Finding Yourself in the Calm at Le Dimore ( L’Ulivo, Il Rosmarino, La Strelizia and La Quercia) in Forio d’Ischia, where the sea meets the hillside

To breathe more softly, to slow down and allow yourself the luxury of calm: among the scent of herbs and the light that slowly fades at sunset, I rediscover the meaning of time — the kind that heals, welcomes, and begins again.

There are times when I feel tired, overwhelmed, somehow not in the right place.

It starts softly — a quiet feeling that slips into my everyday life.

It makes me feel heavy, as if something is missing, like a weight on my chest, gentle sadness, a breath that never quite reaches the end.

And yet, everything seems fine.

At least that’s how it looks.

But as the days pass, that weight turns into fog.

Then I realize I’ve stopped noticing…

That the grass has grown.

That the chestnuts have fallen from their husks.

That the sunset has shifted a little further to the left.

At that point, there’s only one cure: slow down.

Or better yet — breathe, and then slow down.

Autumn helps me with that, with its dance of renewal and falling leaves.

I start doing a little decluttering: among the sheets of paper covered with notes and phone numbers I no longer need, and among the clothes I keep moving from one shelf to another in the illusion that I’ll “wear them someday.”

It takes courage to change, to let go.

No one ever died from throwing away a pair of trousers.

I also notice that it does me good to quietly watch the simple movement of a worm crossing the path, or to listen to the quick song of a robin.

I’m lucky.

I live up at Le Dimore, in Forio d’Ischia, on a peaceful place with open views on the not far away sea.

In the evenings, I have the most beautiful sunsets; in the mornings, the song of the blackbird.

The scents of my aromatic plants — lavender, sage, citronella, mint — follow me through the day.

And during the day, if I wish, I can take a swim in the pool at Villa Olivia, rest in the shade of the gazebos, wander through the garden, or visit the fish pond down in the little “Borgo della Corteccia”, where the elves live.

It may sound like a fairy tale…

But it’s real life.

And it’s possible.

You may also like:
–Easter in Forio:traditions,emotions and scent that warm the heart
–Childhood memories of Giuseppe
–From the market to the table:cooking like a localin Ischia
-Autumn in Ischia: the island waiting to be discovered
–Whispers from the fairy garden of Villa Olivia

If you enjoyed this gentle way of telling stories about Ischia, you can join my small newsletter- a quiet place to meet again now and then.

Subscribe here