Sunday, April 6, 2014

Around the World .003

Ischia


I was lucky enough during my time as an Au Pair in London to meet the family I was living with in Ischia for a week to help them look after the kids. Ischia is the largest islands in the Bay of Naples. Ischia is heavily visited by Italians and Germans and I found a very little amount of the locals could speak English, however they were more then happy to give it a go and I shared some very funny moments with the locals trying to order meals when I was alone. The family I worked and lived with had relatives living on the island and spent a couple of weeks there over the summer visiting and asked me to come over so that I could spend the evening with the kids while they caught up with family and friends. This meant that I had the days free to myself to explore the beautiful island. 

It is the perfect place to go and relax with is beautiful spas and its well know thermal baths. It has the most amazing scenery with its vineyards, picturesque small towns and the beaches. From what I have been told and read the beaches in Ischia are better then those on neighboring island Capri. 

Sant' Angelo is a fishing village that is car free and only accessible by foot. With its beautiful beach, cafes and fisherman houses it almost feels like a step back in time. The houses are typical fisherman's houses with whitewash walls lining the winding streets and lanes. I spent the day here wondering around the local shops, getting in a local cafe and catching some much needed sunshine on the beach.



The Island is famous for its thermal springs and it has been said that people travel from all over to feel the effect of the spas.  We visited Poseidon which is the most famous and largest of the thermal parks on the island. The thermal pools are standard pools that are fed by the natural hot springs which come from the volcanic activity of the island. We spent the day in and out of the different thermal spas and when they all became to warm we spent the rest of the time lying by the pool enjoying the amazing weather.

Ischia is the perfect place to spend a week doing nothing but relaxing and enjoying the local food and wine. I spent my time wondering the island, shopping in local boutiques and eating so many amazing meals. The locals will make you feel right at home. If your headed towards Naples I recommend that you add a couple of each days and take a ferry over to Ischia. It is a real hidden treasure.


xx


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