Ischia, Italy - A Honeymoon Paradise

Ischia, an island off the coast of Naples, in Italy is the home of my ancestors and husband -- and it happens to be a romantic destination for a honeymoon. My college roommate Lisa and her new husband Adam spent their honeymoon on a European cruise that brought them to Ischia for a few hours on Saturday -- and I happened to be available to serve as tour guide.

The cruise docked in the middle of the ocean, and I watched as couples -- from newlyweds to those who must have been married for 40 years or more -- were brought in little boats from the ship to Ischia Ponte, the oldest town on the island. This is where you'll find Castello Aragonese, which had been used for everything from a fortress to a prison to a love shack for royalty and is connected to the island by a "ponte" or "bridge". You are also likely to find fishermen dragging buckets through the ocean to pick up fresh octopus. Restaurants and little shops that sell everything from limoncello, the island's signature after-dinner drink, and hand-painted ceramics line the main street leading up to Castello Aragonese. Some natives take a dip in the ocean at a nearby strip of beach.

Lisa and Adam were at the tail end of their honeymoon cruise when they arrived, and they wanted to spend the day as a native would. So, I had them walk from Ischia Ponte to Ischia Porto, the capital of the island, where you can find more shops and restaurants and the San Pietro beach. There, we stopped for espresso before turning back to Ischia Ponte, where we ate a typical island meal of sauteed fresh clams and muscles and four pasta dishes -- linguine with clams and zucchini, spaghetti with tuna, gnocchi, and tubetti with muscles and pecorino cheese. Lisa and Adam said the food and the day were delicious -- just as a honeymoon should be.

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