Filicudi Fantastico

I caught the 9am hydrofoil (6,90euros) to Filicudi, geologically the oldest island along with Alicudi, which was visible from Fili's shores. My adventures began on a hitched motorbike ride with the strappy long-haired Michele from the porto to the other bay, Pecorini a mare, as there was no bus on this tiny ulu isle, home to just 250! I had earlier approached a middle-aged couple talking to Michele and asked what was the best way to get around the isle, to which they promptly pointed to M who'd gladly give me a lift.

M was my age and had visited Singapore before in 1997. I decided he was safe company as he knew everyone on Filicudi and even waved to his mama whizzing past us in her red car. He tried to converse with me over his shoulder and even offered to let me ride his dirtbike but I rather he focused on negotiating his high scrambler around the sharp corners and I kept leaning back to avoid choking on his long hair twirling in the wind.

I could see why my amico Lorenzo picked Fili as his favourite island; it was a molto tranquila and bellissima oasis stuck in time. M apologised he couldn't take me on his fishing boat as he wouldn't know when he'd finish, but he was kind enough to ask his friend Domenico to send me to the porto later. I spent the next 30mins hanging out with the 2 old men fishing and thought the 60 year-old was especially kind and friendly, when he even let me reel in the fish. I had a change of mind when he professed within the next five minutes that he liked me a lot, invited me over for dinner and asked if I wanted to 'do love' with him after that!

Stiffling a fit of giggles, I promptly returned him his rod and waved at a passing small boat with 4 tourists for a 12-euros round tour. What luck, to the dirty old man's disappointment! The jovial Stefano, who also owned a pensione on the hill, led me, Andre and Valentina di Milano and another German couple on a glorious hour-long island tour. We visited the deep hollow Grotte del Blue Marino and took pictures of the caves along Punta Perciato. Beautiful isolated pebbled beaches beckoned at every turn and Stefano finally found a spot at Scoglio Giafante for us to jump in after making sure there was no school of 'medusa' (jellyfish).

Due to a previous ugly brush with a monstrous box jellyfish at Bintan in Indonesia which left me twitching for days, I was not convinced till the 2 guys inspected the clear water first and gave us the ladies the all's clear thumbs-up. The German lady and I leaped in, followed by the busty Valentina whose jump created quite a splash! Stefano joked he'd leave us all there so we could sleep on the beach and eat pesce crudo (raw fish) for dinner.

Back at the porto, I tried to bargain some more with Stefano in good humour but he was a tough Sicilian nut to crack. Hungry, I wiped out my pranzo di spaghetti alla Filicudi (8euros), a simple recipe of minced capers, fragrant rosemary and nuts (pistachio, I think) and browsed through some retro Sicilian cookbooks at the shop. With some time to kill, I seeked refuge under the cool shade of a big fishing boat on the warm pebbled beach. Ah, the weather was bellissima; the sky was like a stretch of blue canvas save for a few fluffy white clouds. I closed my eyes and locked that tranquil moment in my memory for keeps.

When I opened them again, I spotted and called out to my amici Enrica and Attilio from Bologna, who were on another excursion to Filicudi and Alicudi this time round. The 2 boatmen Franco and Giuseppe were also happy to see me and we caught up like old friends. I asked Giuseppe 'Avete una cigaretta?' and puffed on it while Enrica updated me that G's dad had a heart attack that morning and he was worried stiff. When it was time for them to leave, they all shook my hand and the guys saluted me while I blew them a kiss, sad that I'd probably not see them again.

Instead of waiting for the 6.20pm Siremar hydrofoil, I paid 8,20 euros for the 4.45pm Ustica ferry back to Salina so I could explore the Marina porto area. I very much preferred Salina as a base than Lipari, as it had all the basic conveniences but yet remained a really charming, quaint and laidback island. I popped my head into the lush private coastal residences, loaded up on last minute purchases of freshly-salted capers and sundried pomodoro, and ran my fingers through the colourful souvenirs and postcards at the shops.

While slurpping on a 2-euros fresh limone granita in-between a cigarette, I asked Domenico, a chubby jovial 34 year-old local 'scusa, l'autobus e qui?' and pointed to my watch if the 8pm bus was really coming. He advised that it was better for me to take the last hydrofoil at 7.40pm to Rinella and even accompanied me to the ticket office and jetty, complimenting on my 'bene Italiano e molto simpatica' pink camo bandana. We exchanged the usual niceties 'Quanti anni ha?/ Di dove sei?/ che lavoro fa? etc' and he said 'Ai-ya-ya' when he learnt that I was travelling 'da sola'. The men always seemed puzzled why I'd travel on my own and my reply was always 'perche mi piace' (because I like)!

On the hydrofoil, one of the crew B gave me the glance-over and asked if I wanted to have dinner but I lied that I was 'molto stanca (very tired) e non ho fame (not hungry)' to dodge his pick-up. Climbing up the harbour at Rinella, I spotted a backpacking French couple who seemed lost and gave them recommendations on the camere and campsite nearby, as if I had lived here all my life.

Luckily the pensione owners were still in their office and I told them 'Vorrei pagare adesso perche domani parti presto' (I'd like to pay now because I'm leaving early tomorrow.) It turned out they could speak Inglese as they had lived in Australia for years. The friendly elderly couple advised me on an alternative from Rinella to Napoli on the 6.30pm overnight ferry for only 25euros which would arrive there at 7.30am. The idea of roughing it out in a lonely depressing ferry for 13 hours lost out to the appeal of the luxurious Eurostar naturally.

A quick shower later, I returned to the nearby L'Ariana ristorante for the Ritorni alla Norma (10euros) - pasta con melanzane, pomodoro e basilico (they were out of pesce spada, damnit!) and chatted some more with the sweet soft-spoken lady waitress and kind chef who presented me with a complimentary shot of limencello. As the lemon liquor trickled down my throat, it also warmed my heart and belly because I noticed they didn't give it to the other guests earlier and they sincerely wished me 'buon viaggio'. I walked back in the cold hugging myself on the dimly lit street, feeling so proud that I managed to visit all the isole di Eolie, except for Alicudi which was not much.

I only wished I had climbed up Vulcano or Stromboli but to my credit, I didn't visit any tourist office and had no travel literature on the islands at all! Anyway if I had done everything, I wouldn't have any excuse to come back again to conquer the summit with my loved ones! Sigh, as my journey drew to an end, I was already planning my next trip to Italy. There were still so many places to visit, especially Umbria, Puglia, Calabria and Sardinia. Mi aspetti per favore, Italia!