Is-key-yuh...

After something like 12 hours of sound sleep (in air conditioning!!!) Matthew and I were ready for a lazy day at the beach. Mrs. T had recommended that we visit the island of Ischia. She left perfectly detailed instructions on how to find the ferry and buy our tickets, and she graciously provided us with beach towels and gear for fun in the sun. We got a late start that morning, but managed to make the mid-day ferry after assistance from some friendly locals. (Regrettably, thanks to the not-so-friendly ticket man, we paid for 3 round trips instead of only 2. Oh well. Maybe we should have brushed up on our Italian language skills before the trip.) The ferry ride was quite pleasant and gave us great views of the port and other surrounding islands.

Pulling into Ischia's main port, we passed this pretty light house. Warning: We saw several lighthouses during our time in Italy, and I thought they were enchanting. So there will probably be more pictures of them. Someday I'd love to live near one.

Unfortunately, it took us FOREVER to finally get settled in our beach chairs on the far side of the island. We had a mishap, getting off the bus a few stops too early, and then having to wait in the blistering sun for the next bus to come by. Needless to say, I jumped immediately into the Mediterranean once we found our oasis. (The sand was beyond hot, and we tried to tough it out on our towels, but we caved. Those loungers and umbrella were the best 10 euros spent all day.)

Matt thought the above picture of him was unflattering, so he insisted I include one of myself. Fair enough. Side note: I spared you readers from the most unfavorable shots of our fellow beach goers. To their credit, most of them were wearing tops, and the speedos weren't entirely outrageous. In a weird way, I kind of respect how confident they were, with all body types strutting their stuff in teeny weeny bikinis. I feel as if no one is really trying to show off on European beaches like they do in America. I don't know, it's just a different dynamic.

Our view for the day. The water was a refreshing temperature and surprisingly clear. We enjoyed our spot on the beach so much, that we didn't move from it. We had intended to see more of the island, including some places where The Talented Mr. Ripley was filmed. But, we were too lazy, and I was content being entertained with the Princess Diana biography I bought at a village fair for 10 pence. It was exactly the type of day Matthew and I had been looking forward to since he finished his thesis work.

Slightly burned and salty (but loving it), it was time to catch our bus and then our ferry back to Pozzuoli. A nice British woman (yes, although rare, they do exist) took our picture for us.

I can't remember which island this was, but we saw it from the ferry. I dare say I thought these Italian islands were more attractive than the Greek ones we visited. They seemed more colorful, lush, and tropical.

It would appear that I am obsessed with sunset pictures now. Funny how my point of fixation has changed over the past few months. Doors, lamp posts, flowers, sunsets, and...

... lighthouses! I can't help it. All those things are just so darn photogenic.

Another photo-worthy ending to a memorable day.

That night, we picked up take away pizzas for dinner. Happily surprised, we paid less than 7 euros for two giant, delicious, handmade pizzas! Naples is considered the birthplace of pizza, which probably attributes to the vast supply and low cost. (Comparing the purchasing power of the euro to that of the pound made us enthusiastic to return to dollars. And since we've been back in America, it is truly remarkable to see how much we can buy for how little. Gas, cosmetics, and groceries are particularly cheap and available in comparison to what we grew accustomed to in Europe.)

As I said previously, each day spent in Italy was better than the one before. Our lazy day at the beach was followed by a self-guided tour up and down the Amalfi Coast. Looking forward to sharing Sorrento, Amalfi, and Positano with you on my next post! Ciao.