We arrived by ferry to the tourist island of Ischia in the heat of mid morning, walking to find our hotel at the end of the town. It had a 70's vibe and included breakfast as most Italian places do which is weird, as most Italians do the stand up coffee and croissant on the way to work. It has wonderful views and two private swimming areas. We wander down to the deck chairs that are laid out with umbrellas near the rock pool and sun ourselves. After two days of this, the daughter thinks she has a tan line (she is sadly delusional but like every good mother, I agree with her).
We walk to the port in the cool of the evening. The restaurants are plying their trade and eager to outdo each other. We are adamant not to choose the first one and check them all out only to return to number one. The waiter is triumphant and shows us to our seats with a flourish. The free glass of prosecco did the trick, what can I say, we are cheap and we are tourists. It's slightly more expensive than we had planned on but the seafood pasta was fantastic.
The day dawns on the day of my birth . Breakfast is amazing, with a view looking over the Tyrrhenian sea. We feast on creamy sheeps milk ricotta, sweet juicy tomatoes and peasant bread that is amazing. Then we lounge on both beaches and swim in the clear waters .
We are also entertained by a family group that have arrived. Sisters we assume, with their children, mothers and every now and then, a gold laden husband or partner turns up with toys for the kids. Botox, boobs, very long fingernails, diamonds and every day a different minimal bejewelled bikini along with a constant amount of selfies. The daughter stalks them via the hotel and we go through their posts, it's like a reality TV show.
We lunch in the town centre on bruschetta and eggplant fritters and browse the beautiful ceramic shops, amazing coral jewellery and gelaterias. I brought a pair of hand painted tambourine and coral earrings, will now have to be brave enough to wear them.
That evening we eat at the hotel, the sun blushing apricot as it sinks behind us.
The next day, after availing ourselves of all the swimming locations and checking out the daughter's every increasing tan, we walk back into town for a fritto misto lunch of delicate seafood and later that night we had a really interesting gorgonzola and turmeric pasta with thin slivers of zuchinis and their flowers.
Ischia was the holiday from the holiday, we tanned, ate and rested. Our next port of call would be Greece, to meet up with a girlfriend .It would be a whirlwind tour of three islands in 10 days. We're rested and ready for action.
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