ISCHIA

ISCHIA

There are many types of island: small, large, rocky or sandy; deserted or crowded. Ischia is the island we dream of when thinking about carefree, sunny holidays.
Who has never dreamed during dull winter days of going to a far-off island? An island like Ischia: with large beaches, orange-groves, lemon-trees, vineyards and friendly, happy, simple people. For many, Ischia is also the island of hope ‑ hope that their health will benefit from the effects of its many, famous spas.
The coast extends for 35 km. and it is extremely charming, especially in the cooler months, to make a car tour of the island. Along the way one will come across many avenues giving brief panoramic views. The coast is divided into thirty beaches, with different characteristics: the sandy beach is the most common and often contains hot undersea springs. The island's entire surface area is 46 km²., and its population of around 61.764  people belong to six Comunes: the island is named after the largest Comune, Ischia, which has 18.606 inhabitants. Ischia's highest point is Mount Epomeo (790 m.), in ancient times a very active volcano, inactive since 1302.
One of Ischia's leading features, perhaps the most important, is its large number of thermal sources. In no other country, apart perhaps from Japan, are there so many thermal springs with different characteristics. In ancient times the beneficial effects of its waters and mud were already known and appreciated; in fact, the Greeks came here first followed by the Romans, For many years Ischia's tourism has remained in the background, overshadowed by that of another island in the Gulf of Naples: Capri.
Then some artists came to Ischia and discovered and praised its beauties. The first tourists and thermal cure patients followed and today Ischia is decidedly à la page and "in". If Ischia had made a list of the names of its visitors from remote times to date, we would find those of Virgil and St. Francis, Míchelangelo and Garibaldi, Charles II of Angiò and Alfonso of Aragon, Murat and Admiral Nelson, Henrik Ibsen, the painter Werner Gilles, the composer Werner Henze and Elizabeth Taylor.
It features very modern hotels, suggestive roads, transparent waters, hot springs for eternal youth, famous wine (exported all over the world) and a simple but exquisite cuisine ("coniglio alla cacciatore" is a speciality), artistic, social. and cultural displays.

CHOOSE A REGION OF ITALY

For 6-8 servings:

• 1 recipe pasta frolla
• 400 ml mascarpone cheese
• 225 ml double cream
• 3 tablespoons fruit liqueur or fruit-flavoured grappa
• 750 g fresh mixed berries
• 6 tablespoons fruit jelly, melted to glaze
• A loose-based fluted tart tin, 23cm diameter

Roll out the pastry tinly and use to line the tart tin. Chill or freeze for 15 minutes, bake blind, then cool. Put the mascarpone, cream and liqueur in a bowl and beat until thick. Cover the surface with the berries, mounding them up in the centre. Spoon the fruit jelly over the top, then let set in the refrig ... continue