Ischia day 1 Ischia Porte and Ponte 19.05

Wow, I am so far behind with my blog after an absolutely wonderful week with my friend Guni, firstly in Ischia, Procida and then Naples.
Luckily, during my Italian lessons my teacher, Elizabetta, who  grew up in Naples, taught me a lot about this city, which moves partly at an incredibly frenetic pace in the poorer parts, and the wealthier area at a very calm pedestrian pace! On arrival at the station, things were made worse by the fact that the heavens had opened and there was a sudden deluge, leading to the longest queue I've ever seen for a taxi.. Dozens of taxis were lined up, hooting their horns, drivers outside waving their arms, gesticulating, probably rudely, at others, and travellers from all over the world wondering what lay ahead. Fortunately, a family from Denmark beside me was also going to the port, so with a loaded car we were underway. Great to see Guni there! 
The ferry takes you past many islands including Procida. This trip is really another dream come true! 
As we arrived in Ischia we were greeted by a mass of taxi drivers, all wanting our business. It was just a sea of people waving and shouting. Before we knew it, someone had grabbed my bag and was walking to a bus full of equally confused new arrivals. Guide book and common sense told me to say no and get my bag, but heat and cobblestone plus heavy bag told me yes for 10 Euro each. 
The drive was as chaotic as the arrival. With a full bus our chauffeur drove through the narrow streets of Ischia at good speed, negotiating corners, no entry streets and meandering tourists with ease whilst also turning to speak to his passengers ! We had a great adventure, especially as we were given front row seats. 
Anyway , we amazingly arrived in one piece at our beautiful appartment with its terrace looking onto a wall of bougainvillea. Stunning! 
The appartment was perfect with masses of space and great location, but the designer had strange ideas when it came to the wardrobes. We tried the special stick to hang things at 2- metre height, but we weren't very good! Never mind, I rarely hang stuff up.
Iscua is really beautiful, less known than Capri and so cheaper and less crowded. I guess that changes over summer, but we could enjoy it ' con calma', like in Matera.

The first day we decided to stay near home and walked along the coast to Ischia Ponte, with its fabulous Castle Aragonese (dragon). 
We certainly ambled, enjoying the more expansive views of the Ischia Canal and also enjoying the gorgeous flowers and foliage along the way.
Homes with walls beautifully adorned with shells,
cute little roadside shops with some very tasty and interesting liqueurs. It was just as well we didn't have far to wander.
Incredible t- shirts,
And very tastefully decorated cars offering delicious squeezed juice.
I love the way that washing is hung out everywhere, even if just above a clothes shop. 
Fountains with rather unusual carvings and water full of goldfish! 
The walkway to the fort/ castle is very picturesque. Whichever direction you look, you're in for a treat. Looking back you have the colourful homes with the forest clad volcanoes behind them.
And ahead the seemingly impenetrable fortress, now very much open to the public. We decided against the steps up in the heat, thinking we might do it another day, but we missed out there.
In the evening, the cloud had shifted and we decided to savour an Aperol spritz by the port. It's a beautiful area and wasn't too busy.
Sunset over the port is always a pleasure to behold. 



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