This is my final spot to spend a few days. The tiny municipality and small coastal village is known for its natural beauty and its literary and musical residents. Among its more well known residents is Richard Branson, the Virgin Records mogul, and Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame. With its tiny population of 620 it is quiet and very manageable. It’s easy to see the appeal because of the stunning topography, foliage, and stone structures. The only negative that is easily identified is the roads. They are so narrow and winding that if you miss your turn, it won’t be easy to turn around. It could take several miles to make the correction. That’s a small price to pay to be able to spend some time here.
Map showing the Deia area and location on the north coast..The walk up to my temporary home in Deia, La Residencia.Some of the gardens on the property which are peppered with art sculptures.View of the the main pool area at La Residencia with the small town of Deia in the background.Breakfast by the pool.Street scene in Deia.Great little Spanish restaurant just across the street from La Residencia.Local beach scene where I was to pick up a catamaran for the afternoon. It is the vessel on the right.Another angle of the same beach.Mallorca northern coastline as seen from the boat.The restaurant on the top of the cliff is the lunch destination. It is almost exclusively accessed from the water.Water level view of the cove where we moored the catamaran.The hike up to some of the best paella on the planet.The view in the opposite direction and the only road in. Primarily the narrow road is used by the family who lives here and owns and operates this establishment.Arial view of the same cove. Not quite at the restaurant yet.View from my table. Even if the food was marginal, it would have been great dining here. Take a look at this. Here it is very proudly exhibited. He almost needed a third arm to hold it. His smile is akin to a proud new papa with his child. Loaded with a crazy amount of very fresh seafood, this thing killed.The family that owns the establishment lives here. Remember if you are old enough, playing with actual toys and games, not video games. And that Amazon Green in the cage completes the scene.“She’s a man baby.” Austin Powers in The Spy who Shagged me. This beauty was hanging in the lobby of a sushi restaurant I was dining in. Quite an eye catcher, wouldn’t you agree?
Mallorca is located approximately 160 miles south of Barcelona, Spain in the Balearic Sea. Traveling to Mallora I plan to split my time in two locations. The first being the area in the northern portion on the island, Pollenca. This installment is about Pollenca and its nearby environs. Mallorca is vastly different from my last location in Italy. The obvious differences being the food, the attitude of the spaniards, and the fact that there are rules of the road and they are pretty much obeyed. This island is extremely clean, litter free, and unlike a lot of places in Europe, they recycle. The typography is also quite stunning. There are plenty of amazing beaches, as well as mountains rising 4,700 feet above sea level.
Map of Mallorca. You can see the location of Pollenca as indicated by the small quote bubble at the top.My home for 5 nights is the Son Brull Hotel & Spa. It is nestled in vineyards and a citrus grove. The building was originally built as an Arabic farmhouse in the 12th century during Arab rule, before becoming a Jesuit monastery in the 18th century.View of some of the vineyards from the hotel property.Son Brull pool area with vineyards in the background. That veranda in the background is a great place to chill with a cocktail.View from the hotels entry.The main courtyard at the hotel.The nearby beach area at Cala San Vicente. It was a 35 minute e-bike ride away.One of many access points to the water.Snorkeling and floating in the beautiful waters.Beach scene at Cala San Vincente.One more stunning view of the water and rugged coastline. I chose the Can Axartell winery to visit and tour. It’s an old winery with a new main building for performing almost every phase of the wine’s production. The family of the former German cosmetics entrepreneur Hans-Peter Schwarzkopf, an obviously very wealthy family, owns the operation and spared little expense in the construction of the building as you will see in some of the images which follow.German engineering is evidenced all over this place.The bottling area is almost antiseptic in how organized and spotless it is.The vineyards nearby.No low budget operation. Look at this winery’s main structure which is approximately 220,000 square feet. At capacity it is capable of producing approximately 100,000 cases annually. Currently they are producing about 28,000. Pollenca town square area.Unlike the tiny islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea, these locals are connected. This Spaniard is enjoying a cerveza and checking the soccer scores.Flamenco dancer. Love his “Beatle Boots”.This little motorist wouldn’t last 2 minutes on most of the streets in Italy.
24 hours was the perfect length of time to spend in Napoli. During those action packed 24 hours I enjoyed 2 pizzas, a fabulous seafood dinner, some great coffee, the gritty essence of the Napoli Streets, and the Herculaneum UNESCO site. Basically, the Herculaneum is similar to its sister city Pompeii, only smaller and less visited. Being just 14 KM from Napoli it’s also a more practical option when pressed for time. Herculaneum was buried in 20 meters of hot ash (approximately 60 feet) at the same time as Pompeii in AD 79 with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The original city dates back to the 6th to the 4th centuries BC. Many of the structures including the wooden portions such as roofs, beams, and doors were all well preserved because the pyroclastic material that covered the city carbonized and thereby preserved nearly everything. Even other organic materials like food were preserved. As of today it is estimated that 75% of the city still remains buried. Unfortunately, the modern Italian cities of Ercolano and Portico lie above on the site, thus precluding any excavation.
Recent multidisciplinary research on the lethal effects of the pyroclastic surges during the eruption showed that in the vicinity of Pompeii and Herculaneum, heat was the main cause of death of people previously thought to have died from suffocation caused by the ash. This study showed that exposure to these surges, measuring at least 250 degrees celsius (482 degrees fahrenheit) even at at distance of 10-15 kilometers from the volcano vent was sufficient enough to cause instant death.
Some of Herculaneum which is surrounded by the modern city. Another view of the excavation.Here is some perspective as far as the depth of the site in relation to the modern city.The courtyard just outside the House of Relief of Telephus. Carbon dating has it being constructed around 25 BC – 25 AD. The thermopolium were public dining and drinking establishments that served hot food and drinks (thus the Greek name.) Look at that countertop, craftsmanship that good lasts millennia. It’s hard to find that today.The bathes were fairly ornate. Mosaic wall in the Hall of the Augustals.These were the actual positions of the unfortunate people who did not flee. They were discovered in 1980 in the port storage vaults near the sea. The area is known as the Barrel Arches. Approximately 300 human skeletons have thus far been found. Also found were their valuables like jewels, necklaces, and coins.The end.Streets around my B & B in Napoli. This was one of the more litter-free streets. I can’t even spot an overflowing dumpster. This being Italy also means very few rules of the road. The cars and scooters seem to flow in a largely chaotic pattern.Museum oasis in the B & B I booked. This place was in a 4 floor walk-up. It was quite like living in a museum. Another shot of the living room.Eclectic for sure.The 350 year old original living room ceiling. You can see where some restoration has been done.
Ponza was another awesome little island stop-over. Its population is only 3,400 people. During the 1950s and 1960s it played host to such celebrities as Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Burt Lancaster,and Sophia Loren, just to name a few. For movie buffs, Fellini’s Satyricon was filmed here in 1969. The local economy is in a downward spiral because of the severe restrictions on commercial fishing. Most of the children born here grow up only to move away and never return. There are also some beautiful grottos just a short sail from Ponza.
Map of the area with Ponza (Ponziane) to the left of the red dot.It looks as though Kenny has a big one, on the line that is. He struggled and fought for over 25 minutes trying to land it.After the 25 minute fight Kenny eventually reeled in his catch, a garbage bag. He was nonetheless proud. At least he is doing his part to clean up the oceans. On the positive side, the bag did offer up a good fight.Sailing into Ponza in the late afternoon.Another image of the little port. We had to moor for the evening and use the dingy as our shuttle to the island.The marina scene. Beautiful scene with a catamaran sailing into the sunset.Early morning vista of the cliffside hotels and villas.Captain Antonio sailed to this beautiful location for a few hours of swimming and relaxation amongst the grottos.The waters were absolutely amazing surrounding the grottos. Another image of this very special spot.Pictured here is one of the grottos we could swim through. The water color changed dramatically from deep blue to pastel green.And of course the gelato boat. These smiling purveyors of fantastic gelato and the like were really in good spirits. And why not? They spend their afternoon motoring from one boat to the next, and with the temps in the low 90s fahrenheit everyone is indulging no matter what the cost. Finally the real (reel) deal. Nice ahi tuna. Just look at the proud smiles Kenny and Antonio are sporting. Obviously, the tuna had nothing to smile about.
This fairly idyllic island was the next destination on our itinerary. This is a tiny island both in size (381 acres), and population (751 people in 2017). We sailed into our slip and tied up in the afternoon and spent a leisurely evening here just walking, dining, and shopping for local foods for our following day’s sail on the boat. This island most definitely felt like the scene from a time long past. The island probably hasn’t changed much since the days when electricity was first introduced.
Map of the area with Ventotene to the left of the red dot.Sailing into our evening port we were welcomed by this old lighthouse.This image sees us safely tied up for the night. The restaurant at the end of this little marina was to be our dining spot for dinner. An image of our sleuth from our dining spot.Typical street on the island. Most streets are pedestrian only, with only an occasional bicycle.The prison via libera alle visite al carcere borbonico sull’isola Di Santo Stefano. It was used to incarcerate political prisoners in the 18th and 19th centuries. It hasn’t been used as a prison for well over a century. The prison is the only structure on it’s island which is about 2 miles from Ventotene. Pictured above is the only piazza on the island. The kids are enjoying an early evening competition with this dog for the ball. Notice that not one person is on a device or cell phone.Score two for the dog. Even though the boys out-numbered the dog, while I was watching the dog decidedly won time of possession. And this woman thought she could do better, but the animal totally humiliated her as well. After being beaten badly by the dog, she retreated back to her bench for a cigarette.Typical sales person selling tee shirts near the piazza. Here she is holding one up for my consideration. Even though I wasn’t interested in buying, I couldn’t resist and purchased a few. What an infectious smile. And of course her Italian was flawless.To the beach for a morning swim. As can be seen, there are no crowds here, even on this very warm day.Another perspective of the site of my morning swim.Setting sail to our next destination Isola di Ponza.Check out this dish. Not our lovely chef Linda, but the apricot pie she just whipped up from some local apricots (which she had hand picked from the trees) as part of our lunch while sailing to our next island destination.The captain’s lower bridge is where all the navigation takes place. The sailboat is equipped with auto-pilot and cruise control. This allows Captain Antonio time to relax most of the time we are actually sailing.
A friend of mine chartered a sailboat in order to sail around some of the small islands off Italy’s southern coast for 7 days. I was invited and accepted the invitation in about 4 seconds. It was truly an experience I will repeat someday. From the tiny ports where we found a slip for the night, to the very amazing people and food at every stop, this was a very unique experience. It is important to note although this is the summer season, these little islands we are visiting do not have many tourists, and any tourists here are almost exclusively from mainland Italy. For seven days I did not hear any language being spoken other than Italian. Typically we would sail 3-4 hours a day while stopping for a plunge off the boat from time to time, or lunch. Beside the captain and the first mate, the sailboat had a fantastic chef from Palermo, Sicily as well as our onboard personal culinary expert. As you might deduce, the culinary experience here was as much a focus as was the beautiful scenery and water.
Map of the area. If you look you can see the Isola di Ischia, Ventotene, and Ponza to the left of the red dot. These are our destinations.Our sailboat pictured above was about the same size as the SS Minnow from Gilligan’s Island. Here is my cabin in the stern of the boat. Not the Ritz, but perfectly comfortable, even without any room service.Captain Antonio and his First Mate Carla. These two were awesome to sail with. So much so that they quickly became like family, or better yet good friends, as sometimes as some of us know family may not be as good to travel with.The harbor departing Procida. I spent the prior six days on this beautiful island. Once the sailboat was fully provisioned with everything we needed (and some things we did not need) we set sail.As we embark on our seven day odyssey this is an image of Procida from the water.The old walled city in Procida.Burning fossil fuels in a little mid-morning frolic. If you disregard the environmental impact and carbon footprint created by this sort of activity, it appears to be great fun. Since our vessel was almost entirely propelled by the wind I had almost no pangs of guilt for the minimal damage being inflicted on the environment as a result of our voyage.Checkout some of these blowout homes on Ischia. Judging by some of the local water-craft and these palace-like homes there is most definitely some serious cash on this island. This large craft dwarfs all the yachts around it. Much larger than Al Czervik’s (Rodney Dangerfield) in Caddyshack.Little towns and villages dot the Ischia coastline.My buddy Kenny taking the wheel from the captain for a brief stint. Kenny is rarely this serious about anything. But as you can see here, he is completely focused.Coming into Forio, Ischia for the evening. Leisurely stroll on just another evening on the streets of Fornio. That is not a growth on the face of the woman on the left, she has a bite of her sandwich in her month. Reminds me of an old joke with gestures that I shouldn’t describe here.Local procession honoring Patron Saint Vito with the Chiesa del Soccorso in the background. Not only is the Patron Saint Vito the patron saint of actors, comedians, dancers, epileptics, and said to protect against lightening strikes, animal attacks, and oversleeping, he is the protector of this town of Fornio. He has quite a lot of responsibility when you think about it for a moment. It was hard for me to look these guys in the eye knowing we were going to eat them for dinner.The members of local law enforcement are always willing to pose for a picture even if you don’t offer them cash. Pictured here with officer Giuseppe is our boat’s always smiling culinary expert Peggy Peggy.Another coastline perspective of Forio at sunset.
This tiny island (1.6 sq. mi.) is located in the Bay of Naples off the southern coast of Italy. It is home to only 10,000 people. It’s tourist population, which is small consists largely of Italians from the mainland. The mainland is only a 40 minute high-speed ferry away. It is a very romantic place which may explain why it was the location for the 1994 Academy Award winning movie Il Postino (The Postman). The sea surrounding this island is a deep crystalline blue.
The view toward mainland Italy. Although this island is a relatively short ferry, it is a world and time apart. At times it seemed to me that I had been transported back in time to a much simpler and innocent world. This fact was so refreshing that I could well imagine spending more time here.The old walled city. Which contains a palazzo, museum, and several bars. The area I am shooting from has many oceanfront restaurants and bars.View from the walled city. This is without a doubt the most photographed view on the island. Just check Google Images of Procida to confirm. Front street of the ferry port. The entire island is “walk friendly” unless you consider the extreme narrowness and no sidewalks on some of the streets. The other pedestrian hazards are the scooters and motorcycles. Although it appears as that the few stop signs on the island are merely suggestions, and that few other driving rules exist, I did not witness one traffic incident in the 6 days I spent here. Hard to imagine any level of intoxicated driving could end well.Typical street on the island. Notice the ample sidewalks. The other very stark contrast to Naples is the litter free streets here. While Naples had more than its share of litter and overflowing dumpsters, Procida had none.These ebikes are the best way to get around on the island. This was my choice for transportation. The extra wide tires and extended battery packs were completely necessary for both the cobblestone roads and the hills on the island.A typical beach on the island. I had a great swim and soak in the water before I took note that no one else was in the water beyond their ankles. That was because of jellyfish in the water this day. Cala del Pozzo Vecchio, the beach featured in il Postino is very romantic indeed. Besides the beauty, I enjoyed the fact that while I was in the water I wasn’t worried about my cameras and gear on the beach being ripped-off. The primary beachgoers are young local families. Another shot of this very beautiful beach. It is not hard to imagine that this romantic spot plays host to numerous marriage proposals. Just check out this young couple. I shot this image with a 400mm zoom. It appeared as though she was proposing to him, and judging by their smiles he was saying yes in Italian.
