We arrived in Ischia here two weeks ago and it’s been strange, surreal and beautiful. People have been so helpful and kind here, willing to give us advice and help us get started. The bar downstairs from our flat is our hang out spot and we’ve have met lots of locals there. Our landlords are the best and just the other day, they brought us a fresh fish they had caught and some oranges and lemons from their garden.
It takes awhile settling in a new place and some days are better than others, but we’re pushing through it. Moving is a psychological upheaval, whether you’re moving to a new neighbourhood, city or country, so I’m just trying to be kind to myself and sit and breathe when things feel lonely, sad and difficult. Going for walks helps a lot! Here are some pictures from our first two weeks here:
Thanks for reading and see you soon!
Ahh you live in Ischia ?? I love it so much
Yes! I’ve been coming here since I was little! It’s such a beautiful place.
Hi Giovanna?
I really enjoyed your story and those lovely pics.
We are from Ireland, but have a passionate love of Italy, it’s culture, people, food and especially Ischia, since our first visit way back in 1980.
It is quite surreal now seeing your pictures of Ischia Ponte where we stayed. Our accommodation overlooked the beautiful Castello Argonese. and the little town was just a few steps away.
Having travelled with our respective careers for the best part of our lives, we can certainly relate to the difficulties and challenges of moving house and settling into a new culture and environment. It must also have been exciting for you to begin a new chapter in your life in the land of your ancestors and to have that strong connection to the place.
I have heard from Irish friends who made their home in Italy say that even though the initial bureaucracy was challenging, as it is in any country, neighbors helped enormously and soon the warmth and friendliness of the people made them feel at home and friendships were quickly made, as they are here in Ireland.
Bizarrely, reintegrating back into our own community after years of being away presented its own challenges, if not as many. It definitely takes time to lose the ‘blow in’ tag?
The first place we stayed on Ischia was in the tiny village of Succhivo, with steps leading down to a quiet little beach called Cavagrado. We used to walk into Sant Angelo for lunch. So loved that place towards the end of the tourist season, when you could savor the beauty and the peace without the distraction of crowds. The island didn’t have as many tourists back in the 80’s and those who did holiday on the island were mainly Italians and Germans.
We are all certainly living a very surreal life right now and can only hope that things will soon be back to at least semi-normal phase. I doubt that I shall ever feel quite at ease among crowds again.
We were deeply saddened to watch footage of how the virus impacted on so many lives in Italy, but we were all inspired and uplifted by the amazing spirit of the people and the efforts they made to keep each other from utter despair and loneliness. They are amazingly resilient people throughout the most difficult times.
I am glad to hear that the hospital on Ischia is receiving much needed funding and can well understand the people’s anxiety. I feel strongly that Italy should have received assistance from European countries during their most difficult time.
Even during this very challenging time, we have many positives taking place around the globe; the large number of people who are making a good recovery, the beauty of our unpolluted landscape, with a clear blue quiet sky looking down on us and seeing wildlife return to places they were rarely seen before. To witness the goodness in our fellow human beings towards each other and the tireless efforts and risks so many willingly take to keep us all safe and well cared for. Our groceries and meds are delivered cost free to the doorstep and there are numerous help lines if one requires assistance in any way. We simply cannot complain during our cocooning phase.
I find it helps to keep busy, take up something new, such as learning an instrument, or a language using online courses. I am learning the ukulele at a rather late stage in life? but hey, I believe that age should never deter us if we really want to do something. I am finding this sweet instrument so absorbing, stimulating and most of all great fun, so I already look forward to joining one of the many uke beginner groups who learn together.
You are blessed to have beautiful sunshine and the fragrance of lemons around you and of course your garden to sit in. I love that Spring has brought it’s array of color and fragrance to ours and when the sun peeps out at us in Ireland we tend to savor each second, drop everything and race to the garden as though preparing for a marathon?
Are experiencing any difficulty purchasing particular items right now? Some folk in Ireland and indeed other countries began stock piling certain items, perhaps worried that supermarkets would close!
Your lovely pictures have brought back such wonderful memories to me. I hope to one day return to beautiful Ischia and in the meantime, I shall enjoy reading your blogs.
Keep healthy and safe.
Warmest wishes from the south east coast of Ireland.
Renee
Hi Renee, Thanks so much for writing! You stayed in a beautiful part of the island and I love the cavogrado beach. I’ve found that keeping busy and focusing on small positive moments help me through this difficult quarantine time. The sunshine and spring weather definitely help and we can see a sliver of the sea from our window. We haven’t experienced any shortages (other than hand sanitizer in the very beginning) and we can get all the food that we need and the supermarkets are open and fully stocked. I hope you’re doing okay in Ireland, it must be beautiful and this time of year, so lush and green! Sending you lots of love from Ischia and I hope you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy and can come back to Ischia soon. xx Giovanna
Dear Giovanna, I happened upon your site today while daydreaming about my past visits to Ischia. I hope to visit next summer (2022) if the pandemic is under control. I will read and reread your posts to learn more about my favorite place on earth. Thank you for your insights and I will follow your new postings to make sure that I don’t miss anything.
Sincerely,
Brian Kelly
Greensboro
Vermont
USA