Page 32 - aruba-today-20190620

A32 FEATURE
Thursday 20 June 2019
On tiny Linosa, it's easy to adopt island's relaxed rhythms

By FRANCES D'EMILIO summer, but motor scooters
Associated Press and motorized bikes can
LINOSA ISLAND, Italy (AP) be rented by the day. The
— There are no hotels, but electric "bici" are a big hit
islanders open up their sim- as well with Linosani, whose
ple, gaily painted homes cars are easily recogniz-
to those seeking relaxed able because the salty sea
rhythms. air corrodes the paint.
No banks either, but there's Come nightfall in late sum-
not a lot money can buy mer or early fall, on the
here. The sole souvenir shop northerly side of the island
has a few knickknacks. you can hear the cries of
Costs are modest for meals thousands in a fascinat-
made from local ingredi- ing feathered colony of
ents — lentils, eggplant, greater shearwater birds.
peppers perhaps, plus the The bird is known as berta
catch of the day from the maggiore in Italian. A large
emerald-hued, pristine wa- group of them fly up and
ters surrounding tiny Linosa over the Mediterranean
island. from Libya and Algeria,
But stunning natural beauty their cheek pouches full of
is free and abundant on fish for young chicks which
this verdant paradise that have hatched in crannies
rises up in the form of an In this photo taken on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018 a woman swims in a cove of pristine water surrounded left by lava rocks near the
extinct volcano from the by volcanic rock formations on the island of Linosa, some 167 km (103.5 miles) south of Sicily, seaside.
Mediterranean seabed. southern Italy. After Linosa's first modern
Of the many splendid small Associated Press settlement was established,
Italian islands that dot the in 1845, with 30 hardy souls,
Mediterranean waters near lagie Archipelago, closer so. In September, there Linosa's only "night spot" is a the islanders would eat the
Sicily, only Linosa had elud- to northern Africa than to were some 20 of us, several wine bar, which, on a late birds' eggs, rich in protein.
ed me, vacation after va- Sicily. of us solitary travelers. With summer Saturday night, Now the birds' evening ritu-
cation, perhaps because it This year, in the waning the exception of a French closed up shop before mid- als help feed the island's
takes some determination weeks of summer, I came, couple and myself, all were night. economic mainstay, tour-
to get here. Unlike some accounting by my mere Italians. Ramirez recalled a couple ism.
other islands, like Pantelle- presence for about 5 per- Those numbers compare who lodged by him recent- Giovanni Grana passion-
ria, where Italian VIPs keep cent of sojourners those to a year-round resident ly telling him, "'Linosa's not ately shares with a hand-
summer homes, or Lampe- days on Linosa. We swam population of about 300 for us, it's too tranquil.'" ful of tourists on his plain
dusa, known for lively night- or snorkeled in coves cra- Linosani, as the locals call "Here you come to relax, wooden motorboat the
life, there are no flights from dled by dramatically dark, themselves. In the sole go to the sea, maybe have details he's learned about
the Italian peninsula, no air- jagged lava rocks, climbed town, tidy streets are lined an 'aperitivo' in the eve- shearwater flocks habits
port. volcanic craters and with houses in hues of fi- ning," Ramirez said. "There's from his nightly observa-
To enjoy Linosa's charms, watched sunsets near the ery ochre trimmed with or- no disco." tions. He makes the facts of
either you take a long ride black-sand beach where ange, robin-blue highlight On maps, Linosa resembles bird life sound like poetry.
by ferry, or, if waters are caretta caretta logger- by white, or sea green with a roundish speck in the sea. "My aim is to make the tour-
calm, an infrequent hydro- head turtles waddle ashore doors framed in red. One can stroll around the ists fall in love with the is-
foil from the nondescript each year to lay their eggs. In early morning — after- entire island, whose coastal land," said Grana.
Sicilian port town of Porto On any given day during noon temperatures in one perimeter measures 11 kilo- For a reasonable fee
Empedocle. Or you make "high" season in July and of Italy's hottest places can meters (under 7 miles), in a (about 25 euros, or $29), he
a shorter sea journey from August, there are at most climb into the 90s in Fahren- few hours. takes visitors out to sea just
Lampedusa, the only other about 50 holiday-goers heit (in the low to mid 30s Only residents can bring before sunset to witness an
inhabited island in the Pe- who spend a few days or in Celsius) and feel like 115 cars on the island during amazing spectacle.q
or higher — Linosani come
out to sweep the tiled side-
walks and water potted
plants, including hibiscus
that grow as tall as trees.
With the cool of the eve-
ning, Linosani emerge
again, parking kitchen
chairs outside homes to
chat with neighbors. After
a couple of strolls in the few
streets, visitors can befriend
much of Linosa's popula-
tion.
"After a few days, you be-
come islanders, too," said
Alberto Ramirez, who runs In this photo taken on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018, a cat sits on a
In this photo taken on Monday, Sept. 10, 2018, a resident walks one of the two B&Bs on the flower pot, bottom right, along painted steps in the town of Li-
along a main street in the town of Linosa, on the island of Linosa, island and whose family nosa, on the island of Linosa, some 167 km (103.5 miles) south of
some 167 km (103.5 miles) south of Sicily, southern Italy. has lived here for six gen- Sicily, southern Italy.
Associated Press erations. Associated Press