The magical Aeolian islands

I've just got back from a trip (my second) to the Aeolian islands. I'll be writing lots more about the islands soon, but in the meantime I just have to write again about how marvellous the islands are as a holiday destination. Both times I've visited, I've been so reluctant to leave that I've postponed my flight home in order to enjoy another couple of days surrounded by sea and sun.

My favourite beach of the holiday, Lipari

The islands are volcanoes and in places potentially dangerous; for many travellers this just adds to their drama. You can watch eruptions on Stromboli from the rim of the volcano's crater - or from a more comfortable pizzeria further down the slope (my choice). You can walk around the rim of the crater of Vulcano, close to steaming fumaroles. Hot gas bubbles up through the sea, and the beaches are littered with chunks of volcanic rocks like obsidian and pumice.

Highlights of the islands include trekking along mule paths with amazing views, eating leisurely pasta lunches by the bluest sea, taking jolly boat excursions around the shorelines, spotting dolphins, enjoying ice-cold fresh-fruit granitas by pretty harbours, and relaxing into an island state of mind: mornings exploring, afternoons on the beach, evenings sipping local wine and watching the passeggiata.

Lipari

The islands offer all the best of Italy, pumped up to an intense level: sunshine, good food, archaeology, glorious views, wine, warm and friendly people, vivid colours bursting with flowers, sparkling sea and lots of fun.

This time I spent two weeks in the islands, which still didn't seem long enough. But it's a good amount of time to get to know most of the seven islands. My itinerary worked well, with a mixture of smart hotels with pools, island-hopping, and settling-in.

I took an afternoon flight to Catania Airport, which meant spending a night in Catania. If you fly earlier in the day, you can get to the islands the same evening. I spent two nights on Panarea, one night on Stromboli, two on Salina, and then stayed in a holiday flat in Lipari for the last week, making day trips to Filicudi and Vulcano.

The little fishing hamlet of Pecorini a Mare on the island of Filicudi

The islands are busiest in July and August, visited by thousands of holidaying Italians. Outside this time they're much quieter, even in the balmy warmth of June, so it's a good idea to travel in May, June or September.

I've travelled all around Italy and there's pretty much nowhere I haven't loved. But when I'm on these islands I really, genuinely, just can't imagine wanting to be anywhere else.

> More about the Aeolian islands (written after my last trip)

Slow boat to Stromboli

Carpaccio in Conegliano

This spring there's an extra reason to visit pretty little Conegliano in the Veneto. I paid a return visit yesterday, to see the exhibition Carpaccio: Vittore e Benedetto da Venezia all'Istria.

Vittore Carpaccio will be known to many visitors to Venice. He painted lovely Renaissance scenes of saints, heroes and heroines, all filled with life, charm, curious buildings and cute animals. The story paintings in the Accademia Gallery telling the tale of St Ursula are among his finest works. This exhibition focusses on the later stages of his career, with paintings taken from various obscure locations, and adds the story of his son Benedetto who took over his workshop and produced his own paintings in the style of his father.

The exhibition is nicely presented and thoughtfully laid-out. As I had already tracked down most of the paintings in and around Venice, there were only a few inclusions which were new to me, and other Carpaccio lovers will be in the same situation. One of the works most celebrated by the exhibition, St George and the Dragon (not the famous one from the Scuola di San Giorgio), actually lives on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. It's a bit of a secret; you have to ask to see it - a friendly monk took me the first time I visited. Now the painting is featured in this exhibition, you can even buy a fridge magnet reproduction of the painting (and I did).

Other highlights include the late work St Paul, from Chioggia, where the saint walks on a field of lovely flowers, the famous painting of the Venetian winged lion from the Palazzo Ducale, and the beautiful Pala di Pirano (now in Padua).

This isn't the grand career-encompassing exhibition of Carpaccio that a fan would dream of. Some of his greatest paintings are so large and significant that it is hard to imagine them being moved. But given that limitation, this is a good opportunity to see works gathered from as far afield as Koper and Brescia. It is also interesting to contrast Vittore's varied works and those of his son Benedetto, who - we see here - used his father's sketches and designs in his own work. Benedetto's painting is clearly more stilted and lacks the magic of his father. But it's not without charm and occasionally his scenes and faces are lovely - I especially admired a fine St. Nicholas.

Best of all, the exhibition is an excuse for a day out in Conegliano. This historic town close to the Dolomites has a pretty centre with a long arcaded street, traces of fresco on its houses, an altarpiece by local hero Cima da Conegliano, and a medieval castle with a small museum housed in its tower (which also has superb countryside views). Arrive early enough to visit the church and museum before they close (the church closes at noon, the museum-tower 30 minutes later), enjoy a leisurely lunch and then tour the museum. Conegliano is under an hour from Venice by cheap regional train. And if you need any more persuading, the town is also famed for its Prosecco production.
> More about Conegliano

Back in Venice today, I was thinking about the exhibition's lesson in the stock 'types' Carpaccio and - and, later, his son - used and re-used from his sketchpads. I popped into the church of San Vidal to look at the Carpaccio altarpiece there. Sure enough, there was that familiar and handsome flag-bearing St George, half-turned and clad in armour, from yesterday's Pala di Pirano. And checking the exhibition guide I spot him again, in an altarpiece by Benedetto.