tourism Archives - Italian Mamma

Some Must-See Sites in Underrated Puglia

Posted on June 27, 2017 Leave a Comment

FAMILY TRAVEL – VIAGGI

Trulli - Francesca Di Meglio — The trulli of Alberobello with their characteristic round rooftops make for a dramatic image. #169; Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

Puglia is underrated among tourists. Overshadowed by Tuscany, Venice, and Florence to the north and Sicily and islands, such as Capri, to the south, the capital Bari and its surrounding area offer hidden gems. Much like Naples in Campania, the area is grittier than most tourists prefer. But if you know where to visit, you can be safe and enjoy some must-see places. Long ago, before we were married and had our son, my husband and I ventured to Puglia. It. was. epic. See below for some highlights from our trip. You should put these sites on your bucket list:

Road Trip

The street signs include a town named Monopoli. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

We saw Puglia by car. The signs are easy to read and follow. My husband and I got a kick out of the town named Monopoli. We had a long-running inside joke with my parents about the game. We took this picture with them in mind. The Grotte di Castellana called our name. We had hoped to see the animals at the Zoosafari in nearby Fasano. But it was closed the day we were in town. Just our luck. Maybe someday we’ll get back there. I’ve heard good things.

Grotte di Castellana

Grotte di Castellano sunlight - Francesca Di Meglio — From inside the grotte, you can look up and out onto the street. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

The Grotte di Castellana are a study in science and a tourist attraction. Found in the town of Castellana Grotte, they are underground cavities, where limestone has eroded. Over time, this limestone has formed a landscape brimming with fissures, sinkholes, ridges, and towers. The most impressive scenery is the stalagmite and stalactite covering the ground and roof respectively. A museum neighbors the caverns. There, people can get a deeper understanding of the natural wonders they just visited.

Alberobello

In Alberobello, you might feel as though you’ve arrived in a giant Smurf village. The round rooftops of the houses, known as trulli, are among 51 sites in Italy on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. They are stunning. We looked at the town from above on a flat rooftop, and all you could see were these charming homes that didn’t even look real lining the streets. It was lovely to walk through the streets and just take in the scene. I also really enjoyed the shopping, which included many handmade souvenirs.

Pottery Offers Pizzazz

Clay vases in Puglia, Italy - Francesca Di Meglio — Clay vases in Alberobello were eye catching. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

While I would never lug one of these babies home, I couldn’t help but photograph them. They were gorgeous. And the pottery piled together like that looked like a painting. The setting sun only added to the artistry. Although I was sad a vase of this stature was too big a purchase to bring home with me, I found other souvenirs. All these years later, I still cherish the treasures from Alberobello. I bought some beautifully decorated bath towels for relatives. Also, I found hand embroidered towels with images of the trulli on them. We still keep a mini trulli replica front and center in our china closet. The trip was a long time ago, but the memory lives on in our hearts.

Di Meglio has written the Our Paesani column for ItaliansRus.com since 2003. You can follow the Italian Mamma on Facebook or Twitter @ItalianMamma10.

Day Dreaming about Ischia in Italy

Posted on June 20, 2017 Leave a Comment

FAMILY TRAVEL – VIAGGI

Ischia Porto park - Di Meglio — © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

Ischia, Italy, an island off the coast of Naples that is the home of my ancestors and husband inspires beautiful daydreams. Anyone who goes there for vacation will see it as paradise. The reality for those who live there is different. But daydreaming is not about facing real life; it’s about escaping it. So, as a gift to you (not to mention me) I thought I’d share some pretty pictures. Go ahead pretend you’re in the image. And forget about all that other stuff.

Castello Aragonese

The centerpiece of the island is Castello Aragonese. This castle has been a dungeon, fortress, and even love shack. It’s best known for housing Vittoria Colonna. Guests can visit the castle’s interior, which is a museum. They can even stay on the grounds, which includes a hotel. Previously a monastery, the rooms are not the most comfortable. There is no television. And the beds are literally hard like rocks. But the view of the bridge connecting the castle to the island and the town of Ischia Ponte make up for it. Seriously, quella bella vista is the vision of romance.

Ischia Porto Beach - Francesca Di Meglio

Ischia’s biggest draw, of course, is its many beaches. This is one of the most crowded in Ischia Porto, the island’s capital and bustling hub. But it’s a nice place for its central location. Maronti in the town of Barano is the biggest and most popular beach. San Francesco in the town of Forio offers lovely views while you’re lounging. It’s also a bit quieter than the beaches in Ischia Porto and Barano. Some, however, prefer the sand or rocks surrounding Castello Aragonese. They jump in as though they are Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law in the Talented Mr. Ripley, who had lived on the island while filming there. The Bay of San Montano, which is in the middle of the Negombo thermal spa is a great spot for families because of the calm waters. Of course, there is also the beach in Sant’ Angelo, the poshest spot in Ischia.

Thermal Spas

The photo above shows Bagnitello, a thermal pool park and beach area in the town of Casamicciola. Ischia sits atop a volcano. As a result, the soil is fertile, which might be why the fruits and vegetables are so plentiful and delicious. These volcanic beginnings also explain the thermal waters and mud, which are believed to have healing powers. Indeed, athletes often come to Ischia to sooth sore muscles, joints, and bones. The waters at Nitrodi natural springs in Buonopane help those with skin afflictions, such as acne, rashes, and fungi. You can stand under the showers there and then pull up a lounge chair overlooking Maronti. The most famous thermal spas, however, are Negombo, Poseidon, and Castiglione. Negombo is my personal favorite. They created the pools to look like they naturally evolved from the rocks in the hillside. The hammocks that are hidden away and overlook the Bay of San Montano will quickly become your happy place. Poseidon is the most well known of the three and offers lovely gardens alongside the thermal pools. Castiglione is the most quaint. It offers many pools, a warm atmosphere, and less chaos.

Best thing about daydreaming? I’m already there in my mind. Hope the same is true for you.

Di Meglio has written the Our Paesani column for ItaliansRus.com since 2003. You can follow the Italian Mamma on Facebook or Twitter @ItalianMamma10.

Italy Vacation – Where Is Ischia?

Posted on May 24, 2017

FAMILY TRAVEL – VIAGGI

My People, My Island

This is the first in a series of stories about traveling to the island of Ischia in Italy.

Mine are the peasant people of Ischia in Italy. This island is considered a province of Naples in Italy. Ischia neighbors the more famous Capri. Another neighboring island, Procida, had its 15 minutes of fame when the charming film Il Postino was released. When my people left in the 1950s and 1960s, the island was suffering. World War II had decimated the economy of the entire country. And the spirit of the people was shaken. Italians are not ones for war. Truly, they are lovers and not fighters. Fighting Americans (many of whom were related) and changing sides took its toll.

Challenges Change the Islanders

Food and family are the top priorities in Italy. Back then, getting food on the table was difficult. My father disagrees. He doesn’t remember scrambling for a meal. But his older siblings have different memories. They were working the land to make ends meet. It was a tough life. In 1960, when my 13-year-old father left, everything changed. Tourism began to replace agriculture as the island’s prime business.

So, where is Ischia?

Well, it is the largest island in the Gulf of Naples. It is 17 miles southwest of Naples on the western edge of the gulf, according to the World Atlas. Foreigners travel by plane. Often, they have to take a flight to a European capital. Then, they take a shorter flight to Naples. During some times of the year, you can get direct flights from New York’s JFK.

You can easily access the island from Naples or Pozzuoli (birthplace of Sofia Loren). You simply have to take a boat or hydrofoil from either of those places. You go with the boat if you need to put a car or motor scooter on board with you. You go with the hydrofoil if you’re traveling without additional transportation. The hydrofoil, of course, is faster and takes about an hour. The boat will take about 1.5 to two hours. It all depends on whether you make a stop in Procida first.

What Makes the Geography Special

The island is actually a volcano. It last erupted 700 or so years ago. But in 2010 some experts warned it might blow again. No joke. Before you run away from Ischia, consider their final thoughts on the matter. The experts also said an eruption was not at all imminent. Still, they are monitoring it along with nearby Vesuvius.

These volcanic origins are not all bad. They provide rich soil for vegetation. You might credit it with the sweetest fruits and most delicious veggies you’ve ever eaten. Your body might also appreciate thermal waters and mud. Many athletes and ailing people come to Ischia for their healing powers.

For those who trace their roots to Ischia, it lives within the heart. It is where we find family and friends. It is where we find a slice of piece and Nonna’s parmigiana. Can’t beat that.

Di Meglio has written the Our Paesani column for ItaliansRus.com since 2003. You can follow the Italian Mamma on Facebook or Twitter @ItalianMamma10. For handmade crafts and party gear, visit the Italian Mamma store on Etsy.

Greetings from Ischia in My 20s

Posted on October 4, 2016

FAMILY TRAVEL – VIAGGI

Woman in Ischia 2005 - Gerenini — A photo of me from 2005 in Ischia, Italy © Photo by Antonio Gerenini

I’ve become one of those people. You know, the kind who is always waxing nostalgic. I’m my grandparents now. Every sentence seems to begin, “Back in the old days…” And so it begins. In 10 days, I’m going to turn 38 years old. It’s not 40. But it’s closer to 40 than 30 was. Suddenly, I’m clinging to whatever time I have left with older relatives, recognizing my parent’s age, and feeling, well, old – or at least much older. It has me thinking about the past – a lot.

Rather than bore you with details of how I had it better back then in that time and galaxy far, far away, I thought I’d share some pictures. These are my keepsakes from Ischia in 2005, when I visited my then boyfriend (now husband) in his home and met his family for the first time. It was an age of innocence. It was also a time when Ischia was not a second home but still a dream vacation for me. It’s funny what a difference living in a place – seeing all its warts up close – makes in your perception of it. Anyway, here’s what I’ve been looking at, staring at, and wondering whatever happened to:

Two Italian men - Di Meglio — Two men commiserate while I’m waiting in a car. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

I couldn’t help but snap this shot while waiting in a car for someone’s arrival. Who? I can’t remember. But I do remember seeing these seniors sitting out there and fondly thinking about my grandfathers, both of whom were born and raised in Ischia. They always had close friends from the island, and whenever they got together, there would be intense conversation and rounds of Italian cards. They also all owned one of those hats.

Ischia view - Di Meglio — Ischia is just plain pretty. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

This photo always spoke to me. I believe I took it from Villa Arbusto, a museum in Ischia, where my husband and I would return to take wedding pictures. For one, the photo provides a beautiful look at the residences of the island. For two, it seems like a metaphor for life with its peaks and valleys.

Il Fungo Mushroom in Ischia - Di Meglio — The Mushroom, as this rock formation is known, is the highlight of Ischia’s Lacco Ameno town. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

Ischia has quite a few naturally formed rocks that jut out of the ocean and are in the shape of something. This one, called il Fungo or the Mushroom, is the most famous and it is the symbol of the town of Lacco Ameno. From above, you can’t miss it.

Goat in Ischia - Di Meglio — Gotta love a goat. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

This is near my father’s hometown of Buonopane in Ischia. My husband was showing me around, and we spotted this goat on someone’s property, on top of a roof of sorts. I had to take his picture, but there was nowhere to park. So, I just took it from the car. It came out pretty well. And I always wonder what that goat was doing up there. Somebody was missing their milk or dinner with him hiding out up there.

Ischia Porto - Di Meglio — As an island, Ischia sees its ports as its epicenters. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

There was a refreshing quiet about the sea on this day in spring 2005. The docked boats – waiting for summer’s return – spoke for all the Ischitani natives anxious to get back to work. Most of them are in tourism, which is a seasonal industry lasting only about six months out of the year.

San Pietro in Ischia - Di Meglio — This is the quiet before the storm at San Pietro in Ischia Porto. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

In early spring, there are few tourists hanging around the beach in Ischia. But a few more weeks after this picture was taken and the place would see wall-to-wall people from sand to shore and in the sea. Taking a stroll on the sand with my then new love – hand in hand – with no one else around was a kind of peace I haven’t experienced in a long time, and for which we all long.

Di Meglio has written the Our Paesani column for ItaliansRus.com since 2003. You can follow the Italian Mamma on Facebook or Twitter @ItalianMamma10.

Ischia Awakens from Its Slumber

Posted on April 20, 2016

VIAGGI – FAMILY TRAVEL

The streets are still fairly quiet. The natives are still smiling. The stores and restaurants have just reopened and are showing off their Sunday best – new curtains, a bedazzled window display, or the promise of the freshest octopus you’ve ever eaten. It’s springtime in Ischia, a small island off the coast of Naples in Italy that is the home of my ancestors and husband.

While summer is the epicenter of travel to Ischia, which offers beaches at every turn, and the fall is a beautiful alternative for those who want to experience the glory of the island, including the grape harvest for wine making, without the crowds, spring is perfection. Unfortunately, with its unpredictable weather and just-the-start-of-the-season feel, it often gets ignored. I probably shouldn’t be letting you in on my little secret; consider this revelation a gift. Spring is when the island – and the islanders – spring back to life.

I relish the silence when you walk onto the street in the early morning as the sun is just starting to kiss the sky. I love walking on the shore in ripped jeans and a button-down shirt and sweater, allowing myself to feel the sand between my toes but falling short of getting wet. Then, I sit still for but a moment and let the breeze gently push my hair and stroke my cheek. Instead of people watching in the piazza, I gaze at the budding blooms, getting enthralled by the island’s natural beauty as it returns from hibernation.

Sure, it may rain and I sometimes feel the deep freeze in my bones. But my favorite zia (real or adopted) will make me a hot cup of minestrone while we gossip about the neighbors and wonder aloud about when Nonno (real or adopted) started to lose his mind. I’ll lose track of time and we’ll have to eat dinner together, too. Maybe we’ll order in some pizza. We won’t have to wait because there has not yet been a deluge of tourists. And we’ll be able to chat with the delivery guy about the prospects for business this season (never good enough) and the lousy weather (which probably isn’t as lousy as we make it out to be).

All over the island, wherever I go, I will find pockets of sanctuary without many other souls in sight. The ones I do find will be welcoming and will not intrude on my quiet (unless I signal that I want them to). In my single days, I might have just pulled up a bench in one of the pine tree forests, tied my scarf a little tighter, and read a good book. With my son, it’s a chance to play on the swings and grab a gelato in peace. Now, if only we could find a way to bottle up that tranquility and unleash it in the middle of the August intrusion of an otherwise perfect place.

Di Meglio has written the Our Paesani column for ItaliansRus.com since 2003. You can follow the Italian Mamma on Facebook or Twitter @ItalianMamma10.

Gone to Ischia

Posted on August 4, 2015

As much as I hate to admit it, I come from a gorgeous place. Sure, there are no opportunities for work, and some would argue that the tourism industry has destroyed the culture, not to mention the environment, in Ischia, a small island off the coast of Naples that is the home of my ancestors and husband. And I’d never want to live here. Never. But to vacation here is bliss.

One look at those views (the one above being of Castello Aragonese from Zi Nannina a Mare’s restaurant) and you’re breathless. You pretty much forget everything else, and calm washes over you. Then, you eat the food – rabbit, mussels, clams, the fruits and veggies fresh from the thermal earth, and all the spaghetti, pizza, and gelato you can fit into your belly – and you’re certain you’ve died and gone to Heaven. Amen.

If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been since I haven’t posted in such a long while, well, I’ve been here in paradise. In between working – writing for all my various editors in the States about things like applying to business school, moving, and getting married – I have been going to the beach and eating as much as I humanly can. (To be honest, sometimes more!) Anyway, I’m doing this all for you, dear reader. This way, I can report back. Expect more posts in the coming days replete with food porn pics and some scoop on Italian life and that dolce vita I keep promising you.

Di Meglio uses the written word to help families create memories and stick together. You can follow her on Facebook at Francesca’s Newlyweds Nest and on Twitter @ItalianMamma10.

Weather Terrorism

Posted on July 22, 2014

You gotta love the Italians. They are a bunch of characters. Now that everyone in the Homeland needs to have their android and smart phones surgically removed from their being, they are obsessed with checking on the forecast. It conveniently appears on everyone’s phones without anyone asking. Since we’re knee deep into July, which is the high season for tourism in Ischia, a small island off the coast of Naples, the folks here are desperate for sunny days. See, the tourists come here for the beaches and thermal spas. If it rains, they don’t show up. Since the window of opportunity to make money is small – limited to the warm summer months – this can be a real economic bummer.

So, whenever there are predictions of rain, especially if it calls for torrential downpours or lots of thunder and lightning, the natives start ranting about the weather people. This summer has been particularly rainy, so whenever I walk outside I see shopkeepers and cabana boys with their phones pointed toward the heavens asking God why he supports these “terroristi.” Yes, they are telling the Big Man upstairs that meteorologists are terrorists.

At first, I thought people were just exaggerating and venting their frustration. But then I started talking to some of my friends about this. These guys really believe there’s a conspiracy against Ischia and other tourist destinations. One way to keep the tourists away, they say, is to predict bad weather and put it on people’s phones, so they don’t come. It’s a way, they tell me, to keep Ischia’s economy in the dump. Who’s doing this? I’ve heard everyone from the mafia (that no longer exists or so people say) to the marketers over in nearby Capri to God himself.

Over the weekend, my friends in the street were furious for the forecasts of monsoon-like weather for the start of the week. “Terroristi,” they shouted. The only problem is that these terroristi were right. The last two days have seen rain, lightning, ocean waters meeting the street, and thunder that shook our house. I’m just waiting for the Ischitani to suggest these “terroristi” are hanging out in the sky, dumping down buckets of water and setting off bombs to simulate thunder. Yeah, right.

Di Meglio is the writer of the Our Paesani column for ItaliansRus and the Newlyweds Expert for About.com. You can follow her on Twitter @ItalianMamma10.

Ischia’s Beautiful Views

Posted on September 11, 2013

Cartaromana - Antonio Gerenini — The view of Castello Aragonese from Cartaromana in Ischia is nothing short of amazing. © Photo by Antonio Gerenini

Ischia is very much like the Matchbox 20 song, “She’s So Mean.” The island is just so good looking that you can easily overlook all her obvious flaws – and get sucked back into loving her no matter what kind of wrong she has done you. The views on the island, including the one above, transport visitors to another time and place, when nature was left untouched and history was the present. If you want to know where are the best places to take in this tall glass of water, then you’re in luck. Check out the “5 Best Views in Ischia” on ItaliansRus.com. But be warned: that pretty face will break your heart over and over again.

Di Meglio is the author of Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press Travel, 2012) and the Guide to Newlyweds for About.com.

August – Siesta on Steroids

Posted on August 20, 2013

Ischia Boats - Di Meglio — Ischia, with the rest of Italy, is taking it easy this month in tribute to the end of summer. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

The pace of life in southern Italy is traditionally slow. The people go home for lunch and stay for three hours. They nap in the middle of the afternoon – as I’ve mentioned before – to the point of snoring. And they actually refrain from calling or visiting friends from 3 to 5 p.m. because it’s nap time for kids and adults alike. As an American (and not just any American but one from the tri-state area, where slow doesn’t exist), I have always found this very slow rhythm of life annoying and inefficient. My frustration with this slow pace only gets worse in August. On Aug. 15 Italians celebrated Ferragosto, a pagan holiday that goes back centuries. This celebration is an excuse for the country to go on a month-long vacation. Seriously, many people get off from work for an entire month. In recent years, especially with the economic crisis, the vacation time has been cut, so some only have the last two weeks of the month off. But this is still in addition to whatever vacation time they have coming to them during the rest of the year. Crazy, right?

Now, here in Ischia things are a little different. This is a tourism mecca or trap, depending on who you talk to. If the rest of the country is on vacation, then islands like this are working overtime. The tourists come here in droves. In fact, my husband tells me that the island’s population triples in August. Even in this economic crisis, the streets are crowded, the gypsies are out in full force begging tourists for money, and the thieves taking advantage of unknowing tourists are making the rounds. And the natives are working day and night, which is wonderful for them because most of them only work for six months when the weather is warm and the beaches inviting and then they are usually unemployed for six months. This time of year is what counts for their pocketbooks and wallets. While they’re not really experiencing the siesta on steroids like the rest of the country, you shouldn’t feel too badly for them. Come November, they’ll all take off on their own vacations. And the island will hibernate.

In the meantime, these stinkin’ tourists strolling down the streets with their gelato in hand and sleeping on the beach with nothing to do are getting on my nerves. Don’t they have e-mails to send and phone calls to make? Diapers to change? Babies to feed? What about deadlines? How do they get them to simply go away? Arrrgghhh. I want to be an Italian on August holiday in my next life.

Di Meglio is the author of Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press Travel, 2012) and the Guide to Newlyweds for About.com.

Crazy Time

Posted on July 18, 2013

Crazy Ischia Time - Vaina — Ischia time really is crazy time. © Photo by Alex Vaina

I never know what time it is when I’m in Ischia. I have six clocks on my kitchen wall here and none of them work. Not one of them. I don’t own an alarm clock in Ischia because I keep American hours for work, which means starting the day at 2 in the afternoon, and I’d never sleep that late. Never. So, if I don’t have my computer booted or my cell phone on and in front of my face, I have no idea what hour of the day it is. I know it’s time to start work once lunch is over. My in-laws with whom I live are in charge of lunch, so when we’re all done, I run to the computer, start the day, and know what time it is until about midnight when I shut down. I never know the time on holidays or weekends.

While my friends were staying with us in May, they kept asking, “What time is it?” None of us ever seemed to know. In addition, everyone in Ischia – maybe the whole of Italy, I’m not sure – keeps weird hours. We eat lunch between 1 and 2 p.m. Then, everyone (except me because I’m working and an American who knows nothing of the siesta) sleeps from 3 to 5 p.m. Yes, they sleep, sometimes to the point of snoring. It’s like night time all over again. Shutters and doors are drawn and barely a soul – except for a tourist or two – walks the streets. You are expected to refrain from calling people, out of respect, in the middle of the afternoon. Then, at 5 p.m., people with traditional full-time jobs return to work, where they stay until about 8 p.m. And no one starts eating dinner until 9 or even 10 p.m. That’s crazy time if you ask me.

So, when my friends saw the above ad in one of the storefront windows, they snapped a photo just for me. They realized that this goes beyond the hours the Ischitani keep, too. Ischia time really is crazy time. “Ischia dove si mangia, si beve, e si fischia,” which means “Ischia, where you eat, drink, and whistle” is a popular saying on the island. It’s what makes this place perfect for a luxurious vacation and not so hot for a normal life.

Most of the time when you’re on the island, especially if you know the natives, you’re doped up on heavy, delicious southern Italian fare, including tomatoes and bread, fresh peaches, and every pasta you could imagine, all cooked like mamma made it (because she usually did). This food high clouds your judgment. In the summer, the heat smothers you and you wanna lightly swing in a hammock as the sea breeze caresses your skin. In the winter, you are cold to your bones and you want to curl up in front of a fire and under an enormous blanket filled with feathers or rather the entire goose because you’re that frozen. There are really only two seasons here – summer and winter – and both are extreme.

All this breeds laziness. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to give up all ambition and bum on the beach or make heat with a sultry islander (there are a few of those here as well and I should know because I married one and that’s how I ended up on crazy time). The next thing you know, you’re eating, you’re drinking, and you’re whistling. That mortgage you have? Don’t worry about it. That high-power career you were developing? Forget about it. Family and friends back home? Who remembers them? Move in with the islander, lounge in the sand, invest in a hammock. This is all sounding very appealing to you. You’re about to jump in head first. After that last bite of homemade gnocchi, you gotta say yes to giving it all up to live on a small island…that never appears on a map…where everyone will know your name and your business…where dreams go to swim in the ocean. Then, you wake up and realize that Ischia time is indeed crazy time. And you just want to quit the gnocchi cold turkey and go home. Still, you might put a hammock in your living room.

Di Meglio is the author of Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press Travel, 2012) and the Guide to Newlyweds for About.com.