On the Island of Procida

Last week John and I took a morning ferry from Naples to the lovely island of Procida (the locals say "PRO-she-duh").

John and I were excited to see our destination appear in the near distance.

When we arrived the landing ramp fell forward on these chains with a thump and we got our first glimpse of the colours of Procida.

Our ferry would continue on to Ischia.

We stepped out onto the waterfront with its harbour of fishing boats.

The architectural jumble of colours and details said summer delight.

We liked the look of the local produce. The restaurant Trattoria Fammivento nearby had been praised in our guidebook. It was noon -- early for lunch in Italy. There was only one other couple seated.

 They were eating bruschetta and it looked so good we sat down and ordered some for ourselves. It was divine!

I was glad that I ordered the spaghetti with clams.

John's hand-made fusilli was dressed with a lemon pesto and tossed with the morning's gamberetti (shrimp). Both plates were delicious with our salads and the icy white wine.

With renewed energy we entered the town along via Vittorio Emmanuele.

and started up the narrow Via Principe Umberto, past intriguing side stairs,

and local altars.

The street really was narrow -- the little trucks and motorcycles on the upward climb left almost no room for pedestrians -- and yet there we were. From a shallow doorway we watched this cyclist rush to beat the delivery truck behind him to the top of the hill!

Side streets along the way offered calm moments and picturesque delights.

Finally we all arrived at the summit -- and the Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie Incoronata

in the Piazza dei Martiri. That's the Sanctuary again in yellow and a view beyond  of the Abbey of Saint Michael the Archangel.

From the other side of the piazza we looked down on the pastel architecture of the Marina Corricella neighbourhood.

We had come to Procida to see if there might be a reason to spend a few weeks here. It looks like a longer stay could be very rewarding.

Randomly we wandered up Via Principessa Margherita and found still more eccentric, colourful buildings

and mysterious alleys.

We came to an abrupt end on the lookout over a secluded beach. Still more to explore!

Rather than descending the steep stairs we retraced our steps

 to the harbour and caught our ferry back to Naples.  

We were treated to a crisp view of Vesuvius as we approached the mainland.  We could easily return to Procida for a longer stay. John and I have long wanted an Italian vacation by the water. This could be the perfect place.