The Isle of Elba

Elba is an island off the coast of northern Italy. About the size of Aruba, Elba is about a dozen miles from the mainland town of Piombino in Tuscany. Elba is the third largest island in Italy; tiny in comparison to Sicily and Sardinia. This speck in the ocean is a popular spot for tourists who enjoy the hiking, beaches, and the local wines. Ferries from the mainland transport visitors to and from. Sounds wonderful.

This weekend (Friday to Sunday) Miss Laura is enjoying the first of her travels outside of Florence with fellow students; destination Elba. I'm envious imagining the perfect fall weather, misty green mountains, seacoast, and fishing villages.

When I mentioned to Mom that Laura and her schoolmates would be spending this weekend on the isle of Elba, she remarked, "That's where Napoleon was exiled back in the 1800's." I didn't remember that factoid but she, the teacher of World History, certainly knew. I'm impressed. Napoleon spent some 300 days on Elba in 1814-15, performed some good deeds for the people of the island, but ultimately made an escape back to France to launch the battle of Waterloo. All these bits of history sound vaguely familiar but were it not for my immediate thoughts about Elba, would likely remain buried forever.

It's 3:00 AM in Elba right now, 6:00 PM where I sit looking out on the waning light of a lovely fall afternoon. All I know is that it's dark in Elba right now; beyond that everything else is mystery and magic. It'll be great to hear about your trip and see some photos, Miss Laura. So glad you've this opportunity to spread your wings and see for yourself what's "out there".