summer infusions :: curry + garlic oil

So there's this plant growing in our herb garden which I've been really excited about, albeit a bit at a loss at how to use it.

It's the curry plant.

Not the curry leaves, which are larger and flatter like a bay leaf, but an herb which looks very similar to rosemary.
...and it smells just like you walked into a Thai restaurant.

Since I use the curries which are mixtures of various spices for cooking curry dishes, I've been trying to figure out a way to use the actual plant.

And what better way to try it out than in an infusion. Plus, we had some spices given to us by Chris' mom after a trip to Turkey that I thought would be a good compliment to the plant.


CURRY + GARLIC OIL
12 oz oil (grapeseed, canola, olive)
1 garlic clove (split)
1/4 tsp Turkish saffron
1 tsp Turkish curry powder
1 sprig curry plant


Thoroughly clean bottle and herbs. Drop the split garlic clove, saffron, and curry powder into the bottle. Bruise the curry plant leaves with the back of a spoon and drop in the bottle.


For the oil I used a mixture of about 65% canola and 35% olive oil. I read that olive oil's natural peppery flavor hinders some infusions, so I "diluted" it with the more neutral canola. Heat the oil on the stove until it is warm (but not very hot). I could barely see some movement of the oil in the pan. Carefully pour into the bottle over the ingredients. Cap, label, and store in a dark place for 2-3 weeks.

AFIYET OLSUN!

back in the boot :: part 11 (rome + the end)

The beginning of our last full day in Italy was filled with various modes of transportation. Bus from our hotel in Ischia Ponte to the docks at Ischia Porto. Aliscafo (high-speed ferry) from Ischia Porto to the port at Naples. Bus from the port to the train station, Napoli Centrale. Train to Rome.

just look at those skies
But by lunchtime, we'd arrived, and the city welcomed us with weather that was glorious. Blue skies and puffy clouds. We walked from the Roma Termini to the nearby bed & breakfast where we'd made a reservation. The very nice owner, Claudia, showed us around the place and told us to act as if it was our house. We thanked her, put our bags down, and headed out for the half day we had in the city.

at the forno • Gelateria del Teatro • 2nd annual ginger mojito with Arlene
First stop: Forno Campo de' Fiori. I'd heard wonderful things about this bakery before but never had stopped. So after immensely missing amazing Italian focaccia during our time in Ischia, I was in heaven with a hot spinach and mozzarella sandwich and a bubbly lemon soda. We also made sure to fit in a stop at a highly-praised gelateria which we hadn't been before. The Gelateria del Teatro is a small establishment down one of the most adorable alleyways. We sampled a few of the unusual flavors, and finally decided. I had a vanilla/caramel flavor on top of caffe, which wasn't too unique, but was wonderful. Chris had yogurt with lampone e salvia (raspberry & sage), which was a flavor we'd never seen before, and he said was one of the best he's ever had.

Later for an aperitivo, we met up with Arlene for our 2nd annual ginger mojito at Trastevere's Freni e Frizoni. It was great catching up, as well as eating the (almost all) vegetarian aperitivo spread (including crema di tartufo which I'd been craving the entire trip).

reflection • "ciao" says the statue with 3 fingers • trying to make it in the self-timed photo
The other parts of the day were just spent wandering around on foot through the city. Finding alleys we hadn't walked before, visiting a couple sites we hadn't seen before, and mainly just enjoying the energy of one of my favorite cities in Italy.

fountains of Rome: Piazza della Bocca della Verità • performer by Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in Piazza Navona• Fontana del Trione in Piazza Barberini
For dinner we met up with an Italian couple who we'd become good friends with in Florence. They've since moved to Rome, and it was great getting to see them and spend at least a couple hours together. After pizza and gelato, we said goodbye and walked back to our room for a good night's sleep before the long flight home the next morning.

Forno Campo de' Fiori
Campo de' Fiori, 22 - Vicolo del Gallo, 14
06 68806662

Gelateria del Teatro
Via di San Simone, 70
06 45474880

Freni e Frizioni
Via del Politeama, 4
06 58334210
LA FINE!

back in the boot :: part 10 (arrivederci ischia)

So now it comes to the final post about our time in Ischia (although there's one more day to go in Rome), but as I begin writing it's a bit daunting to think about putting the experience into words. I really did end up connecting with Ischia a lot and finding so many things about it that I liked and was drawn to. Initially we'd thought about taking a few side day trips from the island during the week to Pompeii, Vesuvius, Amalfi, and maybe Capri. But other than the 15 min boat ride to Procida we ended up dropping all the other trips....I just didn't' want to leave Ischia.

scenes of the sea: "Il Fungo" rock • shell design on a beach house • ship in front of the Castello
When we were arriving by ferry on the very first day I remember wondering (and even discussing a bit with Chris) some questions like: "Do people get the feeling of being water-locked / cabin-feverish here on the island?" "Will I feel claustrophobic?" "Does having to take a boat to leave/arrive make you feel a bit trapped?", etc etc. Because I have been on and island where I wondered if I could actually handle living there because the feeling of isolation would start to be too much to handle.

...But almost within the first hour of being in Ischia I understood why people live here, why people travel here, and think I announced out loud that I wanted to stay put during the week without getting on the ferry again to go somewhere else. I felt that Ischia had enough things to show me.

during the evening "passeggiata"
And it did.

Some of the most beautiful scenery. Amazingly nice and courteous people who we saw over and over go out of their way to help, offer patience, converse. A feeling of a tight community. Overall quite clean and safe. Not too much English. Far enough from Naples not to feel like it at all, but close enough to get to if needed via a convenient ferry.

Festa della Madonna
And festivals. Oh the festivals. In the week we were in Ischia, there were 3-4 festivals. We tried going to the grocery store a couple days to find it closed or closed extremely early - the reason: another festival. "But...wasn't there just a festival yesterday?" "Sí. Pero c'e' un altra oggi." (Yes, but there's another one today). Church bells would ring simultaneously to the tune of "Ave Maria" and we happened on a few random processions of people walking down the streets with songs, candles, and flowers, plus the churches we noticed were a lot more full than normal. One night while eating dinner in the outside terrace of a restaurant, we heard yet another procession and asked our server what was going on. He said it was the Festa della Madonnina, and that May was the month of the entire Festa della Madonna, and since it was the last day of the month there was extra celebration. Other nights we saw various churches shooting fireworks into the sky from the island and the mainland of Naples. These, we were told, are festivals of various saints depending on whom the church is dedicated to or which saint is the patron of the village. We were also in Italy for one of the biggest national holidays, the Festa della Repubblica on June 2.

Castello behind the grapes • motorino on the bridge • covered boats on the beach
On our last day there, we got up early, packed our bags and said goodbye to the Castello Aragonese before catching the first bus up the road to Ischia Porto where we departed by ferry. There were a lot of open seats on the aliscafo that day as it was the first boat leaving harbor in the morning, and still quite early. We grabbed an aisle towards the back and had it all to ourselves, and I watched the island disappear from the foggy windows dripping with condensation as the sun came up...

...and knew I'd be back.

to be continued...

back in the boot :: part 9 (beaches + procida)

I couldn't have a series about our stay in Ischia without writing about the beaches. With 34 km worth of coastlines, and the majority of the island's villages sitting alongside the shoreline, it's hard not to be in view of the Mediterranean at all times. The beaches are varied from sandy and powdery to pebbly and rocky. Some parts of the coastline are sheer cliffs dropping straight down into the water, while others offer spacious sand. There are plenty of private areas to explore, and caves are often found by boaters against the rocky walls.

Bay of Saint Montano • Baia di Sorgeto • Il Fungo, Lacco Ameno
A few of the days we were there, we checked out a handful of different coastlines. Our first full day we walked around the shoreline in Ischia Ponte where we were staying and admired all the striped buildings of the private beach "clubs". This is a very common idea in Italy (and is very different from any beach experience I've had in the States), where the majority of the known beaches are private instead of the open public spaces. Normally, the beach guests pay a daily fee for entrance to the protected beach area of a specific club. With the fee comes a private area with beach chairs and umbrella, and most "clubs" have bathrooms, showers, and changing areas as well as an open-air snack bar.

walking past the private beach houses in Ischia Ponte • couple ready to hit the water
Besides the fact that most all of the clubs were decorated in bold stripe patterns which I loved, it was so interesting seeing all the textures from the small fishing boats pulled on to the shore. It was still early in the day (and a bit overcast) when we initially checked out the beach near our hotel, so it was a good juxtaposition to see it quite still and empty contrasted with later in the day when it warmed up and bodies filled the beach chairs.

view from the chair • looking through the glasses • enjoying Bango Mario
Of the other times we've spent on Italian beaches, we've just visited public spaces, but it was really nice this time to try out a private beach. I do think that it's completely worth the 7€ fee to have the sand raked and cleaned through the day, chairs set up for you, and facilities close at hand. When we arrived the attendant escorted us to our chairs and opened the umbrella. Although we live on the ocean, it's still nice to be in completely different scenery - and every time I opened my eyes and saw the Castello Aragonese just off-shore I smiled.

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arriving at Procida's harbor • restaurant from "Il Postino" • walkway by fishing docks
One afternoon during the week we decided to take a small trip to the neighboring island of Procida. After just about 15 minutes on the ferry we'd arrived at Marina Grande and took off on foot to explore the small fishing village of Corricella. I've already posted about some of our short visit in context of finding locations from "The Talented Mr. Ripley" but besides that aspect, the village is a lovely place, full of quiet streets and colorful buildings. We hardly passed many people walking around, much less any vehicles. It was the sleepy part of the afternoon, and sometimes as we walked through narrow alleyways I felt like we were the only people there.

When we made it to the other shore line, we wandered on the dock area where so many small fishing boats were almost piled on top of each other. Sailing ropes and fishing nets spilled out on the stone walkway, and the expansive convent Abbazia di San Michele sat on the hill looking down on us. We found a quiet seat outside of the restaurant "La Locanda del Postino" (which is aptly named as it was one of the filming locations for the movie "Il Postino"), and enjoyed a mid-afternoon snack. By the time we left, Ischia was already pulling me back...so we waved goodbye to the shorelines of Procida and set out again by ferry.

to be continued...

summer infusions :: an inspiration from ischia

This is the second installation in the "summer infusions" series I'm writing about this season. Although I'm a bit behind in getting this next one out, it's one I'm really excited about.

During our trip to Ischia a few weeks ago we kept seeing signs for a liqueur called Rucolino. It was about the second day there and it finally caught my eye enough to think about it..."rucola" or "ruchetta" is the Italian word for arugula (rocket), and we'd seen wild arugula growing on the walkways around the Castello Aragonese the day before, as well as noticed this spicy green on the menu at a few places already. So, finally we stopped at a shop that sold it and confirmed my hopes as to what rucolino actually was...an arugula flavored liqueur. And this being my most favorite green (and top favorite foods), I was anxious to try it.

We ended up tasting a bit of it at La Cantina del Mare, a lovely wine shop in the town of Lacco Ameno. And it was pretty much all I'd hoped it would be :) It's like the traditional amaro but with a bit of peppery taste from the greens. It's a deep greenish amber color and was sweeter than I expected. Normally enjoyed as a small after (or before) dinner digestive liqueur - known to help in the digestion process of the meal you just ate (or are about to eat).

So when we got back home I knew that I wanted to try my hand at a small batch. Luckily, since we had blossoming wild arugula growing in our ever expanding garden, it was nice to be able to use the last of the plant since it's towards the end of the season. It wasn't too easy finding a recipe for this...so I've mixed a couple of the ingredients and measurements that I found in a few places. The French "Liqueur à La Sauge" (Sage Liqueur) seems quite comparative, but with obviously a different leaf. So here is my version (and I'll have to report back at the end of the year to let you know how it came out!):

RUCOLINO

2 cups organic vodka
1 cup water
3/4 cup raw cane sugar
10 cloves
zest of 1 organic lemon
5 sage leaves
3/4 cup wild arugula leaves + blossoms


Begin with a clean 750ml bottle. Heat water and sugar just to the point where the sugar dissolves, and chill back to room temperature. Meanwhile, drop the cloves and lemon zest into the bottle. Thoroughly wash the sage and arugula leaves. Drop all the leaves in the bottle. Pour the vodka into the bottle and follow with the cooled-down sugar water.


Cork and leave in a dark place for 2 months, shaking gently every so often. After 2 months, thoroughly strain the liquid through a cheese cloth to remove all solid pieces. Replace the liquid back into the bottle, and let sit undisturbed for 6 months. *I may cheat and try it out earlier just to see how it's doing, because the time varied in a few recipes that I saw.

SALUTE!

back in the boot :: part 8 (island style)

After writing about Italian summer style and what I was packing before we headed to Ischia, I thought I'd better do a bit of a follow up on that subject matter since we've returned.

It definitely was fun staying put in the same hotel for 5 days...where we could unpack, get a little settled, and getting to change outfits through the day rather than sloughing around all day with traveling backpacks. The days normally went something like this: long pants and light long-sleeves for the morning activities, change into bathing suits / shorts + tanks for afternoon, switch into an 'island casual' dinner outfit, add a couple layers for the cooler evening outings.

me and the retirees :)
One thing I'd packed in several forms was stripes...and I fit right in! There were stripes everywhere (not too surprising since it was a harbor town in Europe...and that's exactly where I envision the whole nautical theme coming from). On window overhangs, every private beach (either on the umbrellas, bath houses, or bar), plenty of signs, boat covers, and of course people. Too bad I wasn't thinking like the Sartorialist or I could have gotten some better shots. Although I did sneak a couple from these older people meandering on the beach walk.

Also, very island-style-esque, the one souvenir I came back with was a pair of beautiful handmade sandals. I'd known about the famous Amedeo Canfora sandals that everyone gets on the nearby island of Capri, and Antonio Viva's sandals in Anacapri, but since we weren't heading there on this trip I thought I'd see if Ischia had a similar tradition of these sandali artigianale .

outside Maria Rosaria Ferrara's shop (I'm inside looking around. wearing stripes. under a striped awning. see?! everywhere :)) • cobbler's work table • finished sandal
Luckily during one of our evening walks through Ischia Porto, I spotted a small sign down a side street that simply said "sandali". I quickly took a detour to get a closer look...There wasn't much of a sign on the front, but plenty of simple styles of these island sandals were hanging on display boards outside the entrance and in the window. I peeked inside, and the very small interior was filled with sandals of all kinds. Each style was just shown with one shoe and then on the walls hung various cloth and leather straps of all colors. The female cobbler seemed about my age, and she was hard at work making a few pairs of sandals on her work bench.

I asked her about the process, and she quickly explained that I just pick a sole base (there were some completely flat, some with a small raised heel bed, and some with a bit of a wedge heel), a formation style of the strappings, and the color. The prices were all based on the base model, number of straps, and material. I told her I'd be back the next day...


The next afternoon we returned to the laboratorio artigianale and I tried on a few samples and decided on a flat style mixed between leather straps and weaved cloth ties which can be interchanged with different colors (I chose a tan leather strap base with interchangeable cream and black ties). It wasn't one of the more traditional styles, but they were really comfortable and fun. She measured my foot and fitted me to a sole, then made some initial markings on the sole for where the strap widths should be placed. I picked out the strap colors and made an appointment to return the next day for the finished sandals.

When I came back, she put the shoes on my feet and made a final adjustment to the middle strap loop, banged in a couple small nails, then imprinted the soles with a signature stamp. I gladly paid her, and left happy with my souvenir of our time in Ischia. And they invoke lovely memories every time I wear them.

I.Dea Di Maria Rosaria Ferrara
Via Venanzio Marone, 5
Ischia Porto
081 985418

back in the boot :: part 7 (ischian food)

aperitivo in Ischia Porto • sign at Bar Diana • i "heart" bread
Continuing on with the Ischia talk, I figured I'd highlight one of my favorite parts of a vacation - the food.

If I had to sum up the Ischian cuisine in one dish it'd be: frutta di mare (seafood). Of course, this is understandable since they are surrounded by the sea...but it makes it a bit challenging for me since I don't eat seafood. One of the most talked about restaurants in Ishicia Ponte is Ristorante da Ciccio, known for amazing family service and traditional Ischian fare. The first night on the island we ate here and had a great table outside, wonderful servers, and amazing dessert...and I ordered the only *one* thing on the menu without seafood. It was very flavorful...but I knew that I wasn't eating the specialty. Other evenings through the week we tried some pizzas, pastas, and great salads. They definitely use a lot of rucola (arugula, rocket) which is my favorite green of all time. So I think at least one meal included this each day.

afternoon libations • snack time with a view • "mozzarella in carrozza"
One afternoon as we were just walking alongside the beach road back from Ischia Porto, we decided to grab an afternoon snack at one of the private beach's open-air cafe. We enjoyed "mozzarella in carrrozza" (fancy Italian version of a grilled cheese...mainly with a smokey mozzarella between two slices of bread which have been coated in a milk/egg wash) along with a cold mix of Campari e Prosecco...and a gorgeous view of the Castello Aragonese. Brilliant.

Another evening, we found a place on the main pedestrian strip of Ischia Porto called Bar Diana. We spotted it because of the HUGE lemons on the outdoor tables, which our server told us were a rare type from Calabria. We stayed for an aperitivo and had blood orange and lemon (handsqueezed) sodas - which was a very seasonal choice from the famous citrus of the region.

view from the Castello Aragonese overlooking the restaurant and dock
Overall, the most amazing dining experience on the entire trip (and definitely up on the list for most amazing dining experience ever) was the evening we went to Il Giardino Eden.

sailing past the castle • beside the old Roman wall • our server waiting for us on the dock
We were told about this place by fellow blogger, Tracie who lived in Ischia for a while...and a big grazie mille for the recommendation! One of the greatest parts about it, was that after making our reservation, they sent for a boat to pick us up on the harbor by our hotel and bring us to the restaurant dock entrance.

The sun was setting when we took off in a small boat with just us two and the driver. We passed by the Castello, and under the small walking bridge leading between the castle and the mainland, then to a rocky side of the town where an old crumbling Roman wall lines the sea. We finally arrived at the dock extending from the open-air dining area and our server in a white linen suit met us at the boat and led us to our table.

views from the table
The food was immaculately prepared, amazingly tasteful and I can't say enough about the super friendly service.

...and I don't know of another place that can beat the view.

dusk at Giardino Eden • colorful plates • looking down at the dock
After our several courses, they asked if they should call the boat again. Well, yes please. So we were escorted by sea back to the harbor near our hotel and smiled at the experience and our full bellies.

Ristorante da Ciccio
Via Luigi Mazzella, 32
Ischia Ponte
081 991686

Il Giardino Eden
Via Nuova Cartaromana, 62
Ischia
081 985015

back in the boot :: part 6 (talented mr. ripley)

front of Castello Aragonese where Tom gets off the bus in "Mongibello" • Dickie's house (Palazzo Malcovati) • Chris standing outside of the house
So if you were keeping up at all with my ramblings leading to our trip to Ischia, you'll know that a huge inspiration came from my favorite film, "The Talented Mr. Ripley". As soon as we arrived I immediately recognized several places and I can't count the number of quotes that I kept reciting every time I turned a corner. *Go to the past post here to reference some film screen shots for comparison.*

Although I know it may sound a bit silly - it really was quite exciting to finally see a lot of these places firsthand. But it in no way eclipsed the immediate and strong connection I felt to Ischia from the beginning; a feeling which only grew stronger the longer we were there. There was just something lovely about the place - from the people, the hospitality, the natural beauty, the pace...

....ah, but this is for another post. On with the film talk...

Bagno Antonio - beach scene where Tom first meets Dickie and Marge
Just down the road from our hotel was the star of Ischia Ponte: the Castello Aragonese. This castle on a rock was the backdrop for many of the scenes during the main part of the film when they're in "Mongibello" (the fictional town name).

When Tom first arrives in "Mongibello" we see him meet up with Dickie and Marge on a crowded beach. After some research I found out that this was the private beach "Bango Antonio" which was farther up the shore than I'd imagined. Still, just a leisurely stroll later, and we had arrived. It was our first full day in Ischia, and the morning was a bit overcast, so we used it to wander around. Since it wasn't time for bathing suits quite yet, we sat at the little bar/restaurant for a caffe while we watched just a couple people meandering through the beach chairs.

other side of Dickie's house overlooking area of "Festival of the Madonna" • another view • looking from near balcony
Later we headed back towards the Castello and found the building which stood in as Dickie's house. The villa "Palazzo Malcovati" is a private residence, and juts out into the sea interrupting the walkway along the water's edge. On the side facing the Castello is the balcony where many of the patio scenes took place.

On the more northern side is the balcony where Tom, Dickie, and Marge stood while watching the "Festival of the Madonna" celebrations. This small cove seemed much smaller in real life, but I recognized it immediately.

Procida: town scene in Piazza dei Martiri with bocce ball, etc • road with Silvana's market stand on left • walking down Via San Rocco where Tom watches Dickie meet up with Silvana
Finally, we headed over to the neighboring island of Procida (just about 15 min by boat) where the in-town scenes were filmed. This is also the main location of the popular Italian film "Il Postino". It's quite a small island, and we walked from the main boat harbor to the southern end of the village, Corricella, where we passed the Piazza dei Martiri where most of the scenes were shot. It was surprising how many of the locations (Silvana's market stand, bocce ball court, steep road where Tom and Dickie walk and ride scooters) were all within feet of each other. I really just stood in one spot and took photos while I turned in different directions. I haven't seen Il Postino in a couple years so I'd love to watch it again to see what the town looked like in that context too.

I know I've included clips or trailers from the film before, but this one was provided by Ischia.org and mainly shows clips from the Ischia/Procida scenes, so most of the photos from above are in here...plus, it's dubbed in Italian which is always amusing!
*Email readers click through to online post to view video

back in the boot :: part 5 (terme)

views of Negombo : beach, cliff, bay
One of the things I was looking forward to the most during our stay in Ischia was a couple visits to some of the famous terme (thermal spas). This island is one of Italy's main collections of terme in the country; and the volcanic history of the island has left many healthful riches in its path. Spread throughout Ischia's surface area of 46 km2, natural thermal spas exist from drinkable mineral-rich waters and natural hot springs to volcanic thermal caves and sulphuric medicinal pools. Because of the many land fractures from past eruptions of Mount Epomeo, extremely hot volcanic gases are able to escape upwards towards the water table...heating some natural springs well over 100º C (200+º F).

Although Italy has many places around the country with various types of terme, I'd only visited one in Tuscany during the time we lived in Florence. I'd read about a few of the different ones on Ischia before we went, and after a few recommendations from friends, we looked at our itinerary on our trip and decided on two very different ones to visit.

Chris in the "life source" pool • hanging glass sculpture • thermal cave shower
If you look up thermal springs in Ischia, you'll probably find mention of the two main "thermal parks": Negombo and Poseidon. Each of these parks are a collection of various thermal waters, arranged as a water park of sorts in pools, fountains, steam caves, health spas, etc. Both are set on the coastline and include private beaches as well. After reading about each and getting recommendations, we opted for Negombo. I was drawn to the fact that this one seemed more naturally laid out along the cliffside and looked a bit more organic in nature. So after a bus ride up the island from Ischia Ponte where we were staying, to the town of Lacco Ameno, we paid our admission fee which is good for an all-day visit, changed into our bathing suits, grabbed a towel and prepared to relax.

grotto hot pool • pillar massaging springs • walking through the Japanese hot/cold pool
Located in the beautiful San Montano Bay, Negombo has over 20 points of interest for the visitor. There are many different pools with varying degrees of temperature, natural rock pools, concrete formed pools, cave pools, and "shock" pools where two drastically different temperatures are alternated between. There's also a large private beach, extensive wellness center, restaurant, nature walks, exotic landscaping, and modern art sculptures found throughout the park. Everything is nicely spread out and many of the pathways and pools offer a bit of quiet privacy. It was fun just finding pool after pool and trying out new water therapies. Each pool had a posted temperature and suggested time limit for maximum effectiveness of the minerals.

A few of my favorite springs were:

• Onphalos grotta per l'antroterapia 32ºC (90ºF) - This was a cave with a group of water therapies, including (1) a narrow ascending passageway through the rock which leads up to a natural (extremely hot) steam room, (2) an open warm pool inside the cave, (3) a small hole you can climb into which is an open bottom well (you have to hold onto handbars along the perimeter as there is no bottom). After soaking in any of the water here, there's a small cool, fresh-water well in which to rinse off.

• Maya, piscina "Kneipp" - This Mayan style shock pool was split into two parts, one at 18ºC (65ºF) and the other at 38ºC (100ºF). You're supposed to start in the hot side, get fully immersed for a few minutes, then crawl over the rock divider into the cold side - and repeat. It took me a good while to get warmed up to this idea, but finally participated...and it was perfectly shocking. The most noises heard in this area are "aaaaahhhh" "oh dio oh dio!".

• Irrgang-Labirinto Piscina Giapponsese - Again, this is a similar idea of a shock pool, but in the Japanese spa tradition of walking in waist-deep water in a row of people from hot to cold for about 30 minutes.

•Chiaia di Luna - Probably the most relaxing pool in my opinion, this small hot pool sits in seculsion along a cliffside overlooking the bay. A small cave feeds the 35ºC (95ºF) water into a shallow smooth sloping area...and here is where you would find me staying most the day if I ever get to go back.

lying in the Chiaia dei Luna • Hamam Turkish bath & Chris coming out of it
We relaxed on the beach for a while before finishing up around the wellness center where we tried out the "Hamam", a Turkish bath house which is a cave-like steam room kept at 55ºC (131ºF). Even after two attempts in making my way in the inner room, I could only survive in the entryway where I sat and waited for Chris. I just don't know how people do this...way too extreme for me.

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The other thermal spring we went to was all-natural, public, and free. Located just outside of the lovely town of Sant' Angelo, the Baia di Sorgeto (Sorgeto Bay) is a bit of a hike away from the main road, but completely worth the walk.

looking down the cliff to Baia di Sorgeto • area where the hot meets cool • "attenzione: acqua bollente" (attention: boiling water)
Down a steep cliff, is a low cave opening where people gather before venturing out into the small area where the cool sea water mixes with the boiling water being heated by the volcanic rocks under feet. There's a hand-painted sign on the rock warning of the boiling water...and that is to be taken literally. In a couple small areas where the water was still enough, you could see the bubbling. A couple next to us put some potatoes in a bag which they placed in the water to cook them for a mid-day picnic. Several times I stood too long in one spot and suddenly noticed that my toes were burning from the pebbles beneath them.

Sant'Angelo • view from the cave • cooking potatoes
The area where the temperature is comfortable isn't too large, so people are always moving in and out to let others have a chance at enjoying the rocky cove. It was pretty fun getting to explore this area, and it's quite a community feeling there, as we got to talk to several people since we were all sitting in extremely close quarters at some points.

These thermal experiences were some of my favorites on the island, and definitely something I'd love to do again.

marocchino a casa

So taking a break from the Italy trip recap, I wanted to write about our homemade attempt at the fabulous Napoletana marocchino that I posted about earlier in the week.

Chris has been perfecting his barista skills this past year. Tools: stovetop Italian moka. organic whole bean coffee. grinder. manual stovetop milk frother. organic whole milk. raw sugar. lots of love. I definitely feel spoiled most mornings when I get my pick of an espresso, cappuccino, or macchiato served promptly when I awake. Since we got back from Italy last weekend, the marocchino has been added to the menu. And each day it's gotten a bit more refined. Here's a log of one of the first attempts (a cappuccino was also being made alongside the marrocchino).

(unofficial way of) Making a Marrocchino Napoletana

1. Wet the inside of a small glass. We use these great vintage ones passed down from my grandmother. I'm not quite sure what their proper use is for....juice maybe? Anyway, it's a little larger than an espresso cup.
2. Sprinkle enough sugar in the glass to coat the insides and rim (depending on your sweet-tooth you may want to shake out the excess or leave some in).
3. Drop a small piece of high quality dark chocolate into the bottom of the glass.

4. Prepare a fine dark roast of espresso. We use our stovetop Italian moka for this.
5. Pour an espresso shot worth of the brew into the bottom of the glass over the chocolate.

6. Steam and froth your milk. We use whole organic milk which seems to work the best, and a great manual stovetop frother...you heat the milk on the stove, then pump the screen attached to the lid through the milk until it's good and thick.
7. Pour a small amount of the steamed milk over the espresso. Then spoon more schiuma (froth) on to the top.

8. Dust the top with dark chocolate cocoa powder.
9. Stir lightly and enjoy!

Definitely worth trying out! And it will for sure keep my coffee cravings at bay until we fly across the sea again.

back in the boot :: part 4 (ischia)

Il Castello Aragonese • reds in town • view from our room (see the castle to the right)
Just a couple days after arriving in il bel paese we were sailing up to the port of the island of Ischia - our main destination. Well, ok, it wasn't technically sailing as we were on an "aliscafo" (a type of hi-speed ferry), but as Naples was to our back and I saw the small jutting rock of the Castello Arogonese in my view, I might have well been leaning off the front of the boat with my arms outstretched.

Well, I can say that Ischia met and exceeded any expectation. We pretty much fell in love. There's so much to say about the experience there, and I'm still trying to figure out how I want to tell it all...but for now I'll just start at the beginning...

The boat arrived at Ischia Porto, the island's largest town, where we took a small bus to Ischia Ponte (the smaller, more "antique" area where the Castello is). Our hotel was easy to find and we were greeted by the lovely Rosa whom we chatted with a bit before she led us to our room...with a terrace and view of the sea and the Castello Aragonese. I'd looked at a few different hotels, but really wanted to be within view of the Castello. So there we were. I reenacted the scene in the Talented Mr. Ripley when they arrived in Ischia, singing "Moooooongibellllllooooo!", and then we headed out for an evening in the town.

view from the castello back over the bridge
We walked towards the Castello and stopped to have a coffee. Unfortunately, even though the island is within view of Napoli, the coffee was back to the normal Italian standard (which is still amazing...but I was missing Naples' marocchino). It was getting to be later in the afternoon, and the weather was perfect so we decided to go ahead and explore Il Castello Aragonese. After walking across the narrow bridge to the entrance, we rode an elevator up through the rock to the upper level. Here the views opened up before us and for the next couple of hours we just soaked in a wonderful welcome from this lovely place.

old castle sign • view with wildflowers • looking down into the clear water
This rock's first fortress of any kind was built way back in 474 b.c. by the Greek ruler of Syracuse. From that time many changes in ownership, occupation, and architecture have occurred. Inhabitants have included the Romans, Visigoths, Vandals, Arabs, Norman, Germans, French, Angevins, and probably most famously the Aragonians, whose ruler rebuilt the castle, fortified the walls, and built the stone bridge in place today. This small island was in itself a small town with over 2000 families living there at a point in time. There was an abbey, multiple churches, gardens, homes, and civic buildings. Today some have been destroyed by battling groups, but much still remains. There's a few churches to visit, a crypt, parts of the abbey, and now including a hotel, a couple restaurants, museum, art gallery, and even classrooms used by various European arts & culture groups.

modern art exhibit • wavy architecture • Chris picking wild arugula
An interesting thing we happened upon was a modern art exhibit being held at the Chiesa dell'Immacolata, one of the larger domed churches on the island built in 1737. The entire space was painted a stark white...walls, ceiling, dome, fixtures - all to present a clean gallery "canvas" for two contemporary artists showing at the exhibit. It was quite fascinating to see a church space converted in this way - especially with one of my favorite styles of art being shown by the Slovenian painter, Cveto Marsic. We then continued through many of the other sites...ruins of the main cathedral, few other smaller churches, plenty of gardens, a couple of exhibits...and lots of gorgeous overlooks.

ruins of the cathedral • walking through the tunnels (look closely for scale) • small church
The sun was just starting to think about making a descent when we finally decided to leave. Chris picked a handful of wild arugula that we saw growing abundantly on the walkways (which we saved for some sandwiches the next day), and we made our way back to street level by taking the enormous winding tunnels leading down through the earth.

We sat on the bridge watching the sun go down before heading back to the hotel to get ready for our first dinner in Ischia...and the rest of the week.

to be continued...