PAINTING IN ITALY / TUSCANY / ISOLA D'ELBA

The island of Elba is a favorite among European travelers and Germans in particular. But for some reason it hasn’t yet caught on with Americans. Although it’s the third largest Italian island after Sicily and Sardinia, until about thirty years ago it was known mostly for its mineral resources (it was Elban iron in the Roman swords that conquered an empire), and as Napoleon’s place of exile. Oh, what a difference thirty years can make. Now tourists choke the island from the first of June until the first of September, with August being the most popular month. But if you can go in May or September, when the hotels and restaurants are open but the tourist traffic is down, you’ll understand why Napoleon never bemoaned being in exile.
To get there, take one of the car ferries (Toremar or Novarma) from the port at Piombino. I recommend booking in advance. When you get to the docks, you’ll see their offices. Once inside, you may be lucky and get right up to the counter, or you may walk into a crowd. If you encounter the latter, don’t be shy. The crowd is really what the Italians call a line, and if you aren’t aggressive and nudge your way to the front, you may miss the boat, (literally).
The car ferries are an ideal location for capturing on canvas the mainland and island shorelines from a sea perspective. I recommend debarking at Portoferraio, the most popular debarkation point on the island.
Before you leave Portoferraio to explore all the amazing vistas the island has to offer, take a walk up Via Garibaldi to visit Napoleon’s home in exile, the Villa dei Mulini. The villa was built especially for the ex-emperor on a site chosen for its killer views of the bay. There are multiple sites at the villa where you can set up and paint.
Elba’s landscape is rich and varied, featuring deep gulfs and long headlands. The coastline combines high, sheer cliffs, gentle bays with pebble beaches, or broad expanses of sand as white and fine as talcum powder. On the southern slops, cactus plants show that this is a Mediterranean climate; while to the east you’ll find vine-covered hills.
The water around the island is crystal clear and the most beautiful color of blue you will ever see. From the mountainous interior, Monte Capanne in particular, the views will take your breath away. Bus service is excellent, but you’ll be glad you have a car, so you can slip in and out of those out-of-the-way side roads that zigzag here and there, leading to ideal clearings to set up and paint or sketch.
You don’t want to miss west-facing Bagnaia, off the road to Rio nell’Elba, It’s famous for its sunsets and rightly so. You’ll see shades or reds, purples, oranges, and yellows that you’ve never seen before. If you have the fortitude to drive the coiling road beyond, the twin mini hamlets of Nisporto and Nisportino mark the beginning of the most unspoiled beaches and coastline on Elba’s north shore. You can hike into the hills behind, where you’ll find tiny clearings just right for setting up an easel.
If at all possible, plan to spend at least three days painting on Elba. If it’s three, you’ll wish it were four. If it’s four, you’ll wish it was five, etc., etc. In other words, once you arrive on Elba, you’ll wish you were sent there to spend time in exile.
BUON VIAGGIO!!!