There were forecasts for rain for this afternoon so we played it safe and stayed on the island of Lipari rather than visiting another island and risk getting stuck if the boats stopped running.
We took a local bus around the island past the city of Quattrocchi where there are great views of the neighboring island of Vulcano, and got off at the last stop in Quattropani (where there was a view of another island, Salina). From there, we took a 5k walk to the next town of Acquacalda. The landscape was very varied, but there was no hiking trail. Therefore, we had to walk on the main road which took away from the experience a bit.
It was pretty clear why we were the only tourists in Acquacalda, since there is not much there. I am surprised it actually is listed on the map as a "major" town. It was so "major" that we couldn't even find the bus stop back to Lipari - or anyone to ask where it was. So, we had to walk another 6k back to Canneto, the town where we spent the day yesterday. The second half of our hike was actually more interesting - better views of the water and we practically walked through a pumice quarry.
Not having planned to hike this far, we stopped at the Spiaggia Bianca before reaching Canneto because we were starving. We had lunch at a very tropical beach area and relaxed in the sun some more. We've been finding a lot of sea glass at every beach we've been to on this trip, and we added significantly to our collection this afternoon. Shortly thereafter we were back on the road toward Lipari. Luckily, a bus drove by and we were able to save our feet what would have been another 3k on top of what we'd already done earlier. Back in town, we walked up to the citadel - the upper part of Lipari that has fortified walls surrounding it (protection from attacks). There was a pretty interesting archeological museum (we were the only people there), two cathedrals and a cloister, and an amphitheater. The best part was that we were able to walk on the city walls to get great views of the city. After checking out that area, we stopped at a local fruit/vegetable stand to get some things for dinner. We prepared some pasta, vegetables, and a salad for dinner and we had our first home-cooked meal in weeks. Out for dessert, and back home for the night!
Tomorrow, we plan to head to Stromboli where we'll be able to see lava spewing from the top of the volcano at night. Should be pretty cool!
Gelato Gusti per il Giorno:
Mike - Vaniglia e Pistacchio (vanilla and pistacchio)
Aviva = Another day off (I was too thirsty for gelato...Mike sees this as a sign of weakness)
PS: Does anyone know why the vendors at fruit/vegetable stands totally invade your personal space while you're shopping? The guy at the store today hovered over us so closely while we were shopping today that he was practically in my shoes! I can't figure out if they think they are being helpful or if they just don't trust tourists. As far as I'm concerned, it ruins my shopping experience.
Scott says to make sure you never touch the fruit. Finn like's the pictures of "my mike". Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteoh Aviva, I am a seaglass addict!! I've wanted to go to Ft. Bragg, (Glass Beach) just north of where you used to live! Have you ever been there? Please bring me a piece of seaglass from an Italian beach!!
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of relatives in Italy, with the majority being in Rome. My cousin Layla is an architect and lives in Rome. She is a sweetheart and would love to show you around and tell you where to find the best places to eat and shop. I know your stay in Rome is a long way off but I thought I would mention it now. Keep having a blast and blogging about it. It is so enjoyable for us to read and look at your beautiful pictures.