calabria

But the Greeks were not the first here. They encountered settlements of pre-historic tribes, such as the Sabines, whom they called the Enotrians, or "lovers of wine". In this word, etymologists find the root for the country's name, "Italia", and we find the root of the Italian people's well known love of life.

Over the centuries, successive empires have invaded Calabria and asserted their domination. The Byzantines, the Romans, and even
the Normans on their way to and from The Crusades in far-off Jerusalem. Hannibal and his army came through, on the backs of elephants after sacking Rome.

The Nazis, supposed allies of the Italian fascists, hunkered down in Calabria in World War II, only to be driven out by the massed forces of the Allies, who pushed them north, and eventually back into Germany itself.

Thousands of years ago, the local people, no fools, removed themselves from the vulnerable coastal areas to the mountain tops, where they built improbable towns and villages in mountain canyons and on mountain peaks, making conquest difficult, and sometimes impossible. There they scratched out a living on small farms, growing figs, olive and lemon trees, tending to small herds of goat and sheep. They mined the streams and rivers for gold. They carved roads and trails, which are in use even now.

For millenia, the people here have made pottery, spun wool, knitted plain garments. They've milked their goats, made bread, rolled pasta, fermented wine and distilled limoncello, a sweet lemon aperitif. They have gone about their business, shop-keeping, worshipping in their numerous churches and duomos, and observing holy days and feast days around the year with pious gusto.

And they do all of this today, a self-sufficient, self-reliant, practical, stubborn, no nonsense people whom other Italians say are "testa dura" - hard headed.

In ancient times, there were periods when Calabria could boast wealth and importance, but by the end of the 16th century, Calabria fell into decline, its people some of the poorest in all Italy. Their poverty propelled the mass emigration of the late 19th and early 20th century, when millions of Calabrese came down from their mountain redoubts and clamoured onto ships that took them to "new worlds", particularly in the USA and Canada.

But now...Calabria is reclaiming its past glory and pride, tired of being the forgotten and neglected part of Italy it grew accustomed to being during the last 500 years or so and ready to transform itself into a premier destination. It's got everything going for it.

When you come to the "new" Calabria, this place which has been inhabited for over 3,000 years, you will be dumbfounded by its scenery - whether you stay up in the mountains, or find your way along the winding coastal highways, to Calabria's seaside towns and beaches. You will find resorts, hotels, inns, hostels, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds, lidos and tourist parks, of every quality and degree, catering to people with small, medium or large budgets.

And once you've arrived, and settled in, you will have the opportunity to savour the hearty, tasty, Calabrese cuisine, all made from local produce, meats, fish and fruit.

It's true that the Calabrese are not quite ready for masses of English-speaking tourists. Indeed, you won't find too many people who converse confidently in English. Nor will you find many signs printed in English, or be able to buy English books, newspapers or magazines. But, so what?

Villa at Bagnara, Calabria,

DISCOVERING CALABRIA

The word "Calabria" comes from that of the ancient Greek word "Calab", meaning dense forest of pines trees, which were exactly what Greek explorers encountered upon landing at the toe of Italy's boot nearly 5000 years ago.

Buried couple, Papasidero, Calabria,

The pine trees still remain in forests located throughout Italy's most southern mainland province and stretch down to the vividly blue sea which cuts along a variety of beaches that can consists of fine black or white sand, large, polished smooth multicolored rocks or fine black pebbles that glisten, like diamonds in the hot afternoon sun.

A fort at Belvedere, Calabria,

All of Calabria's beaches offer vividly green-blue water and clean beach fronts that are generally deserted during the hot summer months, unlike other beaches in the north of Italy. Some of Calabria's more popular beaches like the "Lungo Mare" beach front in Praia a Mare, are speckled by Italy's famous lidos (beach clubs), with lounge chairs and cold drinks available at your request. At night, some of these "lidos" turn into discos and you can dance next to the sea until dawn.

Dotted along the coast, from Sapri to the Reggio of Calabria, lie the ruins of Turkish guarding posts, built in the 9th C. A.D., during the Byzantine occupation and later occupied by the Romans as vessels for coastal protection.

The castles and forts which reside further inland from the guarding posts, offer visitors a glimpse at a crucial time in history for Europe and the world. Unfortunately, the ruins are not kept in pristine condition and are not accompanied by English explanations of any type. Further, they are often a walk to get to and not accessible by car. The visitor his/herself must work harder in Calabria to find historical treasures, but there is no question that with a little perseverance historical treasures will be revealed For directions, the visitor can always request information at the local "ATP" within the larger towns of Scalea, Maratea, Praia a Mare and Diamante.

There is an abundance of history, art, architecture, culture and food that you may have to look harder for than in Rome, Venice or Florence, but which nonetheless once found will delight those with an adventurous spirit who are seeking discoveries off the "beaten path."

Hidden within the Historic Center of Scalea for example, lies a 10th century Byzantine mosaic, that you may have to request to see, but which the woman, "Isabella" is happy to show you. It helps to speak a little bit of Italian in Calabria, because the English of the residents is not impeccable. However, it is by no means necessary that you are fluent - only that you try to throw in a "per favore" or "grazie" here and there. The Calabrese will be happy at the fact that you try and they will meet your efforts with theirs.

There are several differences in culture that you will encounter in your travels through Calabria. The first is that you will notice immediately that stores, businesses and institutions have a much different schedule than that in England, the USA, Canada or Australia.

Shops here are generally open from 9 AM until 1PM and then from 4 or 5 PM until 8:00 PM. This is because in Calabria, people eat with their families during this time and then generally have a siesta. Absolutely nothing is open during the siesta time, and generally the difference in business hours throws North American and English travelers off track, for while English speaking countries may be accustomed to doing business in the afternoon, it is only possible in Calabria to do business during in the morning or the evening.

Further changes to take into consideration as far as business hours are concerned is that absolutely nothing is open on Sundays. There are no supermarket you can go to. You must do your shopping during the weekdays. If you have nothing to eat on Sunday, you must eat out at a restaurant or starve, hopefully not the latter.

Another big difference you will immediately notice upon coming to the South of Italy is that all of the windows of all the stores and businesses have outside blinds, to protect the establishments from the heat during the summer months. This means that during the siesta times, you will notice from 13:00 until 16:00 that many of the towns look as though they are completely deserted, for it looks as though all the businesses have been locked up.

This is because all the business owners are eating lunch or snoozing during this time. Usually, the afternoons are the towns quietest moments and you may find yourself if you are out and about during this time, walking down a completely vacant street. After 16:00, it is a different story, for everything comes alive again, people resume their business activities and in the summer months many small shops, cafes, bars, and other businesses stay open well into the night.

As a consequence of the business hours, the times when people eat is also different. Breakfast usually occurs at 9:00 or 10:00 AM, followed by lunch at 1:00 or 2:00, followed by dinner at 8:00 or 9:00, PM. It is not uncommon for people to eat as late as 11:00, PM here and many restaurants cater to customers well after midnight.

What people eat in Calabria, is also very different from what many English visitors may be use to. The Calabrese diet consists almost exclusively of pasta, pizza, fish and spicy sausage. It will be virtually impossible for you to find oriental or other European cuisine here, there are no ethnic food sections at the supermarkets.

The closest thing to ethnic here, is couscous. Pasta, pizza, fish and gelato are the four main options here, so you'd better like Italian food. The difference between the food served in the north as to that in the south is that in Calabria it is a lot spicier than you may be expecting. You can request how spicy you want your dish or even add the peperoncini yourself. Remember, that if you request your food extra hot, you will probably be sweating for hours after - it's that hot.

There are delicious wines to enjoy with your meals made in Calabria and other parts of Italy as well as France. There are in general not a lot of imported wines, but there will certainly be one that you will enjoy and to make matters better, they are usually available for under 10 Euros. In fact, eating in Calabria is extremely cheap - usually per plate, one can eat for about 6 Euros, including alcohol.

There are of course fancier restaurants that one may dine in and enjoy, though to have a fulfilling, appetizing meal is available at numerous restaurants along the Cedri Riviera. You don't have to look hard to find one. The recommendation of most travelers to Calabria is to explore until you find what you like.

One of the many advantages of traveling in Calabria is that, as previously mentioned regarding the restaurants, it is extremely cheap compared to the rest of Europe to travel here. Everything from discos, to restaurants to shopping is at comparatively low prices. Further, the people in the north are much warmer, often more charismatic than in the North. In addition, the society is much more traditional, people greet each other in the mornings, with "Buon Giorno" (Good Day) and in the evening with "Buona Sera" (good evening).

The Calabrese are in general very welcoming, helpful and traditional people. Many, though traditionally vary poor offer all they have to make your stay here as delightful as possible. You may or may not understand the words coming out of their mouths, but you will certainly understand their gestures.

Life is taken at a slower pace in Calabria, there are specific times to eat, to relax, to do business and to socialize. The inhabitants work hard and conversely play hard, especially during the summer months. You will find for yourself the rhythms of life as you explore your way through the towns, ruins, forts, forests, foot-paths, churches and historical centers. You will see sunsets offering viewers a light cast by the clearness of the atmosphere and one thing, if anything you will never, ever forget, is the color of the water.

Calabria is a land of ancient magic, generosity, tranquility and beauty. It will if anything rejuvenate your senses and feed your eyes with a feast of colors. Calabria is Italy's best kept secret and yours to appreciate in all its glory.

As the Calabrese say: Buon Divertimento (Enjoy!