Trains, Planes, Automobiles and Boats

 

We drove to Venice, caught a plane to Palermo (Sicily), two trains to get to Milazzo, and a boat to Lipari in the Aeolian Islands. It took a while but it was worth it.  Lipari is an island set back in time.  As a UNESCO island, there can be no new building.  So this island is a piece of history and will be preserved as a sparsely populated (only 13,000 full time residents) oasis.

The train from Palermo to Milazzo took almost 3 hours.  As a commuter train, it stopped at every village.  The rail line ran right next to the sea.  It was a great view.  We could see our island get-away in the distance.

The ferry is the only way to get to Lipari and the other Aeolian Islands.  The ferries run every few hour throughout the day. As volcanic islands there is really no flat space for an air strip. Characteristic of volcanic  islands, Lipari is several steep mountains covered with vegetation.  They do produce wine but the main income is from tourism.

We are staying in the hills in an authentic apartment that is part of a family estate. Our views are spectacular. Our host, voluntarily, has been our personal tour guide.  He and his wife have shuttled us around the island, prepared pasta for us,  arranged tours, recommended restaurants, and showed us the bus system. He is a native of Lipari.  His wife is French Canadian. They are so nice and helpful.  We feel like we are part of their family.  It's the Sicilian way.  

This is the view from our kitchen table.

 

The main town is ancient. Cobblestone streets, quaint streets, old churches, and an archeological museum that has artifacts from pre-historic times.  Of course everything is built on top of a hill.  That is the way in all of Italy...steep steps and uphill climbs.

We haven't let the cloudy weather and rain dampen our outlook or our shear delight of being on another island. It's so gorgeous and the people a so friendly that we feel right at home.