I always thought that the islands are like big ships kept permanently at anchor.
There are many writers who wrote about the Island of Ischia. Truman Capote was one of these. He came at Ischia at the end of 40th. Capote describes a long reportage about Ischia published with the title “L’isola senza tempo” (“Neverending Isle”, on L’Europeo - July 1950). The Green Island is presented mostly wild, very famous in America but really not yet visited. So, Truman Capote came at Ischia - precisely at Forio - during his grand tour in Italy.
And wrote:
“After a sort of discussion, we left Napoli with anguish. It was a wonderful day, perhaps a little cold for those places, for we were in March, but happy and joyful like a kite in the sky and the “Princess” was spinning fast and safe spraying water everywhere like a playful dolphin.
The “Princess” is a little boat, but comfortable, with a tiny and well-stocked bar and above all a clientele that is one of the strangest I’ve seen: convicts to the prison of Procida, or young people who is opening the door of the monastery of Ischia.
Naturally there is common people, too: islanders who went shopping in Naples, for example, and occasionally some foreigner.
I always thought that the islands are like big ships kept permanently at anchor.
Putting your foot on the ship is like to begin climbing the gangway connecting the ship to the mainland: you are immediately taken by a wonderful sense of isolation and it seems that nothing can happen, neither bad nor unpleasant . So when the "Princess" began to see the Porto of Ischia, and as we saw the side, it was beautiful and exciting like listening to the beating of your own heart.
Meanwhile, during the confusion of the landing, the watch fell down and broke.
It was significative: it was immediately clear that Ischia is not a place where it is necessary to have an exact concept of time.
(to be continued)