Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Next stop is
Marina de Casal Velino
, with its small, pretty harbour and family-style
stretch of sand, complete with plenty of ice-cream opportunities, plus a playground and
pedal boats.
Continuing southeast,
Ascea
is home to some impressive Greek ruins while, further on,
lovely
Pisciotta
is a medieval town, piled high above a ridge. Head straight for the central
Piazza Raffaele Pinto with its terraced bars and benches occupied by robust elderly locals.
There are a couple of excellent restaurants in town and one of the region's top boutique
hotels.
Afterwards stop by the
Marina di Pisciotta
lined with seafood restaurants and cafes.
Carry on to the far end of the promenade and take a look at the stones and pebbles on the
beach, fabulously patterned and in all shades of mauves, greys, creams and ochre - if only
you could blitz your hand baggage allowance, they would look
so
good on your driveway
back home.
MEDITERRANEAN DIET
Pioppi has the right to feel smug. It was based on initial observations of this town in the late 1950s that
American medical researcher Dr Ancel Keys launched his famous study concerning the health benefits
of the Mediterranean diet. Of the residents of Pioppi, Keys famously wrote: “The people were older
and vigorous. They were walking up and down the hillside collecting wild grains, and were out fishing
before sun up and going out again in the late afternoon and rowing boats.” Keys was struck by the low
rate of heart disease among poor people here, compared to well-fed northern Europeans and Americ-
ans.
Keys also adopted the Mediterranean-style diet and lived to be 101 years old. Ironically, you have to
be rich to eat healthy foods like a peasant these days, with virgin olive oil, fresh fish, and organic fruit
and vegetables generally costing far more than processed foods.
Join the elderly Pioppi residents today in their more leisurely pursuit of dozing on the shady
benches in lovely Piazza de Millenario with its handy central bar. Then, suitably rested, take a healthy
Med-diet picnic to the beach a few steps away.
Sights & Activities
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Velia
