September 25, 2026

Stolen Phone. Stolen Excitement. And the Restoration of the Island.

Ischia, Italy

Such a bummer to have a bad luck event happen right before traveling to a small Italian island. I know. I need to let it go and have the best time on this amazing little island. It does not help that this small hotel building, owned by a brother and sister, has the hardest mattress I have ever slept on. Eric just re-engineered what we could with extra pillows and laying the blankets from the closet under the sheets. I am trying to be confident, but I am not so hopeful that the second night will be better. 

We did the best possible thing today. We had the kids work on school first, and then we walked to the local town and beach area. It was simple. Delightful. 

And yet, I can’t stop thinking about it. The guy who stole my phone and is in Milan sitting at an apartment we can see through Find My. It really is fine because Eric and the kids immediately knew what to do. They marked it as lost. They reported it stolen to our carrier. They erased it remotely. Everything was fine. Now I just need to work on being fine.

Through each of the days this week, this small island has lived large. We stayed in a small fishing village, San’t Angelo, or Cava Grada, for four nights. Apart from the hard bed, it was quaint, fun, and adventurous. We took the island bus to explore the nearby port town called Forio. There we found a sandy beach and a walk along the coast to find a picturesque restaurant on the water. You must watch carefully for the tiny sign that points to a steep alley (up or down) depending where you are going. All of the good places are through a winding alleyway up or down. We passed by this amazing white church building along the way and I marveled at the beauty and simplicity. These are the God-sightings. The reasons we came. These moments are stopping us in our tracks in moments of awe.

Did I mention the island bus? In order to get on, you must be willing to pack into a sardine can. You will wait all day if you stand back and wait on the next one coming with fewer people. The drivers are like stunt drivers. They careen around the curves, honking their horns at friends, at blind corners, and just for fun, I think. We started riding in front to catch the action. You try to count the stops and then realize they just skipped half a dozen, so the twelfth stop is now! The local little old ladies will chastise you for getting on (or off) through the wrong door, for taking their seat, for taking up too much room. It’s an event.

For the last two nights, we moved to the main port of the island, a town called Ischia port. I researched a castle called Castello Aragonese and I wanted to stay nearby in order to tour it and to marvel at its sheer magnificence. It lived up to my hype in every way. It was started 400 years before Christ. I cannot believe the care over this castle. It takes up an entire island. When you tour it, you plan on 2 hours and you see 25 points of interest. There are indoor and outdoor areas, several churches within it, areas that are now cafes and event spaces, art areas, and perfectly preserved battle rooms. There are gardens and the remains of homes and marketplaces. At dusk, it is stunning. I could go back everyday for a year and find something new each time. 

Tonight, our last night, we set out to wander to our favorite yogurt shop (a novelty over the usual gelato) around 6pm. We had a big lunch and were not quite sure if anyone wanted a real dinner (which would be at 9pm), so yogurt with toppings and syrup was an easy appetizer. Then we walk. Where are we headed? Who knows? We think of something to find or an area to explore and we go. It is all a matter of the carb-o-meter (like the barometer) and the proper shoes. I have found crocs or a solid hiking shoe to be great. Some of us have flimsy fake birks too and those will suffice for 10,000, but for the daily dose of 16,000 steps, you need a little more.

In the end, tonight, we ended up in a grocery store, which is brilliantly tucked into a building with only a tiny storefront door … but it goes on for miles. We ordered 30 slices of Napoli salami at the deli, picked up our snacks for the next day (peanuts and random cookies or biscuits have been at the top of the list), and found people deodorant, toothpaste, and super glue. Yes, I asked too. Super glue? 

It is to glue a sunglasses nosepiece firmly into position. 

And then, we debated bus or walk for the 1 mile home and decided to walk. As soon as we were at the staircase alleyway that leads up to the hill where our hotel sits, we turned the kids loose with the room key and said we would see them in an hour (or two). There was the very cutest enoteca / cafe on the corner. It was playing the obligatory 80s pop and power ballads (but acoustic versions and not too loud), it had seating outside on a quiet corner, and it had red wine. This has been a unique time when Eric can drink wine and I can eat gluten. These are things we would never dare in the states. 

We had our wine, our bread, gave thanks for the day, and sat in the community of others for an hour. Or two.