Now we're in the toe of the boot of Italy: The Calabria region is in the southern part of the country separated from Sicily by a narrow straight. It borders on Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas. Mountainous, hilly and rugged, it has a coastline of about 800 kilometers that includes stretches of beautiful sandy beaches. The major cities are Cosenza, Crotone, Catanzaro, Vibo Valentia, Reggio Calabria. |
ITS SIGHTS
Calabria offers a lot in terms of natural beauty. It's a paradise of sun, sea and gorgeous scenery from the peaks of the Aspromonte to the crystal clear waters of Costa degli Dei. There's the Sila plateau a nature treasure of enormous granite stones, wooded areas and lakes. The National Park of Aspromonte, is home to peregrine falcons, eagle owls and Bonelli's eagles. Calabria has some staggeringly beautiful beaches-Costa Viola and Tropea boast pure white sandy beaches; Praia a Mare is renown for its beautiful settings; and then there are the clear waters of Gioiosa Jonica and Capo Vaticano, which has been called one of the 100 most beautiful beaches on the planet.
There's a lot for the sight seeing crowd as well. The ancient city of Scolacium, founded by the Greeks sometime around the time of the Trojan wars, is a great place to immerse yourself in history. You can walk down the ancient streets and see the remains of a theatre, a forum and fragments of statues as well as the ruins of the of the Byzantine-Norman basilica of Santa Maria della Roccella. The National Museum of Reggio Calabria has one of the world's most important finds from Magna Graecia, including the Bronzes of Riace, two splendid examples of bronze sculpture dating back to the 5th century B.C., discovered in 1972 in the Ionian Sea.
At the sea front at Melito di Porto Salvo, you'll see a stone at the waterfront commemorating the two landings of Garibaldi during the Spedizinoe Dei Mille. Ahh, memories. Once you've communed with the sea and have had a few moments alone with your own personal memories of the great military leader you can go back to exploring the city. It is after all, known for its production of the fragrant bergamot.
And if ancient Rome isn't old enough for you, how's the upper Palaeolithic period? Papasidero, in the province of Cosenza has a cavern, Grotto del Romito that dates back to the upper Palaeolithic period that includes a rock etching called Toro di Papsidero that dates back to 10,800 B.C. Just a little further you'll find the ruins of the Suevian castle built between the 11th and 13th centuries, the remains of the boundary walls of the Abbey of San Pietro il Grasso (13th century), and the Medieval village of Avena where you'll find the Church of the Holy Trinity.
ITS FOOD & DRINK
Calabria has a vibrantly flavoured cuisine. A Calabrian meal might start with a bruschetta served with n'duja, a spicy salami spread, or sardella, the sardine spread that's also known as the poor man's caviar. Pork figures prominently in Calabria's cuisine. So expect it to make an appearance on your antipasto platter-perhaps some soppressata, capicollo or pancetta affumicata. What's next? Perhaps your contorni will be the soffritto alla crotonese, or maybe the maccarruni 'i casa (a pasta dish with a meat and tomato sauce). Changed my mind. I think I'll have the friscatuli, a polenta dish made with broccoli. Why don't you try the cosentine pasta with potatoes. Time for the main event: The primi might be swordfish done up in a variety of ways. Or for something lighter maybe the red onion omelette of tropea. (Red onions, along with peperoncino, citrus fruit and liquorice are all local crops, specialties of the region.) Did I mention that this cuisine was spicy? The piquant tastes will be liberally doused with excellent extra virgin olive oils and rinsed down with special wines such as red or rosé cirò, pollino and savuto. Save room for dessert. The dolci, or sweet part of the meal could include small dumplings filled with honey, mustard and walnuts called chinulilli, or the tiny cross shaped sweets made with white figs and almonds called crucitti, or cannariculi a pastry made of flour and wine. And for something slightly different: In terms of accommodations, if you're looking for something unique, you can find lodging in some of the typical fisherman's houses right on the sea. An especially beautiful location, favoured by the late Gianni Versace, is Chianalea di Scilla, nicknamed the Venice of the South.
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