If you had the opportunity to name your community, what would you call it? Italy, with its incredibly long history, believe it or not, still has room for the occasional cartographic adjustment, and such is the case with Santa Maria del Cedro in Calabria. This burgeoning coastal town only acquired its name fifty years ago, when it chose to honor …
The Castle of Roseto Capo Spulico: Templars, Tuna and Truffles in Calabria
The castle of Roseto Capo Spulico turns heads. Fused to a rocky cliff right at shore’s edge, the striking monument along the Ionian Sea is situated on the Calabrian side of the border between the southern Italian regions of Calabria and Basilicata. I had admired the majestic structure from train and bus windows before recently having the opportunity of viewing …
VISIT CALABRIA Says the NY Times!
The list is out – early in January, the New York Times unveiled their “52 Places To Go in 2017” and Calabria made the cut! That’s right. The only place chosen in the entire length of the Italian boot wasn’t one of the usual favorites – not Rome, Florence, Venice, the Amalfi Coast or even the hill towns of Umbria. …
Mid-August Lunch, A Favorite Italian Film
PRANZO DI FERRAGOSTO I was utterly charmed the first time I saw Pranzo di Ferragosto just after its release in the early fall of 2008. I remember seeing it in Rome at the multiplex in Piazza Barberini with friends from Rieti, where I was staying. The film wasn’t expected to be a huge draw and hadn’t been programmed in Rieti, …
The Bergamot: Calabria’s Incredible Citrus
WHAT IS THE BERGAMOT? The bergamot is a wonderfully unique citrus that makes its home in Calabria. It’s quite puzzling, this strange fruit with a bitter, almost musty-smelling pulp and incredibly light, fragrant zest. Equally intriguing, the bergamot’s complex properties lend themselves to a wide variety of uses and products – from perfume to cuisine to pharmaceuticals – positively jaw …
Italian Dogs and the Mediterranean Diet
Dog lovers take note of the slightest mention of man’s best friend. So not surprisingly, a number of people have asked me about the dogs I briefly referred to in my book. To set the scene, my dear friends Luisa and Franco had three dogs that they walked in the beautiful park along Via Marina in the center of downtown …
Lunch at a Neapolitan Trattoria
AN AMERICAN EXPAT IN NAPLES My friend Tricia LOVES Naples. She stumbled upon her adopted hometown traveling through Europe after college. No doubt, she had visited many other beautiful places, but upon arrival in this vibrant southern Italian city, she knew she was home.
Palizzi: Yesterday and Today
Before my daytrip to Palizzi, I associated the town with two things: Edward Lear’s wonderful lithograph drawings and red wine – not necessarily in that order.
Woman’s Day in Italy
“Buona festa!” (Happy Holiday!) My boss Mario greeted me with a big smile and was handing me a small bunch of yellow flowers and some foliage tied together with a ribbon. The secretary came up behind me and he picked up another little bouquet from his desk and said, “Auguri!” (Good wishes!)
Calabrian Eateries: Trattoria La Collinetta in Martone
FIT FOR ROYALTY “You haven’t ever eaten at “La Collinetta”? You have to go there!” Mercedes was very enthusiastic, to say the least, about this trattoria where she and her friend dined every Saturday afternoon. “They treat us like princesses.”