Road trip: Lipari

Island of Vulcano, Sicily---We have been in Vulcano for about a week. We needed to be here for Marybeth to catch a ferry to get back to the states. We also need to stay here for 2 new crew members to join us for 10 days as we make our way to the next stop: Stromboli.

In the meantime, I have some time to look around so I decided to go on a day-trip and take a ferry to another island.

Lipari (Lip-par-ee) is a part of this cluster of islands off the coast of Sicily called the Eolian Islands. The islands get their name from Aeolus, lord of the winds, who, according to Homer, had his kingdom here. They are all volcanic with black sandy beaches.

Lipari is the largest and most populated island of the group. I wanted to see a complex of churches and the Archeological Museum named “The Castle.” It is a natural fortress visible from all over town because it rises high on a hill with 16th century walls. Six churches and 13 other building make up this area. I found out after the fact that no photos were allowed in the museum so only one is shown of the vases,  but I found their collection to be really interesting, even after all the museums I’ve seen lately!

Lipari has pumice deposits spread over eight square kilometers and is the second resource of the island after tourism, according to an information book I bought in a shop there. Pumice, it goes on to say, has been exploited for its various use in the tanning of hides, in buildings and as a coating and abrasive.  And here I thought it was just for a pedicure!

I enjoyed a great lunch by the water (pasta of course) and then later an afternoon snack of a cappuccino and my first cannoli in Italy, which by the way, was amazing and nothing like any connoli I’ve tasted before!

Five hours in town was enough to get an idea of Lipari and feel like I’d seen something new. I caught the ferry back (only $10 Euro round trip) to Vulcano where I could get a great view of the boat anchored with so many others. I have a European phone so texting Shirish is simple and our best way of communicating. A quick walk back to the beach and a dinghy ride back to the boat. And now, after nearly 5 months plus, it feels like home.