns are a dime a dozen

You can also visit the Odeon which was an ancient Roman temple.  The site itself is small, but I had three “a-ha” moments when we saw it.  1) I was looking at something that was 2,200 years old.  Yowza.  2) The modern town has built around it, taking its cues from the Odeon’s original layout.  3) The Odeon would have probably been obliterated by a strip mall if it were in the US.

The seating in the Odeon

A small passageway behind the seating

Finally, there are the beaches around Taormina.  The weather down here is usually sunny, the water is calm, and there is infinite coastline.  It’s a perennial draw for Greeks, Romans, and modern-day tourists.

You can take the aerial tram down the mountain to the beach

One of the beaches

Naples has a strong Catholic foundation, and, as such, there are beautiful churches all over the city.  There are big churches, little churches, and churches wedged between bigger buildings, but everywhere churches.  While in Naples, I continued to follow my personal rule of, “If the church door is open, go inside.”

A grand church

A neighborhood church sandwiched between two buildings

A neighborhood church in the evening

A neighborhood church with 21st century paraphernalia in front

My favorite thing about stepping inside a church is that every church is a new experience.  One is ornate.  One is simple.  One is austere.  One has real stone inlay.  The other has plaster paint that looks like stone.  They are all so interesting.

Chiesa del Gesu Nuovo

Interior of Chiesa del Gesu Nuovo

Another thing that I love is that you see beautiful architecture and beautiful artwork.  A lot of the citizens’ money went into these buildings, so there are wonderful things to see inside.  Even if the facade is rather plain, you can see astonishing paintings, sculpture and metalwork (silver and gold) inside.

The main basilica

Basilica central space

The sculpture above the alter in the basilica done in marble and gold

12th-century mosaics in a side chapel with gold mosaic tiles

Another side chapel of the basilica – all of the statues that you see are silverplated

A marble statue in the crypt of the basilica – notice how the fabric of the robes looks so light and loose, even though carved of stone

The other thing I love about visiting churches is that it gives you a respite from the city.  You won’t get a reprieve from the weather – if it’s hot outside, it’s usually hotter in the church.  However, you can get some peace and quiet from the busyness of the city.  As people walk into a church, they generally succumb to the sanctity of the space and acknowledge the calm and quiet of the interior by turning down the volume.  Regardless of your religious leanings, it’s a good place to sit and reflect and  think about your place in life.

Church at a convent – it’s pretty plain outside

Inside the convent church – notice that it’s relatively austere inside to match the nuns’ way of life

A nun’s tomb

Small monastery chapel (to the right of the larger yellow building)

Inside the monastery chapel

One final note on religious places in Naples – there are shrines all over the city.  They are built into retaining walls, apartment building walls, office building walls…

A shrine in a local neighborhood

Another wall shrine

A small shrine next to a produce shop

When we were planning this trip, we waffled about going to Naples.  There was a point when we didn’t even think we would go for a day trip, but we ultimately added it to our agenda and stayed there for four days.

I had envisioned a dirty port city with decrepit buildings, a hot and dusty environment, pickpockets, and street vendors hawking fake Gucci bags.  While I did experience those things to some degree (except the pickpockets), the city is so much more than the stereotype.

We stayed in a nice little hotel on Piazza Victoria on the water. 

Our hotel room

The view of Piazza Victoria from our room

As it turns out, this is THE hip neighborhood for shopping during the day and for dinner/drinks at night.  Gucci, Ferragamo, and other high-end stores were right around the corner from our hotel, and it was fun to window-shop.  In the evening, the bars and restaurants would put tables and chairs out in the narrow streets, turning the whole neighborhood into one big social zone.

Anticipating a seafood lunch

An interesting planet window display at the Louis Vuitton store with old buildings in the reflection

A sculpture in our neighborhood

Ba-bar – we went here 3 times in 4 days, very cool restaurant/bar with mind-blowing cocktails

Our neighborhood was also an easy walk or cab ride to other interesting parts of the city.  We saw a couple of castles. 

The old castle, view from the boardwalk

Chad looking at the sea

An archway inside the old castle

The new castle up on a hill

A beautifully sculpted archway of the new castle

A detail of the main door on the new castle

We explored a huge park on top of a mountain in the middle of the city. 

One of the trails in the park at the top of the city

We visited the main shopping street, Via Toledo, where I popped into one of my favorite stores, Desigual, and hit the jackpot of shopping.  We also rode one of those red “hop on, hop off” tourist buses which was a great way to get an overview of the city. 

My fave store outside of the US

Tourist bus

Even as I wrote this blog post and was searching through my photos, I was trying to figure out how the capture the feel of the city.  Naples is a mix of stately old buildings, little alleys, views of the water, afternoon heat, evening breezes, and bustling action. 

A quaint little street

Stately steps

Scooters (also known as motorini)

This square off the beaten path had interesting graffiti

But it’s also a city of little details – a row of umbrella pine trees flanking a boardwalk, teenage boys practicing skateboard tricks, tiny octopuses scooting around in a pan of water at a seafood shop, the scent of lunch from a basement apartment.  If you can get beyond the city’s brash stereotype, you will find its quiet secrets.

Seafood displayed on the sidewalk outside a shop

A guy selling produce on the street

Little boats anchored in one of the harbors

We found a 3D map of the city made for blind visitors

In fact, we specifically didn’t go to Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii, because we didn’t want to short-change ourselves on Naples.  I’m glad we decided to focus on the city as I now have a greater appreciation for everything it has to offer.  Plus, Pompeii now gives us an excuse to come back for another visit.

While we spent most of our time visiting with family in Monteferrante, we also got in some local sightseeing in southern Abruzzo.  We stayed at a little B&B, Tenuta Villa Rosato, down in the valley below Monteferrante.  The place is run by a young guy, Rosario, who took his grandparents farmhouse and renovated it into a great place to stay for a few days.  In addition to being great accommodations, it is in a perfect location to do some exploring around the region.  One of the cool things about Abruzzo is that is is not heavily touristed.  This means that you will get more of a local experience whether seeing an old castle, eating in a small restaurant, or just driving through the countryside.

Tenuta Villa Rosato, our B&B

Our room

The view from our room

The breakfast terrace for the B&B

We went to visit the nearby town of Roccascalegna.  It’s one of those cute Italian mountain towns with little streets and breathtaking views.  Plus, it has a castle. 

View of the castle

The little church at the base of the castle

An ancient flamethrower on display in the castle – I had no idea there were flamethrowers back in the day!

Some artsy-fartsy on display in the old chapel of the castle

Leaving the castle – so many steps…

A cute street in Roccascalegna

An old house in Roccascalegna

Street address on a house – the current address is #29 but you can faintly see the old address as well #308

We also went to Tornareccio which is another cute mountain town.  What sets this one apart, however, is its annual mosaic art festival.  The town has around 70 mosaic pieces that have been donated by various organizations, and they are put on display for a month every summer.  The mosaic pieces are all the same size, approximately 1.5 meters x 1.5 meters.

Tornareccio is known for its honey.  In fact, it won a national competition for best honey.  Naturally, a lot of the mosaics include honey bees as part of the art.  When we first got to the town, I was trying to take photos of every single mosaic.  Then I got tired, so I decided to only take photos of mosaics with bees.  And then I was still tired.  So many bees.  The mosaics are all mounted high on building walls, so it was hard to get good photos, but here are some of my favorite mosaics:

I liked the gold detail of the earring on this mosaic

This mosaic was mounted on the facade of a church, fitting…

A mosaic piece by a Japanese artist

An abstract of the typical fishing piers down on the coast

Bees!

We ate lunch in an amazing lunch in the basement of a little (locals-only) restaurant in the town.  The waiter asked each of us if we wanted the meat lunch or the seafood lunch and then brought out each course according to our order.

Chad, Michele, Fran, Jim, Connie, and Simon

My appetizer – local meats and cheeses

Chad’s appetizer – seafood crudite

Pasta with clams

We had more food than this, but the photos weren’t very good so I’m not going to share them.  There’s nothing worse than a food photo where the food looks gross.

On our last afternoon in Abruzzo, Chad’s cousin Marco took me, Chad’s dad Jim, and our friend Simon to see an ancient wall that was built 2,500 years ago.  I know, it sounds lame, “Look at this old stone wall!” and maybe it’s just the archidork in me, but it was pretty cool.  Just knowing that the wall had been there for so long and had been built by a different civilization was a little mind-blowing.  Plus, it was way up on a hill and far away from other tourists which made it feel very special. 

Part of the wall

An old passageway through the wall

A close-up of rocks and lichen

The wall stretches on…

We’re currently in the Sicilian resort town of Taormina which is jam-packed with tourists, so I’m having a bit of nostalgia for the isolated setting of that old wall.  But more on Taormina later.  Next stop, Naples!

I won’t lie.  We’ve been eating a LOT while in Italy.  I can tell that I’ve been gaining weight, and you know what?  I don’t care one iota.  Zero.  Zilch.  Goose egg.  The food here has been delicious.  And while we’ve had some memorable meals in some great restaurants, nothing beats a home-cooked meal in someone’s home.

Our week in Monteferrante centered around food – eating a meal, recovering from having eaten too much at that meal, and then preparing for the next meal.  We had prosciutto.  We had cheese.  We had pasta.  We had salad.  We had soup.  We had bread.  We had veggies.  We had fruit.  We had pastries.  We had wine.  We had grappa.  And that was just on the first day.

Family lunch – Achile, Alice, Fran, Gabriela, Adolfo, Jim, me

We had meals with family every day, and lunch and dinner each lasted a couple of hours.  In addition to filling our bellies, this was a social gathering as well.  We shared stories and got to know each other.  This was the first time Chad and I had met the Italian relatives, so it was really nice to be able to spend time with them over several meals and over several days.  Everyone was so nice and welcoming that we felt right at home from the time we arrived.  And never mind that it was non-stop Italian language.  We made it all work.

A family lunch at Adolfo’s house – Jim, Gabriela, Fran, Michele, Marco, Adolfo, Simon, Connie

Another family lunch at Maria’s house – Connie, Gabriela, Chad, Angela, Silvana, Vincenzo, Simone, me, Fran

Same lunch, different view – Vincenzo, Simone, me, Fran, Marco, Simon, Jim, Chad, Maria

When not eating, we would sit on the benches in the square and watch people go by, or we would stroll through the small streets of the village.  We also went to the little bar a couple of times to have a Campari spritz and watch the old men play cards.  And I am also guilty of taking a nap or two in the afternoon, sleeping off lunch and getting ready for dinner.  What a relaxing week!

Socializing in front of Adolfo’s house

The village bar

Visiting Vincenzo’s wine cellar – he’s an accomplished chef and sommelier

A typical meal would start with a simple appetizer – cured meat, cheese, local salami, maybe some olives.  Then the first course which was usually pasta.  The second course might be cooked veggies or a hearty salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and cooked potatoes.  Red table wine accompanied all of this.  Then came the fruit – watermelon, peaches, and figs are all in season right now.  Then dessert with a mix of pastries and cookies.  Then a ‘digestivo’ (a liqueur to help with digestion) such as grappa.  And then an espresso.  Now does the afternoon nap make sense?

The table set for lunch

Homemade pasta made by Chad and Maria

A typical second course – cheese bread fritters, pickled vegetables, cucumber

Another typical second course – egglant, tomato/potato salad, local prosciutto

Fruit course

Dessert

Homemade noccino – liqueur made from walnuts – accompanied by cookies

Throughout the week, everyone contributed to the meal prep.  84-year-old Maria made pizzas for us one evening, and she taught Chad her way of making pasta on another occasion.  84-year-old Adolfo made his special ‘sugo’ (tomato sauce) for one of our pasta lunches, and it was so good.  Adolfo’s daughter, Gabriela, prepared several meals for us in Adolfo’s house, and her cousin Vincenzo, who is a chef and sommelier, was the maestro for Jim’s birthday luncheon. 

Maria in her kitchen

Vincenzo preparing Jim’s birthday lunch for 25 people

Jim’s birthday lunch

Jim’s birthday lunch – Jim, Adolfo, Marco, Mario, Carlo

Birthday cake – Jim and Vincenzo

Birthday party music – Marco, Mario, Francesco, Adolfo, Cinzia, Gabriela

Birthday party dancing

On our last evening we went down into the valley to Cinzia’s pizza restaurant, and I ate the best pizza of my entire life.  (My fave was the bacalao and zucchini.)  After that dinner, Chad and I would head back to our B&B and then would leave the following morning for Naples.  As we said good-bye to our Italian relatives, we gave hugs and kisses and made promises to see each other again. 

Pizza dinner at Cinzia’s restaurant – Connie, Jim, Simon, Antonino, Cristiano, Cinzia, Vincenzo, Chad, Gabriela, me, Fran

The best pizza in the universe

I was doing just fine until I hugged Gabriela, and then I lost it.  And I mean I totally lost it and started crying big crocodile tears.  I was sobbing so much that I couldn’t even talk.  My emotions surprised me at the time, but, as I think back on it, over just a few short days, I had developed new friendships and broadened my familial ties.  It wasn’t just that I had met new people.  It was that I had discovered a new part of my family tree.

Simon, Adolfo, Gabriela, Chad, Marco

We spent our second week in Italy in and around the small mountain village of Monteferrante in Abruzzo, a couple of hours east of Rome. 

Monteferrante city limits

View of the town

Two of Chad’s great-grandparents emigrated from Monteferrante to Cranford, New Jersey back in the day.  Apparently, a lot of other people emigrated from Monteferrante to Cranford as well, because, when we were there, it was a veritable New Jersey reunion.  The local priest joked that, in addition to Monteferrante, he has parishes in Cranford, Westfield, and Scotch Plains, NJ.

Today, Monteferrante has a year-round population of 70 people.  In August, the population swells as children and grandchildren come to visit older relatives in the town.  Plus, there is the US contingent that comes as well.

Walking through the town

Another small street in the town

Anyway, Monteferrante had special meaning to me as I visited it with Chad and his family.  Some older relatives still live there – Adolfo and Maria, Chad’s mom’s mom’s cousins (you do the math) and extended relatives.  

I want to fix up this cute little house and live here

As we walked the small streets on the first day with Chad’s mom, Fran, and her Italian cousin, Gabriella, we saw the house that the ancestors lived in as children.  Great-grandpa lived in the front with his family and great-grandma lived in the back with her family, and then they got married.  How cute is that!

Walking through the town with Chad, Jim, Gabriella, and Fran

Great-grandparents’ childhood home

The front door of great-grandfather’s home

We also saw the fountain where they got their water every day.  

Public fountain where Chad’s great-grandparents got their water

This probably doesn’t sound like a big deal as you read this post, but I stood there imagining the previous generations going about their daily business on these small streets with the church at the top of the hill.  Monteferrante is a magical place.  You can still get a feel for the old way of life as you walk through the town.

Tomatoes being cooked in someone’s side yard so they can be canned for the winter

On our last day, the village celebrated a festival of St. John the Baptist.  Catholic Mass in the morning included a procession through the streets with a statue of Jesus.  I followed the procession up the hill and back into the church and watched the end of Mass.  

Procession on St John the Baptist day

Procession on St John the Baptist day – notice the statue of Jesus being carried through the streets

Residents of Cranford, New Jersey paid to have the church restored several years ago and it is an unexpected beauty for such a small town.  It leaves me wondering what will happen to this church and the rest of the town when the older generation is gone.

The church

Another view of the church interior

The beautifully restored church ceiling

A week ago, we woke to news of the earthquake in central Italy.  Knowing that we were headed for central Italy that day to spend some time with Chad’s parents and extended Italian family, I was a little nervous about our trip and nervous about how the family was faring.  Fortunately, the damage was north of the area where we were headed.

One of the fun things about traveling around Europe is taking modes of transportation that you wouldn’t use every day in the US.  We started with a ferry ride from Ischia to Naples.  Ferries are pretty awesome.  You’re out on the water with a cool breeze, a view that you can’t get from land (obviously).  It’s just a great way to travel.

Chad on the ferry eating his breakfast pastry

Me on the ferry, looking mischievous for some reason

Look! Another photo of the ferry!

Upon landing in Naples, we found our way to the Hertz office in the Naples harbor (easier said than done) and got our rental car.  Now, driving a car in Italy might sound like no big deal, but let me tell you, Italian drivers have no fear.  I have lots of fear.  It was a good thing Chad was driving.

Our sweet ride

Italian country road

We were kind of hoping that we could make it to our final destination in time for lunch, but the Hangry Monster joined us partway through the road trip, so we stopped for lunch.  I’m going to take a moment and say that we thought we were just stopping at a little mom-and-pop restaurant for some food, but this place turned out to be a destination restaurant. 

Ristorante il Casale? Sure, I’ll give it a try…

The restaurant felt like going to someone’s home

When we sat down at 1:15, there were only two other occupied tables.  Within the next hour and a half, the place filled up with large family groups settling in for a long lunch.  And by long lunch I mean long lunch.  Our little table of two spent 2-1/2 hours in this place.

The interior – check out the wood beams

Uh, the views weren’t terrible…

I’ll come clean and say we didn’t really know what we were signing up for.  Our server started out by saying (in Italian, natch), “I could bring you the mixed appetizer plate – a little meat, a little cheese, some bruschetta,” to which we responded, “Si, va bene.”  (Yes, that sounds good.”)  And then this happened:

Some appetizers

And more appetizers

Oh, and how about some more appetizers

Seven plates of appetizers later, the waiter asked what kind of pasta we wanted.  I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head, and Chad told the waiter he was about to explode (“esplodere”).  The waiter thought that was funny.  Then we were served polenta.  We managed to get out of the full pasta course and meat course, but then they insisted that we have dessert.  Then they brought “digestivi” (after-dinner drinks).  Oh, my lord, I have never eaten so much in my entire life.  And it was all so good.

Dessert

Homemade digestivi

And THEN we got back into the car and finished our road trip into Monteferrante.  Where there was a family dinner that evening.  With more food.  And more “esplodere.”  But that is another story.

We ate so many delicious meals in Ischia that I couldn’t leave there without proper documentation. 

Ristorante Saturnino – This place was so good, we went back a second time.  The chef, Ciro, and his wife are very nice, and the food is exquisite.  Fresh seafood with great flavors and flawless execution.  Located on the harbor in the Old Town.

Ristorante Saturnino

The restaurant’s exterior

The front dining room

A gift from the chef – mozzarella with a tomato puree on top

Pesce crudi (raw seafood appetizer)

Octopus ravioli on our first visit

Grilled fish on our first visit

Chad’s seafood pasta on our second visit

My rabbit ravioli on our second visit

stuffed squid

Peach gelato

Pistachio Charlotte (like a cake) with canteloupe gelato

My Charlotte and gelato came with a proper spork

Rucolino – a digestivo (after-dinner drink) made from arugula

The restaurant has a great selection of wine

Trattoria da Peppina di Renato – We had Chad’s birthday dinner here.  Located up on the mountain, this place has great views, a rustic atmosphere, and a mix of contemporary and traditional dishes.

Entry steps

Entry vestibule

A view of the exterior

Main dining room

Our table on the balcony

Mixed appetizers – not the traditional meat and cheese, but oh so delicious

Traditional rabbit dish with a side of grilled veggies

Chad’s dessert – fig torte with gelato

My dessert – a pistachio cake with a mixed berry (frutti di bosco) jam on top

Street signs on our walk home at 11:30 pm

Pietratorcia – Small place in the Old Town.  The menu was a small chalkboard with 6 items listed.  The traditional dishes were simple but delicious.  Plus, the house wine came from the family’s vineyard.

The inside dining area is small with only 3 tables

The deck outside can fit a few more people

The kitchen was two doors down and was barely big enough for the chef and his helper

I had grilled fish. Chad dish was essentially mac and cheese with potatoes added in.

Wine from the family winery

We had a grappa one night that was amber-colored.  I thought grappa was always clear.

Amber grappa

Pizza place on Piazza Giacomo Matteotti- We were enjoying a quiet lunch when several teenage boys came running through the plaza, yelling and looking at their phones.  I looked at the guy at the table to me and said, “Pokemon.”  He responded in Italian, “They’d be better off looking for a brain.”

Our first pizza

Simple evening meal prepared in our apartment.  We had leftovers for breakfast.

Dinner

Breakfast

We also discovered a great local wine – Falanghina.

Local wine from Ischia

When Chad and I took our first European sabbatical in 2009, we were on a very strict budget.  As a result, when we went to a new city, anything that was free was automatically on our list of things to do.  This included parks, botanical gardens, markets, festivals, and churches.

The basilica

Basilica ceiling

Basilica statue

There are many beautiful churches in Forio.  Italy is deeply religious.  In addition to being part of a Catholic country, Southern Italy venerates the Virgin Mary, and She has prominence in the churches and in the shrines in the streets. 

Santa Maria di Loreto

Santa Maria di Loreto interior – this is all stonework, not plaster

Santa Maria di Loreto side room

Santa Maria di Loreto statue

Also, many churches were built in the 1800s in a kind of Nouveau Baroque style on the interior.  The original Baroque style was in the 1600s, and the churches here borrowed heavily on that style 200 years later.  This means that the churches have the intricate design and decoration of the Baroque style but it is still in great condition since it isn’t that old.   The exteriors are generally simple which makes the decorated interior all that much more surprising.

San Gaetano

San Gaetano cupola with sundial

Figurehead over the entry door to San Gaetano

The Nouveau Baroque interior of San Gaetano

San Gaetano hand-painted tile floor

As Ischia is an island, many churches have a nautical theme of some sort – lines of rope carved into the walls, sailing ships painted into the plaster.  I even saw a pulpit made out an anchor, but I didn’t take a photo because people were praying in the church and I didn’t want to be disrespectful.  (Dad, I can draw you a picture :)

Chiesa del Soccorso

Chiesa del Soccorso interior – see the ships sitting on the plaster molding at the tops of the walls?

Close up of a ship and some baby angels over the archway

There is one church that sticks with me after visiting it.  It was consecrated in 1865, and there is a dedication engraved in the ceiling just above the front door.  Without looking at my notes, I don’t remember exactly which church this was.  I don’t remember if it had the beautiful hand-painted floor tiles or if it had model ships displayed on the walls or if it was the one with the cupola with the pink light streaming in.  What I do remember is standing there, looking at the engraving, and thinking that in 1865, the same summer the church was consecrated, the US was just finishing 4 years of a terrible civil war and coming out on the other side, free of slavery.  I feel like my world just got a lot smaller in a way that is much bigger than I am.

Santa Maria di Visitapoveri

Santa Maria di Visitapoveri interior

Santa Maria di Visitapoveri tile floor

Santa Maria di Visitapoveri interior

Due to the island’s volcanic history, Ischia is known for its natural hot springs and thermal baths, and Poseidon Giardini Terme is the mother of all thermal spas.  Oh Em Gee was this place amazing.  It was like a water park for adults with hot springs pools instead of waterslides.  Much like a water park, you pay to get in, and then you can spend the whole day hanging out in the water.

A wristband gives you access to the park

The main boardwalk of the park

Located right on the sea, the Giardini Terme (thermal gardens) has its own private beach.  It is suggested that you start your day in the sea and that you exercise a little bit in the water to get your muscles loosened up.  So we did as we were told and jumped in the ocean at 9:30 am.  Then we headed to the pools.

There are around 20 pools on the property with varying water temperatures.  The coolest one is 28 degrees celsius (83 Fahrenheit) and each pool is gradually warmer than the last – 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 degrees.  The idea is that you start in the coolest pool and spend about 20 minutes hanging out or floating around.  (They are all saltwater pools so you can literally float around if you want.)  Then you move on to the next warmer pool.  As we worked our way along the circuit, I became more and more relaxed and I moved slower and slower.  It was so great.

A view of the pools and the sea from up on the mountainside

The massage building

We spent the morning going from pool to pool, and we did one of the hot/cold pools right before lunch.  What is the hot/cold pool, you ask?  It is torture.  First you sit in the hot side which is like a hot jacuzzi, 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).  You sit there for a few minutes until you finally become used to it.  Then you rush into the cold pool, 15 degrees C (59 F) and submerge yourself up to your chin.  Have you ever had a sprained ankle and you had to put your foot into a bucket of ice water?  Imagine doing this with your whole body.  To quote Chad, “Argh!!!  Who invented this!!!”  (Only he didn’t say, “argh.”)  You sit in the cold water for 20 seconds and then you go back to the hot pool.  At this point, the hot water feels even hotter, and it feels like thousands of little pins are being poked into your skin.  Then do this two more times.  Chad and I nicknamed this the Shock and Awe pool.

Many of the pathways had spring water running alongside

Because all of the pools are fed by natural spring water, there is no chlorine.  In order to keep the water clean, there are two rules – 1) you must wear a bathing cap (which made me think we were swimming in the 1900s) and 2) you can’t wear sunscreen or lotions.  Needless to say, after a morning in the pools, I was sunburned and we were both hungry, so we went to the cafeteria for lunch.  Of course, the water park cafeteria food in Italy is really good.

Lunch – lasagna, caprese salad, prosciutto and melon plus sparkling water and some white wine

Then we spent the afternoon reading, chatting, and snoozing in the shade.  At the end of the day, we took a trail up the mountain to the Grotto di Vino (wine cave) to have a small glass of wine and look down on the sea.

We spent out afternoon in beach chairs in the shade

Cool rock formations up by the wine grotto