Southern Italy; Third day, Ischia

The beautiful island of Ischia!

Our next island was Ischia. When we arrived, it seemed gloomy (in fact it was drizzling, and the port is nothing to look at). We took a cab to our hotel Punto Molino Beach Resort and Spa.

The hotel is nice and we got our rooms right away, the weather did not get any better so we went to dine in the hotel restaurant, which was on the outside, but they have a big roof-like structure to cover the eating areas (indoor seating is also available, we chose to eat and gaze at the sea).

The fish

The food was amazing, I got the Branzino (Mediterranean Sea Bass), it was the full fish and they debone it right in front of you. My mother had another fish that was very good and was presented in the same manner as mine. My husband had the fish and my father had the salad bar and soup. Everything was wonderful and fresh. The fish tasted as if it was just caught right out of the sea and cooked.

The fish filleted

After lunch we explored our hotel a bit. The property has thermal pools (one outdoor, one indoor), a small gym, spa, a large regular pool, a small entry to the beach, and a small “forest.” Since it was still drizzling, we changed into bathing suits and went to the indoor thermal pool. It was a very nice experience. The water was very warm, and very pleasant to stay in.

The feast at Osteria del Porco!

The hunt for the perfect dinner spot began, I found a steakhouse with wonderful reviews, Osteria del Porco. It was still drizzling so we took a cab to the port area with the restaurants. My husband and I were ahead of my parents, my father is a complainer and would not walk extra even for better food, so I knew if I turned around and looked at them he would make us go to a different restaurant. I kept my head down and hurried down the pier area to the place I found. As my parents caught up with us we went into the restaurant. The décor is very simple and it can be somewhat empty, but trust me the food is amazing! I even broke my no-beef-eating rule to enjoy the meats there. My husband, father and I split one of the big samplers that was for two people, my mother had the wings. That sampler was big enough for 4, if not 5 people. The meat was very fresh and melt-in your-mouth amazing. Everything was amazing, including the very diverse side plate that came with the meal. We ordered a bottle of wine, and the owner has great taste in music as well (rock). So we even toasted to the host and the restaurant.

The awesome chicken wings

After our very filling meal some other people seemed interested, (I never do this) I encouraged them to enter and have a mouthgasim. The drizzle had stopped so we took a nice walk to our hotel, stopping by the many interesting stores on the way. They gave out free liquor samples (limonchelo mostly), and chocolate in some stores. It was a very nice walk with many stores open (food, dessert, clothing, souvenirs). When we got to our hotel we saw that they had a live singer and piano player (who was also a great singer), so we stopped by before bed.

Castello Aragonese

In the morning we ate in the hotel and the breakfast bar was included with our stay. With an egg making station, lox and any breakfast food you would like. My parents already went to the pools and had a walk in the “forest.”

Closer view of Castello Aragonese

After my husband and I finished breakfast we fast-walked to Castello Aragonese to take some pictures. It was a beautiful day, very warm, sunny and overall perfect weather, the island came alive in the sun! There are many beaches along the way to the castle and many beautiful sites to capture on film. This is the castle that can be seen in the movie “The Talented Mr. Ripley.”