By FEDERICA VALABREGA
Observer Staff
Feb. 6, 2008

If you are looking for an alternative vacation of yoga-like mediation and time to spend thinking about your New Year’s resolution, there is no better place than Lampedusa, Italy. This small island south of the Italian mainland, and only 65 sea miles from Tunisia, is the perfect place to revitalize your life or career, think of ways to make more money or choose to eat healthier and exercise more.

Winter is the off-season for the islanders here and, unless you plan a group vacation, you will find plenty of time to reflect in this peaceful corner of heaven in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Time is yours to lose as you eat freshly caught fish and ricotta-filled croissants, and jog the length of the island.

“Lampedusa e` una donna senza trucco,” is how many islanders refer to the place: a lady without make up, for its wildish look and the locals’ simple attitude.

Lampedusa’s charm rests in its laid-back atmosphere. It becomes contagious as soon as you step off the metal staircase of Air One and inhale the island air. Air One is the only company that flies to the island.

These people – who don’t like to be defined as Sicilians, nor as Africans, but as Lampedusian – lead simple lives, making you forget the importance of modern luxuries.

Vacationing in Lampedusa is refreshing for the mind because Internet access is hard to find and the latest newspaper arrives with the first plane at 1 p.m.

On this island you are forced to let go of your security blanket and make the most out of a day of hiking, fishing or reading. No distractions are allowed, except occasional after-dinner pool shooting. Whether it’s rain or shine, or a good or bad fishing day, nobody here ever has a frown.

Filippo Brischetto, known here simply as Brischetto, is a typical Lampedusan: a 63-year-old retired firefighter who still leads fishing adventures all summer long to amuse tourists and friends. Brischetto enjoys passing his free time by looking at the sea when it is moody even more than visiting the Coliseum in Rome.

“If you put someone who was born on an island in a city like Rome, you kill him. He can see the Coliseum once or twice, but then he gets bored, while the sea never stops to surprise you. You can always learn from it,” Brischetto said, adjusting his faded blue fisherman hat and pointing at l`isola dei Conigli, one of the seven beauties in the southern side of the island.

“What makes Lampedusa different from all the other famous Italian islands is that this one is still untouched and we are trying to keep it this way,” he said. “Beaches here belong to nobody. There is no need to ask permission before bathing, and there is no one trying to privatize parts of the beauties around here. Everything is of everyone.”

And that is exactly what a visitor experiences when touring the island, where development has crept up around the city but the rest of the territory is covered with pini nani, or dwarf pine trees, and lots of cactuses and palms reminiscent of Palestine.

If it weren’t for the occasional signs that point to the beach, wandering among the old Arab stone constructs with dome-shaped roofs would be like walking in the Kibbutzim next to the Dead Sea in Israel.

According to some, the island changes completely during the summer, when over 30,000 tourists visit. But a winter vacation can be equally pleasant if you don’t mind reading on a chair-shaped rock facing Sicily, miles from the harbor of the Mare Morto, interrupted only by the gentle sound of the waves.

Cloudless skies and mild temperatures are common even in winter so you might end up taking a swim at the beach of l’isola dei Conigli on the very first day of the year. According to an old Italian saying, “Se lo fai il primo dell`anno, lo fai tutto l`anno,” — if you do it on the first of the year, you will do it for the rest of it.

If the thought of diving into 60-degree Fahrenheit water does not appeal to you, you can come back in the summer, but do not forget to bring along the scuba gear. The underwater cave featuring a bronze Madonna of Porto Salvo in memory of first-class scuba diver Roberto Merlo is a “must see,” according to Brischetto.

If you are still concerned about what to do next, weather permitting and with a little extra cash, you can take the ferry to Linosa, a small volcanic island inhabited by 400 people who live in colorful houses built on the black sandy beaches. And, if you are lucky, you may run into Alessandra Fabrizi, a yoga teacher who holds retreats on the island in June.

Though the winter water might be a little too frigid for a rewarding swim, pack your running shoes and your yoga mat, because you will find plenty of hidden trails to venture in. One takes you downhill through thick vegetation to la Spiaggia dei Pulcini, on the northern side of the island, while a more common road takes you around the island and back. For the trail-lover, I suggest exploring every little dirt road you see. If you love to wake up at sunrise for a long walk on the beach, there is no place in Lampedusa like l’isola dei Conigli. It has white sandy beaches, turquoise water and dark red cliffs. Roll out your yoga mat here and experience true bliss. Nobody will disturb your namaste, except maybe a few dogs.

Grab a bite:
If you decide to visit the island in winter, dining is limited, but still outstanding if you like fish in every shape, size and sauce.

Breakfast: Take a 10-minute walk to the cafe l’Isola delle Rose for some ricotta-filled patisseries or croissant and a strong espresso or cappuccino to begin your day.

Lunch: This can be a problem in the winter, because the only places open are coffee shops that sell only sweet foods and occasionally pizza. But if you are lucky, you can find a place that sells freshly made ricotta and cheese. Just take a walk on Via Roma, the main street, and enjoy it with some just-baked bread of the Forno.

Dinner: L`aragosta is one of the restaurants open 24 hours each day and, even if the service is a little slow — since the owners have to wait for the fisherman’s boat to come into the harbor with what will be your dinner — everything is delicious here. Let me suggest the Pasta al Nero di Seppia and the grilled Calamaro. Believe me, even if you have never had seafood, you won’t be able to resist.

New Year’s Eve Dinner: There is no better place to go than the Hotel Medusa, where the menu for this year’s celebration was 12 courses - all fish-based of course, except dessert.

Peculiarities:
The island is host to a bunch of sea turtles called Carreta Carreta that come to Lampedusa to lay their eggs from July to September, following the Atlantic current for 7,000 miles from the Florida’s Gulf of Mexico. This is the only place in Italy where this phenomenon occurs, and for this reason it attracts thousands of tourists from all over the country. Being there when the eggs break and the baby turtles run to the sea for their first swim is the most exciting moment of the year, according to the islanders.

If you are eating sushi at a restaurant in Japan, you might think that exquisite Yellow Fin tuna has been caught fresh from the Pacific Ocean, but it is actually exported from the Mediterranean sea near Lampedusa and sold at exorbitant prices abroad.

Lampedusa is also known for having been the summer getaway of the Italian singer Domenico Modugno, whose lyrics “Volare, oh oh, Volare oh oh oh” were famously re-recorded by the Gypsy Kings.

Many other famous Italian singers also come to Lampedusa to escape from the Paparazzi, including Claudio Baglioni, idol of the pop music of the 1980s. Baglioni actually received honorary citizenship from the province and organizes a four-day music festival in late September, O’Scia`, which brings more people and income to the island. You can often find Baglioni at the Bar dell`Amicizia, or catch him on New Year’s Eve at La Cambusa restaurant, where he hosts a private party every year.

How to get there on a budget:
If you are concerned about expenses, don’t you worry: If you plan ahead, the trip can be more reasonable than going to New York City for a weekend. Out-of-season tickets to Rome or Milan can be as cheap as $400, and direct flights to the island can be purchased for $200. When looking for a place to stay, consider renting a house. It is the cheapest option, since the only hotel open for business in winter is the Medusa, which is a bit pricy. And, becoming friends with the locals to bargain down the price is more than acceptable.