Rome, Calabria and my big, fat Italian family!
Sep 30th, 2003, 10:59 AM
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Rome, Calabria and my big, fat Italian family!
I just got back yesterday from a wonderful trip with my father. We were in Rome for 5 nights where I met a first cousin of mine for the 1st time. While in Rome we did the organized bus trip to Naples/Pompeii.
We then headed to Calabria for 5 nights where we have a lot of family. My dad got to see his 2 sisters for the 1st time in ages, and I met many 1st and 2nd cousins. Experiencing the way of life in that region was amazing. The blackout happened while we were in Calabria.
I'm still not organized and unpacked, but plan on adding to this thread a trip report. If there any questions until then, please ask!
We then headed to Calabria for 5 nights where we have a lot of family. My dad got to see his 2 sisters for the 1st time in ages, and I met many 1st and 2nd cousins. Experiencing the way of life in that region was amazing. The blackout happened while we were in Calabria.
I'm still not organized and unpacked, but plan on adding to this thread a trip report. If there any questions until then, please ask!
Sep 30th, 2003, 11:26 AM
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Your Dad must have been ecstatic to see his sisters. And how lucky for you to share this experience with your father.
We also have family in Italy (Caserta) and met them for the first time a couple of years ago. It was just wonderful to see where all the customs, expressions and traditions originated.
Then, this summer, two cousins came to visit us in New York. We now have this wonderful, large, extended family and plan to return to Italy as soon as possible.
We also have family in Italy (Caserta) and met them for the first time a couple of years ago. It was just wonderful to see where all the customs, expressions and traditions originated.
Then, this summer, two cousins came to visit us in New York. We now have this wonderful, large, extended family and plan to return to Italy as soon as possible.
Sep 30th, 2003, 03:20 PM
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Lorac,
I now have so many cousins that I know it's unbelievable! They all want to come to NYC, and I live just outside of the city. Hopefully they will visit me someday.
--------------------------
The first installment of the trip report:
This was my father's first trip back to Italy since he left about 40 years ago. To say that he was excited (as was I) is putting it mildly.
I found myself so busy on this trip that I wasn't able to write the report as I went along, as I did in Sicily 6 months ago. Hopefully I will remember the details as my memory is fleeting at times!
We got to Rome on Friday, September 19th. As usual for my trips, it started with some chaos. The evening of the 18th when we were flying was the night of Hurricane Isabel. The flight left about an hour late and there was a lot of turbulence.
We grabbed a taxi from the airport to Hotel Julia on Via Rasella. The hotel is very centrally located, and the street is fairly quiet. It was 160E per night for a double with breakfast. The room, #102 was a good size and very clean. The bathroom was big and had the usual shower with a curtain and no tub. We found that we could pretty much walk to all the major sites from the hotel.
That afternoon we went to the Fontana di Trevi, the Pantheon and Piazza Navonna. We contacted my 1st cousin who lives in Rome, both me & my father had never met her. My cousin speaks 6 languages including English so we were able to communicate. That night she took us to dinner in Testavere.
Testavere seemed to me in some way to be like going to Brooklyn for dinner from Manhattan. The neighborhood seemed to be more colorful and filled with regular, average people. She took us to L'Antico Moro at Via del Moro, 61/62. Their speciality is seafood. We started with sveral mixed seafood dishes with pasta. We then had a huge fish dish, I believe the fish was called Rumba?? con patata. The fish was surrounded by crispy potatoes in a great wine sauce. Everything was delicious.
I now have so many cousins that I know it's unbelievable! They all want to come to NYC, and I live just outside of the city. Hopefully they will visit me someday.
--------------------------
The first installment of the trip report:
This was my father's first trip back to Italy since he left about 40 years ago. To say that he was excited (as was I) is putting it mildly.
I found myself so busy on this trip that I wasn't able to write the report as I went along, as I did in Sicily 6 months ago. Hopefully I will remember the details as my memory is fleeting at times!
We got to Rome on Friday, September 19th. As usual for my trips, it started with some chaos. The evening of the 18th when we were flying was the night of Hurricane Isabel. The flight left about an hour late and there was a lot of turbulence.
We grabbed a taxi from the airport to Hotel Julia on Via Rasella. The hotel is very centrally located, and the street is fairly quiet. It was 160E per night for a double with breakfast. The room, #102 was a good size and very clean. The bathroom was big and had the usual shower with a curtain and no tub. We found that we could pretty much walk to all the major sites from the hotel.
That afternoon we went to the Fontana di Trevi, the Pantheon and Piazza Navonna. We contacted my 1st cousin who lives in Rome, both me & my father had never met her. My cousin speaks 6 languages including English so we were able to communicate. That night she took us to dinner in Testavere.
Testavere seemed to me in some way to be like going to Brooklyn for dinner from Manhattan. The neighborhood seemed to be more colorful and filled with regular, average people. She took us to L'Antico Moro at Via del Moro, 61/62. Their speciality is seafood. We started with sveral mixed seafood dishes with pasta. We then had a huge fish dish, I believe the fish was called Rumba?? con patata. The fish was surrounded by crispy potatoes in a great wine sauce. Everything was delicious.
Oct 1st, 2003, 04:13 PM
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I may have asked about etiquette when visiting extended family, I don't remember. We didn't rent a car, and it worked out ok. There were definitely times, usually in the morning where I would have loved to go to the beach but noone was around to take me. Also, my aunt felt that it was "dangerous" for me to go to the beach by myself. So even if I had the car it might have been useless!
Day 2 in Rome:
Sat., 9/20
We went to Vatican City. We started at St. Peter's, then went to what I hoped to be the Sistine chapel. I didn't realize that you had to walk all through the Vatican Museums to get to the chapel. If Idid I would have started there before St. Peter's. I found that there was just such a huge amount of information on Rome that I really wasn't able to plan as carefully as I usually do. I was definitely overwhelmed during the planning stages!
We then did the Scavi Tour. It was extremely hot and humid during the tour, but it was very interesting. I wished I had a bottle of water with me. The guide was a priest from New Orleans. The only bad thing was that there was a tour group on our heels, and that was distracting at times. I think at some point there was comments on the board that the grafitti wall was closed, it was open when I did the tour.
My cousin met us in the afternoon and we went to Castel Sant' Angelo. From the castle there were great views of the Tiber. By this time I had been walking about 9 hours, and my feet and ankles were killing me! I was wearing old wornout sneakers, this would catch up with me later...
My father went back to the hotel to relax and my cousin & I went to the Spanish Steps area to do some shopping. Via Condotti and the surrounding streets were definitely my weakness while in Rome, I definitely did too much shopping there. There's a tax refund office right in front of the Spanish Steps where I was able to get my money back immediately, and was just instructed to get the customs stamp at the airport and mail it in. For another purchase I had to go to a tax refund office on Piazza Barberini, it was a Thomas Cook office. I'm not sure why I had to go to two different locations. I was also able to get the money back immediately.
By the time dinner time came it was obvious that I had developed a huge blister. I put on my newer sneakers and my cousin brought us by the Pyramid of Cestius near Porta San Paolo. I had no idea such a structure even existed in Rome.
We ate that night at Risello Ristorante at Via Ostense, 137-00154 Roma (S. Paolo). They had live music, plenty of outdoor seating, and a huge dance floor. We had pizza that was excellent.
Day 2 in Rome:
Sat., 9/20
We went to Vatican City. We started at St. Peter's, then went to what I hoped to be the Sistine chapel. I didn't realize that you had to walk all through the Vatican Museums to get to the chapel. If Idid I would have started there before St. Peter's. I found that there was just such a huge amount of information on Rome that I really wasn't able to plan as carefully as I usually do. I was definitely overwhelmed during the planning stages!
We then did the Scavi Tour. It was extremely hot and humid during the tour, but it was very interesting. I wished I had a bottle of water with me. The guide was a priest from New Orleans. The only bad thing was that there was a tour group on our heels, and that was distracting at times. I think at some point there was comments on the board that the grafitti wall was closed, it was open when I did the tour.
My cousin met us in the afternoon and we went to Castel Sant' Angelo. From the castle there were great views of the Tiber. By this time I had been walking about 9 hours, and my feet and ankles were killing me! I was wearing old wornout sneakers, this would catch up with me later...
My father went back to the hotel to relax and my cousin & I went to the Spanish Steps area to do some shopping. Via Condotti and the surrounding streets were definitely my weakness while in Rome, I definitely did too much shopping there. There's a tax refund office right in front of the Spanish Steps where I was able to get my money back immediately, and was just instructed to get the customs stamp at the airport and mail it in. For another purchase I had to go to a tax refund office on Piazza Barberini, it was a Thomas Cook office. I'm not sure why I had to go to two different locations. I was also able to get the money back immediately.
By the time dinner time came it was obvious that I had developed a huge blister. I put on my newer sneakers and my cousin brought us by the Pyramid of Cestius near Porta San Paolo. I had no idea such a structure even existed in Rome.
We ate that night at Risello Ristorante at Via Ostense, 137-00154 Roma (S. Paolo). They had live music, plenty of outdoor seating, and a huge dance floor. We had pizza that was excellent.
Oct 2nd, 2003, 08:57 AM
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AP6380: I'm just north of NYC. It was so much fun bringing the cousins around NY. We had a great time.
We took a Scala Reale tour which went through the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel first and ended in St. Peter's. But by the time we finshed the tour, we were exhausted to see the rest of the church. So what it boils down to is that you have to go back to Italy. There is just too much to do in one trip.
We took a Scala Reale tour which went through the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel first and ended in St. Peter's. But by the time we finshed the tour, we were exhausted to see the rest of the church. So what it boils down to is that you have to go back to Italy. There is just too much to do in one trip.
Oct 2nd, 2003, 03:52 PM
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Day 3: Sunday
My cousin brought us to the Colloseum and the Palatine. I wanted to go to the cat santuary, but my cousin (who is involved in the tourism business) insisted that the whole cat santuary thing was "just for the tourists" and that there was only about 10 cats there. I knew this was coming from a non-cat lover so I decided to find out on my own another day.
We strolled by the Bocca della Verita, I was amazed at all the people waiting in line to take their picture with their hand in the mouth, to reenact the scene in "Roman Holiday."
We then went to the San Salvatore church and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The beauty of these places absolutely took my breath away. I never imagined that I would take so many pictures inside of churches and basilicas but I took many.
In the evening we went to Campo de Fiori, and I sought out Lush. I have heard so much about their products on this board. I spent over an hour in there!
We were going on the Naples organized bus tour the next day, so for dinner we stayed close to our hotel. Big mistake, we ate at Trattoria Scavolino not too far from the Trevi Fountain. It wasn't awful but it was unremarkable. I guess that's what you get for sticking too close to the main tourist areas.
My cousin brought us to the Colloseum and the Palatine. I wanted to go to the cat santuary, but my cousin (who is involved in the tourism business) insisted that the whole cat santuary thing was "just for the tourists" and that there was only about 10 cats there. I knew this was coming from a non-cat lover so I decided to find out on my own another day.
We strolled by the Bocca della Verita, I was amazed at all the people waiting in line to take their picture with their hand in the mouth, to reenact the scene in "Roman Holiday."
We then went to the San Salvatore church and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The beauty of these places absolutely took my breath away. I never imagined that I would take so many pictures inside of churches and basilicas but I took many.
In the evening we went to Campo de Fiori, and I sought out Lush. I have heard so much about their products on this board. I spent over an hour in there!
We were going on the Naples organized bus tour the next day, so for dinner we stayed close to our hotel. Big mistake, we ate at Trattoria Scavolino not too far from the Trevi Fountain. It wasn't awful but it was unremarkable. I guess that's what you get for sticking too close to the main tourist areas.
Oct 3rd, 2003, 04:43 PM
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Day 4- Monday
We were picked up at our hotel by the tour operator for our Naples/Pompeii tour. They picked us up in a small van that transported us to the big bus. We booked through tour rome. I choose them because they offered a guided tour of the site, some of the other companies did not.
The ride to Naples was really awful, the seats were smaller than economy airline seats. Also, the 2 translators talked the entire 2 1/2 hours. They translated everything in 4 languages. After awhile it got seriously annoying. I recommend a walkman.
On the way they stopped at a rest stop. Once we got to Naples they stopped in an area so that we could take pictures of the bay of Naples. We then picked up our tour guide for the Naples & Pompeii. We drove through the city while the guide pointed out areas of interest. At this point I think they cut down to 2 languages.
We then left Naples where they drove us to the cameo factory. I felt like I was never going to get to Pompeii!! When we finally got there it was time for lunch (included). They served us something that was either roasted pork or Turkey (still haven't figured it out) with the worst mashed potatoes ever. I can't believe we had mashed potatoes in Italy.
Once to the site I was happy, and glad to have a guide to tell us background information on what we were seeing. We had a little over 2 hours there. On the way back they stopped at a rest stop. Once in Rome they dropped people off in the vicinity of their hotels in the big bus, so we had to sit while they went to every region of Rome dropping people off. I had to use the bathroom so bad by then I thought I was going to burst. There was a lot of sitting around and wasted time throughout the entire day.
It was more of a good experience than bad, but if you have any other option to see Pompeii- take it. That night we ate near the hotel as we were exhausted, we ate at Al Gallonaccio, a new restaurant at Viccolo del Gallinaccio, 6. It was off a side street in the vicinity of the Trevi Fountain. The food was quite good, especially the pasta.
We were picked up at our hotel by the tour operator for our Naples/Pompeii tour. They picked us up in a small van that transported us to the big bus. We booked through tour rome. I choose them because they offered a guided tour of the site, some of the other companies did not.
The ride to Naples was really awful, the seats were smaller than economy airline seats. Also, the 2 translators talked the entire 2 1/2 hours. They translated everything in 4 languages. After awhile it got seriously annoying. I recommend a walkman.
On the way they stopped at a rest stop. Once we got to Naples they stopped in an area so that we could take pictures of the bay of Naples. We then picked up our tour guide for the Naples & Pompeii. We drove through the city while the guide pointed out areas of interest. At this point I think they cut down to 2 languages.
We then left Naples where they drove us to the cameo factory. I felt like I was never going to get to Pompeii!! When we finally got there it was time for lunch (included). They served us something that was either roasted pork or Turkey (still haven't figured it out) with the worst mashed potatoes ever. I can't believe we had mashed potatoes in Italy.
Once to the site I was happy, and glad to have a guide to tell us background information on what we were seeing. We had a little over 2 hours there. On the way back they stopped at a rest stop. Once in Rome they dropped people off in the vicinity of their hotels in the big bus, so we had to sit while they went to every region of Rome dropping people off. I had to use the bathroom so bad by then I thought I was going to burst. There was a lot of sitting around and wasted time throughout the entire day.
It was more of a good experience than bad, but if you have any other option to see Pompeii- take it. That night we ate near the hotel as we were exhausted, we ate at Al Gallonaccio, a new restaurant at Viccolo del Gallinaccio, 6. It was off a side street in the vicinity of the Trevi Fountain. The food was quite good, especially the pasta.
Oct 5th, 2003, 02:15 PM
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Tuesday-
This was our last full day in Rome and I was a bit sad. Out of all the cities that I have traveled to in Europe, Rome is my favorite. I actually felt like if the opportunity ever presented itself that I could actually live there.
In the morning we decided to go see if the Torre Argentina cat sanctuary was just for tourists as my cousin said it was. We saw at least 50 cats, not the 10 that she said there would be! We walked the perimeter looking at all the cats lounging in the ruins. I took some cute pictures of them- yes I am the person that returns from an european trip and has a bunch of animal photos. I admit it.
We then headed over to Villa Borghese as we had a reservation for early afternoon. I made the mistake of checking in my purse (which contained my camera) too early, because afterwards we went for a stroll in the park and sat by a fountain. A very distinguished looking gentleman was walking his dog, and all of a sudden the dog dashed into the fountain! He swam all around it, jumped out, jumped back in... it was hilarious. The whole time his owner was yelling at him in Italian. I wished I had my camera.
We went to the museum and walked through each beautiful room. It was somewhat overwhelming as there was so much to look at. I especially enjoyed Bernini's sculptures.
After the villa we headed over to the Spanish Steps for some last minue shopping. My father took a rest on the steps for a few hours as I meandered store to store.
That evening I took a fellow fodorites recommendation (Scullysioux thank you!) and at at Osteria del Gallo at Vicolo di Montevecchio, 27. By the way, I saw "Under the Tuscan Sun" today and they showed the street that the restaurant is on. I had amazing zucca frita (Fried zucchini flowers) and pasta all'amatriciana. We really enjoyed the ambiance and food at this restaurant, it almost felt authentic- at least it didn't feel really touristy.
For our last evening in Rome
we strolled through Piazza Navona and sat by the Trevi Fountain. This is a city that I plan on returning to many more times! Especially since me & my cousin got along very well, I would love to go visit her again.
This was our last full day in Rome and I was a bit sad. Out of all the cities that I have traveled to in Europe, Rome is my favorite. I actually felt like if the opportunity ever presented itself that I could actually live there.
In the morning we decided to go see if the Torre Argentina cat sanctuary was just for tourists as my cousin said it was. We saw at least 50 cats, not the 10 that she said there would be! We walked the perimeter looking at all the cats lounging in the ruins. I took some cute pictures of them- yes I am the person that returns from an european trip and has a bunch of animal photos. I admit it.
We then headed over to Villa Borghese as we had a reservation for early afternoon. I made the mistake of checking in my purse (which contained my camera) too early, because afterwards we went for a stroll in the park and sat by a fountain. A very distinguished looking gentleman was walking his dog, and all of a sudden the dog dashed into the fountain! He swam all around it, jumped out, jumped back in... it was hilarious. The whole time his owner was yelling at him in Italian. I wished I had my camera.
We went to the museum and walked through each beautiful room. It was somewhat overwhelming as there was so much to look at. I especially enjoyed Bernini's sculptures.
After the villa we headed over to the Spanish Steps for some last minue shopping. My father took a rest on the steps for a few hours as I meandered store to store.
That evening I took a fellow fodorites recommendation (Scullysioux thank you!) and at at Osteria del Gallo at Vicolo di Montevecchio, 27. By the way, I saw "Under the Tuscan Sun" today and they showed the street that the restaurant is on. I had amazing zucca frita (Fried zucchini flowers) and pasta all'amatriciana. We really enjoyed the ambiance and food at this restaurant, it almost felt authentic- at least it didn't feel really touristy.
For our last evening in Rome
we strolled through Piazza Navona and sat by the Trevi Fountain. This is a city that I plan on returning to many more times! Especially since me & my cousin got along very well, I would love to go visit her again.
Oct 5th, 2003, 02:44 PM
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Wednesday-
We took a 9am flight on airone to Lamezia airport in Calabria. This was the first day since we had been in Rome that it was raining! Every other day was sunny & beautiful. The weather delayed our flight for about an hour. The flight itself was only a little over an hour.
When we got our luggage in Lamezia we walked out to the area where people wait for arrivals, and me and my father were looking around for our family. Not that either one of us would recognize anyone, this was my dad's 1st time back since he left about 40 years ago. The only family member that I had ever met that lived there was one of my aunts, and that was about 18 years ago when I was quite young. As we looked around I saw a little short older lady dressed in black staring at my father. I tapped his shoulder, and he recognized her as being his sister Mary that he hasn't seen since he left. Quite an amazing moment.
After we were introduced to the others that came, and after much cheek kissing, we headed out to Gioiosa Ionica. It was about an hour's drive. From this point one I knew I wouldn't have really anyone to talk to, because my cousin in Rome had said that noone in the town spoke English. I also knew that my dad wouldn't stop to translate everything, so I just enjoyed the mountains while we drove. That's what first impressed me about this region, it is extremely mountainous and fairly lush.
We went straight to my other Aunt's house where we were staying, this is the one I hadn't seen since I was about 10. We ate so much and met so many people over the next few hours it made my head spin.
We finally met the man that had set me forth on this journey in the 1st place, one of my 1st cousins. About a year and a half ago I was working at a hospital in Manhattan when I saw a new patient on my roster (I'm a social worker) with the same last name as me. I met her and soon found out that her husband was from the same town as my father and was a distant cousin. He brought in some pictures of my family there that he knew, and one was of my 1st cousin. He looked exactly like my father but shorter! From that point on I worked on getting me and my father to go on this trip.
After about 8 courses of food my cousin took me & and my father out for a drive. He took us through the main town close to the beach, and he took us to the beach also. It was pretty quiet, but it was a very wide stretch of sandy/rocky beach and very clear water. From afar I could see something that looked like a castle, so my cousin took us to see it.
The castle was in the town of Roccella Jonica. The castle looked more impressive from far away, once we got up to it we saw that it was closed for renovations.
Next we went to the abandoned home up on another mountain where my dad and his family grew up. It was a very special moment for him and me. That evening we went to several of my family member's homes meeting more family, apparently this whole area right outside of the main town of Gioiosa Ionica is populated with relatives of ours.
We took a 9am flight on airone to Lamezia airport in Calabria. This was the first day since we had been in Rome that it was raining! Every other day was sunny & beautiful. The weather delayed our flight for about an hour. The flight itself was only a little over an hour.
When we got our luggage in Lamezia we walked out to the area where people wait for arrivals, and me and my father were looking around for our family. Not that either one of us would recognize anyone, this was my dad's 1st time back since he left about 40 years ago. The only family member that I had ever met that lived there was one of my aunts, and that was about 18 years ago when I was quite young. As we looked around I saw a little short older lady dressed in black staring at my father. I tapped his shoulder, and he recognized her as being his sister Mary that he hasn't seen since he left. Quite an amazing moment.
After we were introduced to the others that came, and after much cheek kissing, we headed out to Gioiosa Ionica. It was about an hour's drive. From this point one I knew I wouldn't have really anyone to talk to, because my cousin in Rome had said that noone in the town spoke English. I also knew that my dad wouldn't stop to translate everything, so I just enjoyed the mountains while we drove. That's what first impressed me about this region, it is extremely mountainous and fairly lush.
We went straight to my other Aunt's house where we were staying, this is the one I hadn't seen since I was about 10. We ate so much and met so many people over the next few hours it made my head spin.
We finally met the man that had set me forth on this journey in the 1st place, one of my 1st cousins. About a year and a half ago I was working at a hospital in Manhattan when I saw a new patient on my roster (I'm a social worker) with the same last name as me. I met her and soon found out that her husband was from the same town as my father and was a distant cousin. He brought in some pictures of my family there that he knew, and one was of my 1st cousin. He looked exactly like my father but shorter! From that point on I worked on getting me and my father to go on this trip.
After about 8 courses of food my cousin took me & and my father out for a drive. He took us through the main town close to the beach, and he took us to the beach also. It was pretty quiet, but it was a very wide stretch of sandy/rocky beach and very clear water. From afar I could see something that looked like a castle, so my cousin took us to see it.
The castle was in the town of Roccella Jonica. The castle looked more impressive from far away, once we got up to it we saw that it was closed for renovations.
Next we went to the abandoned home up on another mountain where my dad and his family grew up. It was a very special moment for him and me. That evening we went to several of my family member's homes meeting more family, apparently this whole area right outside of the main town of Gioiosa Ionica is populated with relatives of ours.
Oct 6th, 2003, 03:57 PM
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Thursday-
In the morning one of my cousins drove us to Gerace. This town was very picturesque and medievil. The cathedral is the largest in Calabria. The cathedrals that I saw in Calabria were much plainer than the ones in Rome, but beautiful in their own way. Gerace also has the ruins of a Norman Castle that is very beautiful. There is a stunning photo op in this town, unfortunately we didn't stop. As we were driving out there is the "Porta del Sole," which is an archway on the edge of town that looks out over the sea. The picture is in my "Calabria, Treasure of Italy Book" that I picked up in Gerace. It is absolutely stunning.
In the afternoon I went to the beach for a little while with some of my 2nd cousins. It seemed like the mornings were very sunny, and in the afternoon it got very cloudy. So, by the time we got to the beach it wasn't too nice out. My second cousins and I had a good time though using the Italian-English dictionary to try and communicate. Many of them had been taking English for years but could not speak it very well because they never use it. I'm starting up Italian classes soon, so hopefully the next time that we go I can speak to them better.
That evening we went to a local festival in Riace. The name of the festival is "Pellegrinaggio Patronale," or "patron saint pilgrimage." Groups of gypsies play music, dance and eat all night long until the following morning when they carry the saint's statue into the church. We got a table in a sectioned off area and ate an incredible amount of food. There was a traditional pork dish that included the snout and feet. I'll admit I tasted the pork (not the snout or feet) and it was good, but due to the appearance I couldn't eat anymore of it. We had sausages, steaks, salads. My dad and his buddies even ended up dancing with the gypsies. These people new how to have a good time, the energy was unbelievable. I took some movie clips with my digital camera, they are dark but you can hear the traditional music. If anyone wants me to e-mail them just give me your e-mail address and I will send the clips. Probably next week I'll post a link to my pictures from the whole trip.
In the morning one of my cousins drove us to Gerace. This town was very picturesque and medievil. The cathedral is the largest in Calabria. The cathedrals that I saw in Calabria were much plainer than the ones in Rome, but beautiful in their own way. Gerace also has the ruins of a Norman Castle that is very beautiful. There is a stunning photo op in this town, unfortunately we didn't stop. As we were driving out there is the "Porta del Sole," which is an archway on the edge of town that looks out over the sea. The picture is in my "Calabria, Treasure of Italy Book" that I picked up in Gerace. It is absolutely stunning.
In the afternoon I went to the beach for a little while with some of my 2nd cousins. It seemed like the mornings were very sunny, and in the afternoon it got very cloudy. So, by the time we got to the beach it wasn't too nice out. My second cousins and I had a good time though using the Italian-English dictionary to try and communicate. Many of them had been taking English for years but could not speak it very well because they never use it. I'm starting up Italian classes soon, so hopefully the next time that we go I can speak to them better.
That evening we went to a local festival in Riace. The name of the festival is "Pellegrinaggio Patronale," or "patron saint pilgrimage." Groups of gypsies play music, dance and eat all night long until the following morning when they carry the saint's statue into the church. We got a table in a sectioned off area and ate an incredible amount of food. There was a traditional pork dish that included the snout and feet. I'll admit I tasted the pork (not the snout or feet) and it was good, but due to the appearance I couldn't eat anymore of it. We had sausages, steaks, salads. My dad and his buddies even ended up dancing with the gypsies. These people new how to have a good time, the energy was unbelievable. I took some movie clips with my digital camera, they are dark but you can hear the traditional music. If anyone wants me to e-mail them just give me your e-mail address and I will send the clips. Probably next week I'll post a link to my pictures from the whole trip.
Oct 6th, 2003, 04:30 PM
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Friday-
This was a pretty laid back day. We went to Gioiosa Town and went to "Gioielleria Royal," a nice jewelry store where we got my mother a beautiful white and yellow gold necklace.
We visited the cemetary where my grandparents and other relatives are buried. The cemetary was quite different from the ones in upstate NY where I grew up. They were small and very crowded. Most graves were made completely out of marble, with the headstone being connected to a long piece that covered the top of where the coffin is underground. It appeared that all the graves also had a picture of the person on them.
In the afternoon my father's friend drove us up and through Monte Pecoraro. Apparently, the animal life in this region is among the most interesting in the area. It is inhabited by the wild cat "Felis silvestris," martens, goshawks, wild boars, etc. It was raining furiously on & off throughout our drive going up the mountain. We stopped at some sort of nature preserve called "Boschetto della Riflessione," (I think that's the name). I took a great picture of a double rainbow with mountains in the background.
By the time we got to our friend's destination (he took a few wrong turns) we had reached Serra San Bruno it was late. He didn't want to stop, and we had been in the mountains for hours by that time and didn't really care!!! Serra San Bruno is supposed to be full of beautiful houses decorated in the Baroque style.
This was a pretty laid back day. We went to Gioiosa Town and went to "Gioielleria Royal," a nice jewelry store where we got my mother a beautiful white and yellow gold necklace.
We visited the cemetary where my grandparents and other relatives are buried. The cemetary was quite different from the ones in upstate NY where I grew up. They were small and very crowded. Most graves were made completely out of marble, with the headstone being connected to a long piece that covered the top of where the coffin is underground. It appeared that all the graves also had a picture of the person on them.
In the afternoon my father's friend drove us up and through Monte Pecoraro. Apparently, the animal life in this region is among the most interesting in the area. It is inhabited by the wild cat "Felis silvestris," martens, goshawks, wild boars, etc. It was raining furiously on & off throughout our drive going up the mountain. We stopped at some sort of nature preserve called "Boschetto della Riflessione," (I think that's the name). I took a great picture of a double rainbow with mountains in the background.
By the time we got to our friend's destination (he took a few wrong turns) we had reached Serra San Bruno it was late. He didn't want to stop, and we had been in the mountains for hours by that time and didn't really care!!! Serra San Bruno is supposed to be full of beautiful houses decorated in the Baroque style.
Oct 8th, 2003, 04:43 PM
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One thing I must add is that the best food that I have ever eaten in Italy was in Calabria! I ate mostly at my family's homes, but did check out a few pizzerias. My family basically lives off the land, growing all of their own fruits and vegetables. They make their own cheese, and also their own salami. They made every lunchtime special, most of the family member's would gather and eat together. Some of my fondest memories from this trip are from the times we sat and ate together. I don't have a big family at home in the U.S., so it's wonderful that I got to experience it there.
Saturday
I went to the beach for a few hours in the am, and it was HOT. Like I mentioned before, the weather pattern for late September seemed to be hot and humid during the day, and in the evening it cooled down considerably. One cultural note: one day I wanted to be dropped off at the beach and go by myself. This was a major no-no according to my aunt, she stated that it wasn't safe. I always had to accompanied by someone else wherever I went. I think part of this has to do with the fact that this particular town is really known for it's mafia prescence. Enough said.
In the evening my second cousins and a few of their boyfriends took me to a pizzeria in town. The restaurant is called "Ontario Place," on Via F. Logozzo, phone 0964 413155 in Gioiosa Ionica. The pizza was excellent, but they had one very strange combination. They had a pizza with french fries on it! That's something I never expected to see in Calabria.
Sunday- our last day-
I woke up 3:30am to go to the bathroom and was half asleep and confused when I finally realized that the power had gone out. I was too afraid to attempt the walk to the bathroom in the dark, as my aunt's floors are all marble and that would have hurt if I took a spill! I just went back to sleep. When I woke up later my father told me about the blackout and how all of Italy was affected. I started to have thoughts that perhaps this would affect our flight the next day... I wanted to get stuck in Italy! No such luck, the lights were back on by 4pm. I couldn't believe that I had first experienced the blackout in NY, then in Italy.
In Gioiosa Ionica on Sunday mornings they have a market that sells everything you could possibly need- cloths, shoes, pottery, candy... it was quite the scene as it appeared that everyone in the town was there. After strolling through the market we walked through the old town. It was very picturesque and medievil looking. There were also ruins of a castle.
In the afternoon my cousin and her boyfriend took me to Siderno, the next town over. This town has their act together much more than Gioiosa, it is better maintained. They don't have the same "prescence" as Gioiosa, barring them from moving forward. We went to "La Gru," a large shopping mall where they have all kinds of stores.
That evening we had dinner at my cousin's home, and we ate outside. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful exploration of my roots.
Apparently, the feast of San Rocco in August is the biggest festival. All of my younger cousins kept saying that if I came back next year in August the whole atmosphere would be completely different and more lively. So, my father informed them that we would be back in August. I am ecstatic to say the least. I succeeded in connecting my father back to his family, as well as making connections of my own. I will be keeping in contact with a few cousins via e-mail.
I never got to Tropea, sadly. I really would encourage the adventurous traveler to explore the area of Calabria. It has everything a tourist could want- good food, beautiful beaches, archaeological sites.
Saturday
I went to the beach for a few hours in the am, and it was HOT. Like I mentioned before, the weather pattern for late September seemed to be hot and humid during the day, and in the evening it cooled down considerably. One cultural note: one day I wanted to be dropped off at the beach and go by myself. This was a major no-no according to my aunt, she stated that it wasn't safe. I always had to accompanied by someone else wherever I went. I think part of this has to do with the fact that this particular town is really known for it's mafia prescence. Enough said.
In the evening my second cousins and a few of their boyfriends took me to a pizzeria in town. The restaurant is called "Ontario Place," on Via F. Logozzo, phone 0964 413155 in Gioiosa Ionica. The pizza was excellent, but they had one very strange combination. They had a pizza with french fries on it! That's something I never expected to see in Calabria.
Sunday- our last day-
I woke up 3:30am to go to the bathroom and was half asleep and confused when I finally realized that the power had gone out. I was too afraid to attempt the walk to the bathroom in the dark, as my aunt's floors are all marble and that would have hurt if I took a spill! I just went back to sleep. When I woke up later my father told me about the blackout and how all of Italy was affected. I started to have thoughts that perhaps this would affect our flight the next day... I wanted to get stuck in Italy! No such luck, the lights were back on by 4pm. I couldn't believe that I had first experienced the blackout in NY, then in Italy.
In Gioiosa Ionica on Sunday mornings they have a market that sells everything you could possibly need- cloths, shoes, pottery, candy... it was quite the scene as it appeared that everyone in the town was there. After strolling through the market we walked through the old town. It was very picturesque and medievil looking. There were also ruins of a castle.
In the afternoon my cousin and her boyfriend took me to Siderno, the next town over. This town has their act together much more than Gioiosa, it is better maintained. They don't have the same "prescence" as Gioiosa, barring them from moving forward. We went to "La Gru," a large shopping mall where they have all kinds of stores.
That evening we had dinner at my cousin's home, and we ate outside. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful exploration of my roots.
Apparently, the feast of San Rocco in August is the biggest festival. All of my younger cousins kept saying that if I came back next year in August the whole atmosphere would be completely different and more lively. So, my father informed them that we would be back in August. I am ecstatic to say the least. I succeeded in connecting my father back to his family, as well as making connections of my own. I will be keeping in contact with a few cousins via e-mail.
I never got to Tropea, sadly. I really would encourage the adventurous traveler to explore the area of Calabria. It has everything a tourist could want- good food, beautiful beaches, archaeological sites.
Oct 8th, 2003, 10:05 PM
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What a wonderful report. You write so well that I want to visit every site you mentioned. Have you considered travel writing?
How wonderful to have had that experience with your father. I hope it is the first of many more to come.
How wonderful to have had that experience with your father. I hope it is the first of many more to come.
Oct 9th, 2003, 02:52 AM
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Thanks for the lovely comments!
I would love to moonlight as a travel writer, I just don't know where to begin. Eventually maybe I'll take a travel writing course- but I'm starting Italian classes next Monday! I figured if I keep traveling to Italy the way I've been for the past 14 months I better just learn the language. Especially since I have family to keep in contact with now!
I would love to moonlight as a travel writer, I just don't know where to begin. Eventually maybe I'll take a travel writing course- but I'm starting Italian classes next Monday! I figured if I keep traveling to Italy the way I've been for the past 14 months I better just learn the language. Especially since I have family to keep in contact with now!
