The Colors of the Coast

Procida was described as a painter’s paradise.  It is an island located across from Naples and is less touched by tourist as its mainland counterpart.  A real fishing village full of families consisting of many generations as present when you stroll down the street or sit for a bite to eat by the water.

Mow and I posing on the side of a cliff with a great view of the island.  Below are the anchorage and fishing boats.  You can see the church we visited and then there is a castle of some sort in the distance we didn’t make it to.  The lighting on the background was perfect.

We arrived there without a hitch.  We left Gaeta early in the morning to try and get a little bit more on schedule and actually had the luck of decent wind.  We actually sailed, not motor sailed, for about an hour.  John had gone down for a nap, and I am proud to say that Jenny and I hoisted the sails almost on our own.  We recognized when the wind was picking up and going in a favorable direction and almost told Dad when it was time to put the sails up.  It felt like quite an accomplishment.  We cut the engine and were going about 7 knots… when the wind died about an hour later.  I mean did a 180, and just plain out died.  So at that point we had to crank up the engine again and motor sail to Procida.  While we were cruising though the greatest rush of excitement came over me, that was what the boat was meant to do.

Dad and Jenny enjoying what we have renamed as a “Gorange” – it’s a blood orange technically, but that sounds so gruesome so because it is similar to a mix between an orange and grapefruit that is what we named it.

Docking even seemed to go off without a hitch.  I am not sure if it was because of the practice we have had at the other ports, or because there were two people and a small boat there to help us, but it went really well and was again another great feeling.

Procida, like the majority of the other Mediterranean cities on the coast of Italy, is located up.  Everything is a climb up a narrow road to get to the good stuff.  So we climbed.  We ended up climbing up one end and ran into a plaza with Santuario della Madonna della Grazie.  A beautiful church overlooking the other side of the island.  The inside was like many of the churches we have seen.  Light and airy with a touch of classical and a touch of modern.  Most of these sea side churches have been restored either as a result of water damage, WWII damage or just old age.  So they seem a little disjointed, but function the same.  One thing I did notice and have noticed along the coast in every church I’ve gone into is how graphic the crucifix has been.  Jesus is also very beat up and bloody and has the look of pain in his face.  There is a lot of red paint and detail that gets the point across without a hitch.  The Virgin Mary is pretty much the same in each church too, a look of terror on her face as she is placed somewhere near her dying son.  This is a very strong Catholic community and it’s shown in the art within the churches.

This is the square with the Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie.  

We strolled down an alleyway in search of food and found the central hub of the fishing network on the island.  It is also where boats have the opportunity to anchor out for a night or two.  This was where we really got to see Procida and the people it’s made up of.  That and why they describe it as a painter’s paradise.  The photos don’t do it justice, but I can try. 

The colors of the buildings were magnificent.

Again… a painter’s paradise.

Everything right down to the meal presentation was colorful and beautiful.  This was a antipasti that John ordered.  We could identify everything from shrimp to octopus, but there was some in-between we couldn’t. 

This was a man I watched repair a fishing net while we were eating our lunch.  It was fun to watch him use whatever that tool was called and to see a net form under his hands.

This is how Italian boys use a basketball.  They use it as a “football” which to all you Americans out there is a soccer ball.  I guess it makes sense?  The all share “ball” in the title.