Lipari - Leaving the best to last (well, almost)

As the end of our travels drew near, we considered leaving Italy for an island experience off the coast of Croatia.  But that was before we had taken the ferry to Lipari, one of the Aeolian islands to the north of Sicily.  

Lipari seduced us, as did all the Aeolian islands.

Originally we had booked an apartment for a week, but after a couple of days, we knew that wouldn't be enough.

Was it the sea views from our apartment at SeaRose on via Madelena, 

with days spent idly lounging on the outdoor sofa, while ferries and fishing boats and yachts glided by?

Or the delicious gelato eaten in a brioche bun for some very Sicilian breakfasts?

Or was it the lunches of freshly caught swordfish served with succulent caponata,

followed by a glass of Malvasia, the dessert wine that has been produced on these islands for centuries?

Yes, yes, and yes!  It was for all those reasons that we stayed, and stayed, and stayed.  In the end, we spent almost a month on Lipari and loved every second, and every mouthful!

To work up an appetite for our lavish lunches, we explored many of the walking paths on Lipari.

Sometimes the paths resembled dry creek beds that tumbled steeply down to the sea, guaranteeing spectacular views, and some rather stressful strolls.  But we burned those calories!

We also enjoyed island hopping using the local ferries to take day trips some of the other six Aeolian islands.

Filicudi is the smallest and sleepiest of the islands.

It took a couple of hours to get there on the local ferry, leaving us just enough time to grab a taxi to the other side of the island for a quick lunch at the Hotel Sirena, before catching the last ferry back to Lipari.  We were the only customers.  Picture post-card perfect.

For many visitors, a night climb up the volcanic island of Stromboli is a must-do.  But for us, after walking up to the crater on Vulcano, our curiosity about getting up close to lava flows and volcanic activity was completely satisfied.

 Not even the thermal mud pools tempted us to linger for very long.

We preferred Salina, one of the more popular islands which is considered the most beautiful.  It was much greener and cooler than Vulcano.

The island of Salina hosts a small museum detailing the history of immigration from the Aeolian islands to Australia and the USA.  Although it is mostly closed during the off-season, we were fortunate to book a visit through the Commune.  

The woman who took us on our private tour explained that around the end of the 19th century, when the grapes used to produce the famous Malvasia wine failed, many of the islanders left.  

While our tour-guide's family had immigrated to Melbourne, most of the Aeolians who went to Australia settled around the inner-west Sydney suburb of Leichhardt, an area we know very well, having lived there and in neighbouring suburbs over many years.

After learning more about the connection between Leichhardt and the Aeolian islands, we felt even more at home on Lipari.  So, it was only mildly surprising when a local fruit-stall owner enthusiastically welcomed us as locals...from the eighth Aeolian island - Australia!

Leaving as 'almost locals', we took many wonderful memories with us.  And like many Aeolians who have left their islands for distant shores, we too will return one day.

E adesso l'ultima fermata in Italia, Novello e poi, Milano.

Where we stayed:

Villa SeaRose 

via Maddalena 90

LIPARI

Apartment Panarea - a 1 bedroom apartment with a wonderful terrace.

Apartment Filicudi - a studio apartment with the best view.

Reviews of SeaRose apartments CLICK HERE

The vivacious Alessia manages these charming apartments for Luciana, and her daughter, Nicole. Although small, with only basic kitchen equipment, the apartments are just gorgeous.  Perhaps in summer, when every apartment is fully occupied it wouldn't be quite as relaxing, but for us it was a dream come true.  Honestly we wouldn't think of staying anywhere else.  The kind hospitality offered by Alessia and Luciana was one of the highlights of our stay.

Where we walked:

Suggested walks on Lipari  CLICK HERE.

More ideas for what to do on Lipari CLICK HERE

To read more about immigration from these islands to Australia CLICK HERE.

Avoiding queues in Rome

A week before Easter we returned to Rome to begin the next stage of our slow journey home.  We had planned a week here, before going on to Naples and eventually to Sicily, a region of Italy that almost every Italian we've ever met has directed us to visit, so we dare not ignore this advice.

But first to Rome.  We decided not to try and do it all as we've been to Rome in the past.  Instead we had only one must-see on our sightseeing list - the Sistine Chapel, as neither of us had managed to organise a visit there on previous trips.  

On our first day we wandered along the Tiber from Trastevere to the Vatican.  The six deep queue encircling the enormous piazza in front of St Peter's stopped us in our tracks.  We quickly abandoned plans to pop in for a quick visit.  On we walked to the Vatican Museums.  But there we found that the queues were even longer. We had been under the misapprehension that we were visiting Rome in the "off season", but in Rome there really isn't a quiet time to see the most spectacular sights.  So we made a plan to avoid the queues.

Beating the queues.  7.30am at St Peters.

St Peter's opens from 7am to 7pm everyday from April until September.  So later in the week, on a chilly, but beautifully sunny morning, we got up early and arrived there just after 7.30am.  After a five minute wait we proceeded through security and walked straight into the magnificent basilica.

We discovered that this is when the real church business happens.  All the small chapels and side altars were occupied.  Mass was being said in so many different languages that we lost count of them.  Not only were there groups of pilgrims from around the world, but there were also well-dressed Italian families attending anniversary Masses to remember their deceased family members.  And there was the touching sight of an elderly priest celebrating Mass alone, until a young nun stepped up to ask if she could join him in prayer.  

Meanwhile in the centre of the cathedral the cleaners were hard at work polishing and preparing the altar for Holy Week.

By 9am the cranes and cleaners had packed up, the groups of pilgrims had finished their prayers and the ropes cordoning off the side chapels, and Michaelangelo's Pieta, had been taken down.  As we left the basilica, the quiet hush of the business part of the day was coming to a close.

Outside we saw that a long queue had already formed and was snaking halfway round the piazza.  Feeling hungry as we'd skipped breakfast, we then congratulated ourselves with a cappuccino and a cornetto crema in a nearby bar, following one of the healthy eating rules taught to Italian children - remember, sweets only for breakfast.  

Then it was off to see the Sistine Chapel where beating the queues was even easier.  

Rather than stand out in the sun for three or four hours, we simply booked on line. The ticket allows entry at a specified time so there's no need to queue.   CLICK HERE for more information.

As we walked past block after block of people waiting, we were puzzled as to why so few took the online option.  Hard copies of tickets are not necessary, so a screenshot on the ipad with the barcode of the receipt was all that we needed to show before we were issued tickets at the empty counter.  It was only 4 euros extra for each ticket to 'skip the queues', and in our opinion, it was the best value of anything we did in Rome.  

Inside the Vatican Museum there is no way to beat the queue to see the Sistine Chapel, but as individual visitors we wove our way through the tour groups and eventually joined the throng milling about in the chapel.  It was much larger and brighter than either of us expected.  Spectacular and well worth visiting, but no pictures to see here as they are forbidden, although that didn't stop others from clicking away, and then being hounded by security.

The rest of the Vatican Museum was also memorable.  It would be very easy to spend a day there and not see everything.  After a long day of sightseeing I had only one thing on my mind when we left the Vatican.  Gelato, of course.

Our apartment was conveniently located just down the street from Fior di Luna, one of the best gelaterias in Rome.  From behind freshly whipped tubs of delicious looking gelato, Luca explained why they only serve their gelato in cups.

Fior di Luna produce their gelato without any additives.  It has a dense texture due to the lower ratio of air whipped into the milk during production so the soft consistency makes it unsuitable for scooping into a cone.  Plus, Luca added, a cone would detract from the pure flavour of the gelato.

Taste test summary
On Luca's recommendation I chose the flavour of the day, Duetto.  It was a combination of pistachio and hazelnuts with a thread of chocolate swirled through the gelato.  For my second scoop I had to try their version of Nocciola as it has become my standard.  Both scoops were studded with nuts.  I love any gelato with an added crunch of nuts, and the crisp shards of chocolate, well that was just "icing on the gelato"!  Although the flavours were strong it wasn't an overly rich gelato.  I prefer my gelato not too creamy, so while dense in flavour and texture it didn't have a 'fatty' feel in the mouth. But I did miss the experience of eating from a cone.

Gelati ranking *****
Very, very, very good.   I'm sounding very professional these days, don't you think?  Must be my two years of practice.

Fior di Luna is a tiny shop which you could easily walk past in the early afternoon, but by 4pm it's easy to find.  Just join the end of the queue. Yes, the queue will be out the door, though the wait will not be nearly so long as for St Peter's or the Vatican Museums.  Or you can skip the queue by visiting between 2 and 4pm in the afternoon when most Romans are recovering from lunch.  

Fior di Luna
via della Lungarina, 96
Trastevere, Roma
Open from 11.30am till midnight in the summer.

Più avventure romane a venire.  

Mantova for a weekend?

Traditionally, the last weekend in August is when the Milanese stream back into the city after their summer holidays at the beach.  But as we had returned a couple of weeks previously, we decided to make our own "end of summer tradition" by catching a Friday evening train to Mantova (known as Mantua in English).  
So where is Mantova?
Like Milan, it is in the province of Lombardy, but in the southern corner, so it's closer to Verona and Parma.  Only two hours from Milan by train, we hoped it would be the perfect place to celebrate the last weekend of summer.

Map from www.eurovacanza.it

As we dragged our little wheelie bags along the rather ordinary streets from the station, it crossed my mind that we knew very little about this city.  Our decision to spend the weekend there was based on a brief mention in the Lonely Planet guide which recommended Mantova as, "a city in which to experience an unchanging slice of Lombard life".
Our first impressions were not good.  Perhaps we'd made a mistake?

As we got closer to the centre, we came across one of the many piazzas in Mantova.  The place was buzzing with the evening "passeggiata" in full swing. 

Everywhere people were catching up with friends, chatting about their holidays, stopping for a leisurely aperitivo, or slowly cycling through the crowds of window shoppers strolling along the cobblestone streets.  My doubts about our weekend quickly vanished.  

Here's why we loved Mantova. 

Bikes, bikes and more bikes.  
Most of the old city has no traffic, making it perfect for walking and cycling.  Mantova is a city of cyclists of all shapes and ages.  Everyone rides everywhere.  Joining them was easy as we hired bikes from one of the rental shops in the centre.  So we spent Saturday exploring the network of cycle paths extending in all directions from the city, around the lakes and into the countryside.  

Beautiful lakes.

Although this little city is a long way from the sea, Mantova is almost surrounded by water.  It is in the middle of three artifical lakes, Lago Superiore, Lago di Mezzo and Lago Inferiore, which were created as part of the city's defence system in the 12th century.  These days they provide the Mantovese with endless opportunities for swimming, fishing and boating, as well as making it a picturesque area for cycling.  And as you can see, the riding was easy as the countryside is completely flat!

Fabulous food.

When I mentioned our plans to visit Mantova to my friend Nicoletta, she replied with great excitement:

"Ottima scelta!  Il cibo a Mantova e' buonissimo!"

Nicoletta knows her food and she was right.  

There's nothing like a ride through fields of rice and corn to develop an appetite.  We set out under bright blue skies in the direction of a small town, Soave, about 10 kilometres from Mantova. We hoped to find a restaurant, or bar, where we could enjoy a relaxing lunch stop.  It's been our experience that even in the tiniest of villages, it is possible to find a really good restaurant in Italy and once again, we did.  

At Trattoria La Stelle we were welcomed with a glass of deliciously chilled prosecco whilst being seated in the shady courtyard.  Such a friendly welcome doesn't happen in every Italian restaurant, but when it does, especially on a warm summer's day after clambering off a bike feeling a little sticky and grubby, it's enough for me to immediately declare the meal, sensational.  Even without the welcoming bubbles, I think we would have raved about our meal at Trattoria La Stelle.  A fresh garden salad, followed by generous plates of homemade tagliatelle with duck ragu and pumpkin tortelli left us with no room for dessert.  But we didn't leave without a sweet fix as the young chef gave us a traditional Mantovese cake Sbrisolona to enjoy later with coffee. 

Although we were tempted to find a cool spot for an after lunch nap, we managed to get back on the bikes and meander along the irrigation canals, returning to town eventually.  By the time we arrived in piazza Broletto, I'd convinced Stefano that we needed a cooling gelato.  Can you guess which local speciality caught his eye at Gelateria Loggetta?

A grand palace

The following day we set out to explore more of Mantova by foot.  The city was ruled for many centuries by the Gonzaga family who built the magnificent Ducal Palace over a period of 300 years, from the 13th to the 16th centuries.  Although this extensive complex of buildings is mostly empty, the frescos and stunning rooftop garden have been restored making it worth spending a couple of hours wandering through its cavernous halls.  

The scaffolding framing, or covering, many of the buildings in Mantova puzzled us, but a quick search on google explained their significance.  On the 20th May, 2012 northern Italy was hit by an earthquake with the centre located not far from Mantova.  As a result, the Ducal Palace and many other buildings have developed structural cracks which are gradually being repaired.  Although the scaffolding is slightly distracting, it didn't dampen our enthusiasm for this lovely city.  

And a medieval festival!

Topping off our wonderful weekend in Mantova was a medieval festival. It was held on the grassy common between the lake and the palace, and just in front of the apartment where we stayed.  Hundreds of folk dressed in long flowing robes, shiny chain mail and assorted headdresses engaged in sword fights, archery contests, mock duels and all sorts of medieval pastimes. 

Every summer, Mantova holds several popular medieval festivals with participants coming from all over Europe.  But that's not the only event in this social town.  While we were there, they were setting up for the annual Literature Festival which will be followed by a Bike Festival at the end of September.  There's so much to see and do in Mantova, but there's only so much that you can do in a weekend.  I'm sure we will return.  

Martina e Regina, grazie per dite ciao la sera altra.  Molto piace di conoscerti, finalmente.
Settimana prossima andiamo a Rapallo e speriamo che il soggiorno tempo bella.

Where we stayed:

We stayed in a comfortable one bedroom apartment which is privately managed. It was spotlessly clean and in a great location.  For the price of 75Euros, we thought it was excellent value.  Melina and her husband were very kind and helpful.  You can contact them by email HERE.

Where we ate:

Trattoria La Stella

via della Liberta

Soave, di Porto Mantovano

Where we ate gelato:

Gelateria Loggetta

Taste test summary

The  nocciola was really good but the lambrusco, according to Stefano, was just okay.  Wish I'd read the noticeboard more closely as I like the sound of the speciality of the day - gelato alla sbrosolona con crocanti al cioccolato.  This foolish oversight has prompted a new gelato ultimatum.  ALWAYS try the specialita del giorno.  

Gelato ranking *** 

Possibly didn't taste their best flavours.
Try it here
Piazza Broletto 12, Mantova

If you'd like to read more about Mantova click HERE.