This island of volcanic origin is located in the Gulf of Naples and I also wanted to visit Naples. Besides, the beach and the sea, but what more do we need?

I have to admit, the road to our destination was a bit daunting. In Slovakia, no travel agency offers a holiday on the island of Ischia, so we arranged the holiday through an Italian travel agency. But she will take care of us only in Italy after arriving in Naples. Until then, it is in our hands.

From Spišská Nová Ves, where we live, we get on a train and go to Budapest. We have to sleep right here and in the morning a hotel taxi is to take us to the airport.

We slept well and in the morning we pack up quickly and go in front of the hotel, where a taxi is waiting for us. Instead of the car in which we would put our luggage, a driver with a tablet in his hands is waiting for us. He shows us something about it and tries to explain something to us in Hungarian English. We take a closer look and see a list of scheduled flights from Budapest on the screen. The red canceled sign flashes for the first three. Fortunately, our flight is not among them. Ours is the fifth in a row.

The Lord explains to us that they suspected a bomb on board one of the planes that landed at the airport, then evacuated and closed the entire airport. He could be seen thinking about how he would help us. We still had time and so we only stressed a little. After half an hour of waiting, he came to us and told us to get in the car. A friend said to him that the airport had already been opened. We took a deep breath.

They found no bomb at the airport and returned to the old tracks. We get on a plane and hooray, we go in the direction of Naples.

The flight goes smoothly and we are landing in Naples. We are looking for someone from a travel agency to take us to the island. Fortunately, as we exit the airport lobby, we see the gentleman with a sign that says my name on it. He will take us to the bus and head to the port. When disembarking, he gives us tickets for the ferry that will take us to the island.

The ferry leaves in an hour and we buy buns to eat, water to drink and we walk around the port a bit.

The ships moored here are truly enchanting.

We board the ferry. As soon as we moved, a flock of seagulls surrounded us. They circled around, waiting for someone from the ship to throw something good under their teeth.

As we leave the port, we see a lighthouse and a statue of the Pope blessing every ship that enters or leaves the port.

We love the surroundings and we are glad that we have set out on this journey. It is our first ferry trip and actually the first holiday on the island.

After less than an hour of sailing, we swim around the castle of Aragonese. This castle is connected to the island of Ischia only by a narrow road.

We enter the port and disembark. There are a lot of people everywhere who have scattered in all directions. We also stand with our luggage in a large parking lot, looking around and looking for someone who came for us from the trip.

People dispersed, the last taxi left and we were left alone in the port. Only seagulls kept us company. Fortunately, after half an hour of uncertainty, a smiling guy stopped by. Peaceful and in a good mood, he greeted us on the island. He put his suitcases in our car and took us to the hotel. We are finally here!

Ischia is a small island with an area of ​​46.3 square kilometers, located in the Gulf of Naples. It is an island of volcanic origin. There are larger or smaller volcanic centers on it. The last eruption was in 1302. The volcano is currently inactive, but earthquakes predict the movement of magma beneath the island and the possibility of an eruption in the future. We hope not when we are on the island.

We unpack our things and go to the night city. The nightlife here is not as intense as in the big resorts, but there is a small promenade surrounded by shops and stalls, where you can buy whatever you want or sit in one of the restaurants. Ischia is a fishing town and has retained its character to this day.

The most beautiful view of the city at night is, in my opinion, from this pier.

I was immediately attracted by small cars on the island, which found their place in these narrow streets.

We are on the island for the third day and after a day of relaxation on the beach and evening walks around the city, we went to visit the island's landmarks. It is the castle of Aragonese.

We are accommodated close and so we go down the hill, we cross a little around the historic center and we are in front of the pier that connects the castle built on a rock with the island.

We walk through the entrance gate and delve into the history of the castle. Its origins date back to 474 BC. In that year he built a fortification and two towers on the castle hill of Hiero I. Syracuse. The fortifications served to control the enemy fleet. Later the castle was occupied by the Neapolitans, then by the Romans and finally again by the Neapolitans. In 1441, King Alfonso I of Aragon of Spain had a fortified castle built on an island near Ischia and connected it to the island by a bridge. The castle protected the island from pirates.

Later, the castle became a refuge for the nuns of the Poor Clares and the Basilian monks. There were 13 churches and 2,000 families. In 1809, the island was besieged by the British under French command and the castle was almost destroyed but not conquered. The castle has been privately owned since 1912.

We like the castle. Not only is there a nice view of the island and the sea from here, but the small narrow streets are not a mistake.

After a walk and getting to know the castle, we come to the beach. We want to relax and enjoy the sea.

On the other side of the island is the town of Forio. The church located here is known far and wide. The Chiesa del Soccorso was originally a Augustinian monastery, built in 1350. In 1883 it was destroyed by an earthquake. They restored it, but in a more modest style.

Source.

Travel to Ischia

This island of volcanic origin is located in the Gulf of Naples and I also wanted to visit Naples. Besides, the beach and the sea, but wha...

Travel to Ischia

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Lookout from the tiny castle town of Fabro

Coming down the lonely roads of inner umbria in the shades of the woods and delicate mountains much resembling steeper foothills you came across varius villages and towns, close to the border with Lazio here with some guidance you can find a road that take you from Montegabbione to one of the many places were Francesco d'Assisi lived (founder of the Ordine dei Francescani wich took his name only after). He lived in poverty by his own will and the absence of material goods in one life. He preached for a life more akin to the nature then to the clinging of society hierarchy.I much reccomend some of his poetry and writings as the famous "Cantico delle Creature"

You can somehow breath this spirit in this place, the shadowy and silent Umbria. A contemplative place wich inspired him and others.

La Scarzuola

Looping symbols on the beast back

Inspired by this way of thinking but with a different approach raise up a strange monastery in one of the orchads that Francesco used to live in.

The tour was guided by two absurd and funny old men wich got in many details and made up something with their esoteric views on the subject wich founded this place. It calls out from recent religions as much as the one from ancient Greece and Rome and astrology or astronomy but that depends on how you want to look at the stars.

The narrow walk through the orchads turn into a much bigger garden with low curated grass. The buildings have a labyrinth like structure though not very hard to navigate as to it's core is almost symmetrical. It got to me a vibe of the Mandelbrot set somehow.

From the gardens then inside the theathre structure of the innderside where the tribune stand with with two platforms one depicting the sun and the other the moon.

It dosen't feel towering but is full of many many details and beautiful geometries.

The older structure and the new additions

This structure has been heavily modified to look like this around 1958 till the 70ies and don't resemble too much of what have been the original and mythical hut were Francesco d'Assisi lived around 1218. Tommaso Buzzi an architect from Milano wanted to create his vision on how a perfect city would be and so La Scarzola came to be around the teachings of Francesco and folliwing CJ Yung principles and other astrophysical and esoteric principles.

Not going to much into the details as I really like my walk there making up my mind on the place by myself first I walked from the theatre Mundi out into the grass theatre. The whole aesthetic was really pleasing and a joy to discover with the more naked buildings outside rapresenting the nature. The place meshed well with the sourrindings.

I did really like how it sparse was like almost a decentralized city but not one that has advanced many steps towards it but is just in the infancy of the idea and for the most part has the wealth of the theatre Mundi having a relaxing time walking and enjoying sometime in the fields before coming back in the bigger and crowded center of power. Or so that's what I read into!

I hope I haven't spoiled to much as it is a very nice place to discover and in a way an experiment worth seeing. If you visit though be prepared to be confronted with the two old men that nowdays manage the place with their very personal touch. Gonna be whacky for sure.

Source.

La Scarzuola - Among lakes and the woods

Lookout from the tiny castle town of Fabro Coming down the lonely roads of inner umbria in the shades of the woods and delicate mountains ...

La Scarzuola - Among lakes and the woods

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Click on the images to see them in full resolution

The lagoon is known under the name of Torcello which is the northern such place of Venice (Italy), being located 8 km away from the famous city. Along with the architecture and history so unique for a place almost lost in time, there are still things that made the island so unique in front of everything we've seen so far.

One of these is even the alley that walks you around, known as Strada della Rosina, which, funny or not, represents the single street there. It's true that the lagoon has fairly small dimensions and there is no point in having more streets since from here you can reach any part of Torcello, but I still found this information very interesting and necessary to be shared further.

Chasing the path you will see everything from the wilderness of nature to houses of the very few locals of the island, from restaurants which most likely are open only during the season to buildings that no matter how old they are, they still have a specific charm and energy which is always welcome.

Actually, all you've seen in the pictures from above are pretty much everything, there being just a few buildings that are standing still in 2023 while most of them turned into ruins and were abandoned by the locals who moved to Venice or in other places.

But along with all the buildings that represent a normality for those who are making their living on the island which is only supported by the money received from those visiting it, there are also a few proper tourist attractions that are worth a visit.

Ponte del Diavolo

The first such place is known as Ponte del Diavolo or "The Devil's Bridge" which I mentioned at the beginning of this post.
If you are visiting it on a sunny day as we did, where the whole landscape is covered in colors and shone under the sun's rays, it might seem like a fairly normal bridge for Venice, but the legends and stories that are still shared in the 21st century about this bridge might change your point of view.
When it comes to my home country (Romania), when I hear about buildings dating since the 15th century I think almost right away about fortresses and churches because these are the most genuine buildings which are still resisting in the 21st century.
However, in Torcello, things are a bit different because The Devil's Bridge is actually the one dating since the 15th century, which was raised on the remains of a different bridge that was a lot narrower.
With a name so suggestive that stirs a lot of curiosity, it would be weird not to have a story behind it, but happily (or not) there are quite a few legends that are dating for centuries and which, in one way or another, make you feel them whether you are in the category of those who think witches are real or in the category that says these are just legends.

The first such story which is also a fairly short one, is that the bridge was raised in a single night by the Devil itself to win a bet but didn't manage to finish all the details in time, like adding a barrier around it, due to the sun that was raising up on the sky.

Another story that seems closer to the reality of the 21st century, is that the name was given after an important family who was living on Torcello and whose name was Diavoli, and there was no barrier because that's how all the bridges were made a few centuries ago.

Click on the images to see them in full resolution

Though, the actual legend that is mostly shared when people ask where the name of the bridge comes from, is that during the period when Venice was under Austrian domination, there was a girl who fell in love with an Austrian soldier. Even though there were quite a lot of eyes that looked at them as a negative example, the ones that were bothered the most were the parents of the girl who paid someone to kill the boy so the girl would get back to living a normal life the life they wanted her to live.

But as things rarely happen the way we all expect them to, the girl didn't return to the life she had before meeting the boy but actually became depressive, refused to eat, and remained isolated in her room for a long while.

After the girl was advised by a friend of hers to visit a witch, she ended up meeting one with the main purpose of bringing her lover back to life. The two used to meet more times on Ponte del Diavolo until the witch said that her request was not impossible but it came with the price of killing one newborn on Christmas Eve for 7 years in a row and always bring the dead body on the bridge that the witch will give further to the devil who will help her accomplish the request of the girl.
Being fairly desperate to meet her lover again, the girl accepted the offer but once the soldier was brought to life, they both ran away and left the witch alone on the bridge with the devil who asked her to respect the pact and bring the dead bodies of the newborns as discussed. However, what they didn't know, is that the whole conversation was heard by a local who set the house of the witch on fire and made her burn in flames before respecting her part of the pact made with the devil.

From all these, there are saying that each year on the 24th of December there is always a black cat sitting on Ponte del Diavolo who's the devil's messenger or even the devil himself, which is still waiting for the witch to return with the promised things.

Now I am aware that this legend feels a bit more real maybe perhaps that Halloween is around the corner and everyone is getting ready for this kind of spooky stories and all the costumes with witches, black cats, devils, and so on. But to be honest, I visited this bridge in November last year and I did feel a strange energy while being around it.

I'm not saying that any of the stories shared are real or not, but I did feel a different energy while being on this bridge which I didn't get to feel while walking around the rest of the island. But with so many things changing from one day to another, we will never be able to find out what actually happened in the same place centuries ago, right?

Ponte di Santa Maria

Just 2 more minutes of walking from Ponte del Diavolo, there is another bridge that you'll cross which even though is not as famous as the one mentioned before, it takes you to a place with an interesting history.
This one is called Ponte di Santa Maria and it takes you to a small square that in 2023 is mostly formed from a fountain and a building known as Locanda Cipriani that dates since 1935.
The historical place was handed down from generation to generation and that's how even almost 90 years later, it's still managed by the same Cipriani family.

What makes this place so unique? It represents the place where Ernest Hemingway was hosted for one month in the autumn of 1948 where he went duck hunting but also wrote the famous book "Across the River and into the Trees" on the cover of which he also used an image from this place.

Along with Hemingway, the small business has a long list of famous people who crossed their threshold and stayed there for a while, from kings and queens to princes and princesses, from composers and singers to actors and directors, from conductors and ambassadors to even state presidents.

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In order to reach Torcello and discover these bridges along with a few other things to see within the island, you have to take a vaporetto which is a bus that goes on the water. There are also a few more islands that are worth a visit too and for which you also need to take a vaporetto, but the easiest way to do so is to get yourself a 24 hours long pass to visit everything and avoid the endless fear of not being able to get a new ticket.

Source.

Let's travel together #271 - Ponte del Diavolo (Devil's Bridge)

Click on the images to see them in full resolution The lagoon is known under the name of Torcello which is the northern such place of ...

Let's travel together #271 - Ponte del Diavolo (Devil's Bridge)

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I wrote this post in two languages. In English and Slovak language.

We have been planning to diversify our holiday on the Italian island of Ischia, located in the Gulf of Naples, from the very beginning. We knew we wanted to go see the myths of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius. Well, we decided to go on this trip on the spot.

Amalfi

Local carriers offered a boat trip to the Amalfi Coast, specifically to Positano and Amalfi. We could not resist this offer for a boat trip along the Amalfi Coast.

In the morning we leave the hotel and walk through the small streets to the port. We buy tickets and wait for our ship to arrive. A small, fast ship arrives at the port and we put it on it.

Ischia

In a short time we see the castle of Aragonese and the town of Ischia moving away from us.

Capri

Along the way we have a short stop on the island of Capri, where other tourists board. We sit in our seats and since we can't get off the ship, we at least enjoy the view of the harbor and the skyline.

The cruise is fast and we enjoy it. That speed cannot be compared to the speed of the ferry with which we flew to the island of Ischia.

Our ship sails around two islands. The guide on the ship explains to us in English that according to some, these two islands are mentioned in Greek mythology as the islands where the Sirens lived. Sirens are creatures that lured sailors with their singing to swim to the island and wreck on it. They also lured Odyssey and Homer's epic Odyssey, but he resisted the lure and survived.

We continue sailing around other small islands. They look like only a rock sticking out of the water. The ship changes course and turns towards the shore. We are heading to a small town on the coast. It is the first destination of our trip - the city of Positano.

The ship sailed to shore and the captain informs us of the time of departure. We have plenty of time to tour the city. We don't waste time getting off the ship. The beauty of the city, as if carved into the steep slope and rocks, is breathtaking.

We learn that the ancient Romans built their villas on this coast. The core of the town was built around the Benedictine monastery founded in the 9th century. After the plundering of Pisi in 1268, Positano improved its defense, built walls and defensive towers. In 1343, the city was destroyed by a tsunami. In the 15th century, it was constantly under attack by Ottoman pirates. In the Middle Ages, Positano was part of the Amalfi Republic. It prospered as a trading port mainly in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. After the unification of Italy, its importance declined and it became a poor fishing village. Today it is a popular tourist destination. Since 1997, the Amalfi Coast, which includes Positano, has been on the UNESCO list.

We looked around and headed the path that goes uphill. We hope that it will lead us to the dominant feature of the city, to the church Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta. Managed to! We stand in front of him, buy tickets and enter the show. The origin of the church is connected with the Benedictine monastery, which was established in the second half of the 10th century.

The show was good, but we still miss something. We are attracted by the view of the city from a greater height. We continue up the narrow streets. Along the way we pass a number of souvenir shops. In addition to them, we also walk around such a small garden with chilly peppers.

Positano

It was worth it. After a while we had a nice view of the city and the sea.

I also noticed a large parking lot, which is built here. If people parked in narrow streets, it would be difficult to walk through them, so I think such a parking lot near the city center is a great idea. It will serve both locals and tourists. It's time for the tour and we're boarding the ship. We say goodbye to Positan, but I believe we'll come here again sometime.

Amalfi coast

We continue around the coast. Almost the whole is littered with houses.

Amalfi

In front of us we already see the second destination of our journey and that is the historic city of Amalfi. The first written mention dates from the 6th century. The city quickly gained in importance and became the capital of the Republic of Amalfi. It was a major military force in the Mediterranean and the republic traded with Egypt, Syria and the Byzantine Empire. Its main rivals were the naval forces of Pisa and Genoa.

In 848, Amalfi troops assisted Pope Leo IV. In battle with the Saracens. The republic existed from the seventh century to the twelfth century. At the peak of the millennium, 70,000-80,000 people lived in Amalfi.

In 1073, the Amalfi occupied the Normans, but left the city a number of rights. In 1137, Amalfi was defeated by the naval republic of Pisa and annexed by the Normans and annexed to their territories of southern Italy. The importance of the city has declined. In 1343, Amalfi was hit by the tsunami, which destroyed the port and the lower part of the city. After this event, Amalfi was an important city only at the local level.

It is clear that the city does not lack sports activities. We pass one in the harbor.

We roam the alleys and with us a lot of tourists. History lurks here at every turn.

We come to the Cathedral of St. Andrew the Apostle. Its appearance is unique. Roman Catholic cathedral from the 9th century. The predominantly Arab-Norman Romanesque architectural style has been over several times fused and complemented by Romanesque, Byzantine, Gothic and Baroque elements.

The remains of St. Andrew the Apostle, after whom the cathedral bears his name, were allegedly brought to Amalfi of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade by Cardinal Peter of Capua.

The trip is coming to an end and we are thinking about what we have seen and experienced today. Both Positano and Amalfi are towns built on a steep coast. This gives them a unique look and is a great attraction for tourists. I must say that I was very glad that we went on this trip. It was undoubtedly a beautiful experience to see the beauty and architecture with your own eyes.

Source.

Trip to Positano and Amalfi / Výlet do Positana a Amalfi

I wrote this post in two languages. In English and Slovak language. We have been planning to diversify our holiday on the Italian island o...

Trip to Positano and Amalfi / Výlet do Positana a Amalfi

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