The Bar Calise, always our first port of call when arriving in Casamicciola, has closed. The doors are shuttered and the outside tables and umbrellas gone. There are still tables and chairs set up inside and someone is watering the planters and the Calise in Ischia town is still open, so maybe it will come back, but I expect the courteous waiters will have found new jobs, so the experience of wandering up the square and into its sanctuary may never be quite the same.

The rest of Casamicciola is thriving. There are new bars, playing music with waiters dancing across the access road traffic with their trays of drinks. Where once there was a dearth of places to eat of an evening there are now choices and old stalwarts have been revamped, though the Hobbit burger bar is sadly no more. The Bottega del Pane is still going strong, with queues at the hatch every morning. Next door is the Bar del Porto with a pretty garden of pots and the most wonderful lemon croissants I have ever tasted. They are the breakfast of Queens, though possibly not of super models. There are now at least three Gelateria, though the one in the little precinct with the merry go round seems to still draw the locals, who still promenade purposefully of an evening.

Further afield we have visited the garden of La Mortella and I could not resist taking yet more pictures of the plants. They have reduced the pressure on the fountains with the result that the water plants have burgeoned.

Afterwards we walked down the hill into Forio and had lunch at one of the beach cafes before walking on into town for a drink in the square by the odd water feature.

We have also walked into Lacco Amino, where the main listed attraction is still the mushroom shaped rock. We duly took a selfie in front of it. This took several machinations as we swapped sides and photographers trying to fit both of us and the rock into the frame and not look too manic in the resulting outcome. Eventually we managed one with all three of us.

One of our better efforts I think!

Our latest main attraction at Lacco Amino is the baby shop and we returned with shorts and t-shirts for Ivan. The baby and fabric shop in Casamicciola is still open, so I have promised myself a visit there before we leave.

Last night we were blessed. We were sitting out on deck in the gathering dark and a white sail appeared with a retinue of children processing along the service road. Behind the children came a small band holding onto their instruments followed by a singing priest followed by a plaster Madonna on a carried dais, a larger plaster friar brought up the rear. As he passed the priest called for blessings on all Mariners. They went all the way up the Main Street, to come back with the band playing. They congregated for a service just opposite us after which were fireworks. Then they carried on and after a while we saw more fireworks further up the hill.

The blessing might come in handy as Fausto called round earlier and asked if we could move onto the pontoon tomorrow. I expect we will benefit from the mooring practice.