LIPARI 16th to 24 May
Lipari is the name of this the biggest of the Aeolian Islands and its major town. We travelled by bus to Mesina then Giuntabus to Millazzo terminating just four blocks from the boat terminus where we bought a salami and prosciutto roll for lunch. The Siremar booking clerk tried to cheat by putting 50,000 of my change in a separate drawer but gave it up the moment I protested. This I think was the first and only time we were shortchanged on this holiday. The hydrofoil was full of opaque plastic windows but few passengers.
On arrival at the island port Dominique a man came onto the boat and thrust card in my hand promising a room for 30,000 each with kitchen, balcony and sea views.
His son led us to his house near the Porto Corto where he introduced to his charming wife Maria who occupied one floor with three rooms to rent only one of which was occupied by another charming lady who was initially dazed from lying down under the shade of an awning.
The old man also Dominic could speak some English and fluent French but had no German, the language of most of their guests to judge from the selection of reading books. After strolling round town to get our bearings we settled on menu turistico for 25,000 from Trattaria d'Oro choosing anti pasta with dry sauce ca muddica, spaghetti, calamare and sweetish local Malvasia wine from Salina/Stromboli.
20 May Walked through the tunnel to the nearby town of Canneto passed lemon trees heavy with ripe fruit supported by wooden props. Found lumps of pumice floating in the sea and swam 1000 strokes from the beach using and a maximum of four sets of 35 crawl breathes. Comments obviously illustrative of the fact that I was trying to convert to the crawl after a lifetime of breast strokes - though my memory suggests this would have been years far earlier at the Swansea Leisure Centre.
Met an Englishman and his wife at the supermarket as we were choosing water. They were living on a boat and sailing around the Mediterranean, since we overheard them at dinner last night we presumed they were now based in Barcelona. We had a long chat noting they had been to Majorca, Tunisia, with next stop Stromboli and on to meet a friend a month later in Malta. Remembering the years of our sailing holidays which preceded the change to backpacking in 1989 in Nepal - I couldn't help but be envious. We ate a la carte at d'Oro once more noticing they chose a pizzeria but we did not make contact again. Joan made excellent choices with Proscuito Condo followed by Mussels Cozze a la Marmara, I had a different anto-pasta and the tasty veal steak with lemon.
21 May, Took the 10:15 ferry to the island of Salina passed a big bright white quarry where they were mining pumice stone, giving rise to the only spectacular white beach in the Aeolian isles.
Saw bus waiting at the port and went on to Malfa before walking down a long footpath to a lovely stony beach with two picturesque volcanic rocks where we listened to the pounding from the sea. Returned to the port by bus at 15:45 and bought tickets for the return to Lipari 90 minutes later.
Salina is the most fertile of the islands with lots of flowers, philodendron, rambling pink roses, white jasmine and deep red bougainvillea. Very quiet and lovely with few people around at this time of year. Liked the look of the hotel Signum at Malfa seemed like a great place to relax. All in all it was a beautiful day which went like clockwork.
22 May Went to the excellent museum at 9am which displayed things found on the Aeolian islands dating back to Neolithic times (back to 5000BC) on the oldest volcanic islands including imports financed by trade in glass flints with Campania in the Naples area. Trade encompassed the Adriatic coast and even Palestine. You can trace development from very early pottery through to the influence of other imported styles stretching to beautiful Etruscan ware. Also displayed was painted pottery from Lipari and Cefalu. Much was found in tombs. There were also miniature of masks designed for use in plays like the Seven Old Men illustrating seven distinct characters.
In the afternoon we took a trip to Stromboli with other travellers stopping to walk around Panaria which has been developed by well to do house owners. Stromboli brought back memories of the smaller island of Strombolicchio which we passed by sail on our delivery trips to Greece. A not very exciting meal followed by unattractive beaches of black sand (not stone as expected). On re-boarding we went round Strombolicchio and then to the north west of the island where lava scree falls away into the sea and watched the periodic bursts of activity. The Roman Candle was a damp squid for a steel industry man like me but impressive enough as a natural phenomena. It has apparently been active for 2000 years much of the eruption being below sea level.
23 May
We took a bus to Quattro Occhi for its superb view over the island of Vulcano and then walked on the coastal path and climbed up to the Quatro Pani. It was a superb walk, sea views, seabirds colonies on off-shore rocks, a huge range of flowers, gorse, yellow cactus and Vipers Blugloss. (Joan always teases me about my poor recognition of flower types and never fails to prompt me on this last one).
Nevertheless the heat was exhausting and the only shop at Quattro Pane was closed leaving us to wait two hours in the sun for the bus back
24 May Not content with the sea view we took a ferry to Volcano and were soon convinced it was somewhere not to be missed. Just over from the port was a hot pool of mud where, under supervision, people bathe and cover themselves with light coloured mud like natives preparing for battle - though it had a more attractive effect on topless, shapely young tourists.
The only real danger is getting it in your eyes, the remedy being to wash it out with clean soft water and bathe them in chamomile tea. Otherwise there are warnings that bathing should be avoided by pregnant or menstruating women or anyone with heart problems.
It was at the end of the day that Joan ventured in on the basis that it might help free her stiff joints (though she over exercised her wrist which was sore for several days). After allowing the mud to bake hard in the sun you finish by bathing in a section of the sea bubbling with gas.
The earlier climb, the most challenging ascent for Joan since her last knee operation, up the mountain was well worth the effort. A very friendly woman indicated the access road, fully developed for cars rather than the footpath indicated on the map.
The path zigzagged up volcano cinders for three quarters of the ascent preparing for a difficult over rutted baked earth to the summit before finally changing to ash and stone again.
The view of il cratero was superb with a vast range of colours in the rock from yellow sulphur through browns and grey to brilliant white. The sulphur vapour made us remember Berestagi Sumatra and think that we aught to leave a lit cigarette on a forked twig as a peace offering to the mountain gods.
At this height you could walk around the crater offering fabulous views in the haze of Lipari, Salina, Aliendi , Panarea and Stromboli as well as the minute mud pool.
Home by return ferry at 20:05 along with Dutch cyclists we had met earlier whilst bathing in the warm shallow sea. That evening we ate at Pizzarette and found it better that Trattoria d'Oro. Joan's Piazza was superb, thin bread crust and lots of tasty filling whilst I had Zuppa di cozze (not quite the equal of Moules Marinier in France) and excellent lasagna.
We also returned to the Sicily proper the next day by the same large Ferry for half the price of the hydrofoil on which we had arrived, a far more pleasant experience.
The large car ferry which connects the islands with the mainland was virtually without cars of lorries, can be seen at the end of this posting- I doubt if it still runs at such a loss.
Lipari is the name of this the biggest of the Aeolian Islands and its major town. We travelled by bus to Mesina then Giuntabus to Millazzo terminating just four blocks from the boat terminus where we bought a salami and prosciutto roll for lunch. The Siremar booking clerk tried to cheat by putting 50,000 of my change in a separate drawer but gave it up the moment I protested. This I think was the first and only time we were shortchanged on this holiday. The hydrofoil was full of opaque plastic windows but few passengers.
On arrival at the island port Dominique a man came onto the boat and thrust card in my hand promising a room for 30,000 each with kitchen, balcony and sea views.
 |
| BACKPACKERS, like us, LOOKING FOR ACCOMMODATION |
The old man also Dominic could speak some English and fluent French but had no German, the language of most of their guests to judge from the selection of reading books. After strolling round town to get our bearings we settled on menu turistico for 25,000 from Trattaria d'Oro choosing anti pasta with dry sauce ca muddica, spaghetti, calamare and sweetish local Malvasia wine from Salina/Stromboli.
20 May Walked through the tunnel to the nearby town of Canneto passed lemon trees heavy with ripe fruit supported by wooden props. Found lumps of pumice floating in the sea and swam 1000 strokes from the beach using and a maximum of four sets of 35 crawl breathes. Comments obviously illustrative of the fact that I was trying to convert to the crawl after a lifetime of breast strokes - though my memory suggests this would have been years far earlier at the Swansea Leisure Centre.
Met an Englishman and his wife at the supermarket as we were choosing water. They were living on a boat and sailing around the Mediterranean, since we overheard them at dinner last night we presumed they were now based in Barcelona. We had a long chat noting they had been to Majorca, Tunisia, with next stop Stromboli and on to meet a friend a month later in Malta. Remembering the years of our sailing holidays which preceded the change to backpacking in 1989 in Nepal - I couldn't help but be envious. We ate a la carte at d'Oro once more noticing they chose a pizzeria but we did not make contact again. Joan made excellent choices with Proscuito Condo followed by Mussels Cozze a la Marmara, I had a different anto-pasta and the tasty veal steak with lemon.
21 May, Took the 10:15 ferry to the island of Salina passed a big bright white quarry where they were mining pumice stone, giving rise to the only spectacular white beach in the Aeolian isles.
Saw bus waiting at the port and went on to Malfa before walking down a long footpath to a lovely stony beach with two picturesque volcanic rocks where we listened to the pounding from the sea. Returned to the port by bus at 15:45 and bought tickets for the return to Lipari 90 minutes later.
Salina is the most fertile of the islands with lots of flowers, philodendron, rambling pink roses, white jasmine and deep red bougainvillea. Very quiet and lovely with few people around at this time of year. Liked the look of the hotel Signum at Malfa seemed like a great place to relax. All in all it was a beautiful day which went like clockwork.
22 May Went to the excellent museum at 9am which displayed things found on the Aeolian islands dating back to Neolithic times (back to 5000BC) on the oldest volcanic islands including imports financed by trade in glass flints with Campania in the Naples area. Trade encompassed the Adriatic coast and even Palestine. You can trace development from very early pottery through to the influence of other imported styles stretching to beautiful Etruscan ware. Also displayed was painted pottery from Lipari and Cefalu. Much was found in tombs. There were also miniature of masks designed for use in plays like the Seven Old Men illustrating seven distinct characters.
In the afternoon we took a trip to Stromboli with other travellers stopping to walk around Panaria which has been developed by well to do house owners. Stromboli brought back memories of the smaller island of Strombolicchio which we passed by sail on our delivery trips to Greece. A not very exciting meal followed by unattractive beaches of black sand (not stone as expected). On re-boarding we went round Strombolicchio and then to the north west of the island where lava scree falls away into the sea and watched the periodic bursts of activity. The Roman Candle was a damp squid for a steel industry man like me but impressive enough as a natural phenomena. It has apparently been active for 2000 years much of the eruption being below sea level.
23 May
We took a bus to Quattro Occhi for its superb view over the island of Vulcano and then walked on the coastal path and climbed up to the Quatro Pani. It was a superb walk, sea views, seabirds colonies on off-shore rocks, a huge range of flowers, gorse, yellow cactus and Vipers Blugloss. (Joan always teases me about my poor recognition of flower types and never fails to prompt me on this last one).
Nevertheless the heat was exhausting and the only shop at Quattro Pane was closed leaving us to wait two hours in the sun for the bus back
24 May Not content with the sea view we took a ferry to Volcano and were soon convinced it was somewhere not to be missed. Just over from the port was a hot pool of mud where, under supervision, people bathe and cover themselves with light coloured mud like natives preparing for battle - though it had a more attractive effect on topless, shapely young tourists.
The only real danger is getting it in your eyes, the remedy being to wash it out with clean soft water and bathe them in chamomile tea. Otherwise there are warnings that bathing should be avoided by pregnant or menstruating women or anyone with heart problems.
It was at the end of the day that Joan ventured in on the basis that it might help free her stiff joints (though she over exercised her wrist which was sore for several days). After allowing the mud to bake hard in the sun you finish by bathing in a section of the sea bubbling with gas.
The earlier climb, the most challenging ascent for Joan since her last knee operation, up the mountain was well worth the effort. A very friendly woman indicated the access road, fully developed for cars rather than the footpath indicated on the map.
The path zigzagged up volcano cinders for three quarters of the ascent preparing for a difficult over rutted baked earth to the summit before finally changing to ash and stone again.
The view of il cratero was superb with a vast range of colours in the rock from yellow sulphur through browns and grey to brilliant white. The sulphur vapour made us remember Berestagi Sumatra and think that we aught to leave a lit cigarette on a forked twig as a peace offering to the mountain gods.
At this height you could walk around the crater offering fabulous views in the haze of Lipari, Salina, Aliendi , Panarea and Stromboli as well as the minute mud pool.
Home by return ferry at 20:05 along with Dutch cyclists we had met earlier whilst bathing in the warm shallow sea. That evening we ate at Pizzarette and found it better that Trattoria d'Oro. Joan's Piazza was superb, thin bread crust and lots of tasty filling whilst I had Zuppa di cozze (not quite the equal of Moules Marinier in France) and excellent lasagna.
We also returned to the Sicily proper the next day by the same large Ferry for half the price of the hydrofoil on which we had arrived, a far more pleasant experience.
The large car ferry which connects the islands with the mainland was virtually without cars of lorries, can be seen at the end of this posting- I doubt if it still runs at such a loss.
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| AEOLIAN INTER ISLAND FERRY |
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| FERRY CAR DECK |
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