Adopting the Italian Lifestyle?

Adventure. Unique, out-of-the-box experience. Sightseeing. Exploring a new country. Quality family time. Rest and relaxation. These are all different reasons family and friends have come to visit us on Sabática. Some have even come just for our company. 🙂

Our most recent guests included my brother, Lon, my sister-in-law, Nicole, and our cousin, Jon. All hail from Texas. Prior to their arrival, they had spent many long days walking and seeing sites in Portugal and Rome. By the time they met us on the island of Ischia in the Gulf of Naples, they were ready for some rest and relaxation. As foodies, they were also excited to enjoy some great Italian food and wine. The Gulf of Naples and Amalfi Coast provided the perfect locale! 

We spent the first afternoon just relaxing and chatting on the docked boat, appreciating the cool breeze and beautiful sunset in Casamicciola.

Our second day was a Saturday and was spent anchored in the bay near Sant’Angelo on the south side of Ischia. The bay was flooded with local Italians and their speedboats just out for the sunny day. It was way too crowded for Conor to feel comfortable leaving Sabática and taking the dinghy into town. So, we enjoyed sunbathing, listening to music, chatting, lunch and drinks, all while taking in the main event of the day – people watching! We were living like locals and got a kick out of watching the Italian family dynamics (and making up stories to match what we saw!). It was also a growth day for Conor getting used to being anchored so incredibly close to other boats. Once the crowds left in the evening, we headed into town for dinner.

The next day was our time to cross the busy Bay of Naples to Sorrento and enjoy the town. Jon had received a recommendation for a cliffside hotel where we headed for a fancy aperitivo and a fabulous view.

The following day allowed for a smooth cruise all along the stunning Amalfi Coast to Salerno. We had a fabulous anchoring stop for lunch and a swim. I must say – if you ever visit the Amalfi Coast, make sure to get out on a boat! From the towns, you get beautiful views of the ocean, but from the sea you get the full view of the beautiful coastline which includes dramatic green mountains, towns built into them, and caves cut out of them. 

Jon stayed with us for a day beyond Lonny and Nicole, and we had another peaceful cruise down to Agropoli. We also had our first day of ideal conditions to use the screecher, even without engines!

So the days were very relaxed, and the evenings involved fabulous dinners, sometimes preceded by refreshing aperitivos. We ate well. 🙂 We had the best pastas, amazing pizza, the freshest seafood, and delicious local wines everywhere. Because Italians eat so locally, it’s fun to see what the different area specialties are. We can highly recommend all the restaurants we discovered:

• in Casamicciola – Cantinando (I think I had my best pasta dish ever here, the rest of the gang was loving the mussels, they had the most delicious and unique Limoncello Tiramisu and very bizarre digestives made from thyme and arugula (or “rocket” as they call it in Europe)! No one was crazy about those digestives.)
• in Sant’Angelo – Ristorante Deus Neptunus Ischia (More fabulous seafood and pastas, plus a super friendly roaming guitar player who loved us Americans because we paid attention to him and sang with him!)
• in Sorrento – Il Leone Rosso (The Red Lion is a local favorite and this was a repeat visit for us!)
• in Salerno – Salerno Centro Pizza Gourmet (Also a repeat visit for us because the pizzas are fabulous. Huge, unique menu. The arancini here was better than in Sicily!)
• in Agropoli – Vecchio Saracino | Carola 1801 (Absolutely beautifully done restaurant with lots of fresh seafood.)

For Lonny, Nicole and Jon’s visit, we adopted the Italian ideas of “vivere bene” (live well) and “benessere” (wellbeing). Some might say “la dolce vita,” or the sweet life – The Italians would describe this as a lifestyle made up of a unique mix of family, food, nature, art and fun. It’s no wonder that Italy consistently ranks in the top 10 countries in the world with the highest life expectancy. (In contrast, the US is typically only ranked somewhere in the top 50 countries.)

I found an interesting article that describes the key factors that as a whole influence Italian longevity:

1. Strong family ties, including all generations – There is no room for loneliness.
2. Mindfulness – This translates to the slow pace of life, which includes savoring time, especially with people.
3. Food – Their Mediterranean diet is simple, fresh, and whole, and it’s available to all no matter their income level.
4. Moderate drinking – I found this interesting/surprising given wine is so standard here. Apparently in Europe, Italy has some of the lowest levels of alcohol consumption.
5. Movement as a lifestyle – Given how their cities/towns are organized, Italians often walk everywhere, and strolling is a favorite pastime.

As Americans, we can learn a lot from the Italian way of life. There is much value in living more slowly and focusing on benessere (wellbeing). I aim to keep practicing and bring it home with us! 

*Thanks to Lonny, Nicole and Jon for sharing photos!