With Jim finding a lull in his work, we decided to take a last-minute trip to the Dolomites, but an offer from a friend to house- and dog-sit and a crummy mountain forecast made us re-evaluate our plans. We pulled out the list of "100,000 Things We Want To Do Before We Leave Italy" and found a suitable destination for early September: a circumnavigation by kayak of Elba Island.
You, like my Mom, probably remember that Elba Island was where Napoleon was exiled when he first got into trouble, pre-Waterloo. This was a pretty nice exile and Napoleon kept busy in 1814 by instituting social and economic reforms for the residents of Elba. The lives of the islanders today seems pretty good if you like a tourist-based economy. Over 2-million tourists visit the island each year. Most of that happens in August and most of them are German. Arrive anytime outside of August and you find a laid back island with a nice mix of Italian dolce vita, German order, and a plethora of outdoor activities, including boating, mountain biking, cycling, sailing, kayaking, and diving.
Here's a slide show that Jim put together of our 3 day, 60 mile circumnavigation...
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hey, I seriously looked into kayak trips around Elba for years via a woman in the Bay Area who led trips (land based with day excursions). Looks marvelous - 3 days is pretty quick for 60 miles, non?
ReplyDeleteI really want to come visit in the next year if I get some work lined up to come home to! winter or spring? fall is my preferred time...hmmm. is Casa Osse booked out the next year? Also would scoot up to Novarro and SW France....too much to do and see!
I loved reading your blog. I'm a NATO spouse and we may be moving to La Spezia. I would love to get your opinion on moving up there with a family or maybe a contact. We are originally from the states. Take care and enjoy (loved the olive oil blog also!) maria_madtek@hotmail.com
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