This post will cover a three-day stay in Ischia, a volcanic Island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Last time we were on the ferry from Pozzuoli to Ischia, a sunny a windy day. We arrived late morning in Pozzuoli, almost missing the ferry but like everything in Italy the leaving departure was postponed. It took one hour and a half to cross the sea.
When arrived, we ate lunch, the food in that hotel was amazing… the rooms not quite so… too small, I couldn’t even move to my bed without injuries against the wall.
There were only 10 cm between my bed and the wall and I had to be careful to get up from the bed or I would have knocked my head against the wall. More so, no bedside lamp on my side because how can you put a lamp in a 10 cm space? We complained and they changed room for us, it was a little bit bigger but not much (at least no more head against the wall!!).
After arriving and having lunch we went on a bus trip around the Island. We visited all six “comuni” (like municipalities in English), looked at the beautiful vegetation, the hills and stopped at a small beach where there were some small shops, but we didn’t stay long so no shopping for me 
The next day, we didn’t do anything in the morning but went to Procida in the afternoon. Oh my gosh! If the streets were minuscule before, I don’t know how to call them now! We went to this island by boat, met the guide on the boat and then when we arrived, she divided us in small group and each group had a private cab. You can go around the island only in cabs if you’re a tourist. Once, we were on a street where the opposite walls were so close to each other that only certain kind of cars can pass and I think there were only 5 cm between the car and the wall on each side. The cars, there, are all with their side review mirrors closed because you can’t pass certain streets with them open… What an experience! I don’t even think you can use the term “street” for them!
As for Ischia, we visited the main sites of the island with beautiful views and characteristic buildings. Procida is also a volcanic island, created by four volcanoes now completely dormant.
When the tour was over they offered us a pastry, typical of the island called “la lingua di Procida” (Procida’s tongue) it had lemon custard in it (the south of Italy is famous for its lemons, I even ate rice with lemons once at lunch), it was so good!! Then we caught the boat and came back to Ischia.
The next day, in Ischia, in the afternoon we visited a Botanic Garden called La Mortella. I looked at so many different flowers! And the view was phenomenal since the gardens go up a hill, so from the top I could see a good part of the island and sea.
From the brochure:
La Mortella (The place of the myrtles) is the wonderful garden created by Susana and William Walton. He was one of the most important British composers of XX century, she was a talented gardener. They lived in Ischia mear Forio, since 1949 and their ashes are burried in the garden.
In 1956 Russell Page, the well known landscape architect, designed the layout of the garden inserting fountains, pools, water streams and terrace among the dramatic outcrop of volcanic rocks. The garden today hosts a rich and varied collection of tropical, exotic and water plants.
The museum has various memorabilia of William Walton, a collection of photographs by Cecil Beaton, the famous British photographer, and a puppet theater designed by the celebrated Italian scenographer Lele Luzzati, featuring characters of Walton’s works.
There was a trip to the castle in the morning but I was so tired from the day before that I couldn’t go, my legs just hurt too much. It’s pity because the Aragonese Castle is quite beautiful.
The next day, we took the ferry again to go back to the mainland and traveled to Viterbo for our last stop before coming home.
Here’s the links to the photo albums: Ischia, Procida, Gardens.
To be continued… in part 3
