Italy...where to start? How about this... I landed late at night, was confused, got in a taxi where I couldn't find a seatbelt, and then I saw a vespa..and another...and another. Every single one made me think of this. There seemed to be no traffic laws in Naples. The vespas? Yep, no helmet, zooming along (I actually saw a girl holding a helmet like a purse). And the kids, oh the kids. I saw a child as young as 1 1/2 on a vespa and a child who looked to be around 12 driving one (is that even legal?) So as much as I was trying to be culturally sensitive I couldn't help but laugh to myself, because I was hearing Eddie Izzard say "ciao" every single time I saw a person drive by on a vespa (and yes, they do say ciao a lot). Aside from the "ciao" attitude, most people think of food when they think of Italy. This may be blasphemous, but...I didn't think the food was that good. Naples is supposed to be the capital of pizza...Christian's is better. So is my mom's homemade pizza, and my friend's mom's pizza. And Two Wives. And New York Pizza. To be fair, I didn't try all the pizza there was to have in Italy. But still, I was shocked. It wasn't just the pizza. The pastas were also mediocre. And the gelato? Splendora's and that place in the Galápagos have got them beat by a long shot. The exception to this was the food I ate while on the boat in Ischia. The homemade food and the small family restaurants we went to were all very good. All that being said I am definitely spoiled by my mom's amazing cooking and I grew up in a foodie town and have a group of foodie friends, so my expectations were pretty high. What did live up to its reputation was the wine and the limoncello. The island of Ischia was out of white wine--well at the very least the local wine. If you wanted more you would have to settle from something made off the island, or you would have to wait a couple months. Speaking of the island... Beautiful, right? It is beyond description. There were definitely tourist strips--especially in Ischia Porto, the main port town. Overall, however, it had such a pleasant island atmosphere. I enjoyed being in Naples and Sorrento--I mean I got to see this --but after a few days in the business of Italian cities I was ready for a break, and Ischia is just what the doctor ordered.
The boat was lovely. The crew and other volunteers were amazing. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to sail out with such great people. Our days consisted of espresso, breakfast, espresso, bruschetta, wine, lunch, wine, espresso, wine, dinner, and more wine. Of course there was work in there too--but the stereotype of Italian life revolving around food was very clear on the boat. After a long day out on the water we would have food on the boat, or go to a friend's restaurant to enjoy large family style meals. This is the food that is the exception to my disappointment in food while I was in Italy. I've concluded you have to know what the really good restaurants are, or you have to have home-cooked meals; or in this case, boat-cooked. If I'm back in Italy someday (which I really hope I am) I will make sure to swing by Ischia again. I recommend to all of you to do the same. It is well worth the trip. Hasta luego! Oh, and P.S. The Italian men live up to their reputation of being...um...forward. I was invited to pizza, drinks, and the top of a ferry--among many other catcalls and stares. I even got the stereotypical "ciao bella."
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Claire AngelineI am traveling the world from October 2017-October 2018, and the plan is to visit all seven continents. I'm a vegetarian foodie, a baker, a dance enthusiast, a nonprofit co-founder, and a huge travel addict. When I'm not traveling I'm putting my MPH to good use and doing public health research. Archives
September 2016
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