Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Reggio Calabria”
Modern man has the tendency to think of himself as more evolved and cleverer than his predecessors, but things aren’t always what they seem. Perusing the pages of history books and visiting museums can lend a bit of perspective with regard to ingenuity over the ages. Take ancient acrolith sculpture, of which several noteworthy examples still exist, amongst them, the …
These past six months have both dragged and flown. And I realize that my sixth blogiversary is upon me. Reflecting on whether or not the time actually adds up to a year, I remind myself that we must surely be thankful for our ability to imagine, to ponder past our own backyards or as they say #DreamNowTravelLater – I’m learning …
People are constantly asking me to give them the highlights of Calabria, to sum it up in a sentence or two. Why should they read my book or scroll through my 100+ blogposts about the region? They want a soundbite, and amongst the myriad of enticements, I’ve found that the bergamot sparks interest. And now, the history of this remarkable …
With the “stay at home” order in place, I find myself flipping through old books and photos. And as news outlets report scenarios ever more ominous, I turn to images of better times and lovelier places. In this post, I would like to share a few beauties of Calabria through the words of visitors who passed through the region over …
This past week I happened to be in Reggio Calabria for the Procession of the Madonna. The festival is a constant for the city, not only in religious terms but with regard to families, neighbors, friends and between fellow Calabresi. As I followed the celebrations, I realized that the procession has also been a constant for me over the years …
Whenever you embark on something new, there’s that level of uncertainty until it’s all over and you can sit back and reflect on how it went. You want everything to be perfect and you do everything in your power to make that happen. As owner of my new travel company Karen’s Travel LLC, I ran my first Calabria Cultural Tour …
Medma, Rosarno? For most travelers to Italy, these names will not ring any bells. The former was an ancient city-state of Greater Greece and the latter is its modern-day counterpart in Calabria. Medma’s terracotta is exceptionally beautiful. You can see a few pieces in the collection of the British Museum, or visit the archeological museums in Rosarno and Reggio, and …
Many people pass over Reggio in their rush to get from mainland Italy to the island of Sicily. Driving down the highway, they turn off at Villa San Giovanni for the car ferry to Messina, never giving a thought to what they might be missing just twenty minutes further along the road. What’s down there, anyway? Trust me, go the …
When I first decided to write about Calabria, I never imagined in what directions it would take me or what opportunities would open up. First, my book Calabria: The Other Italy, then My Italian Blog of which this is the 100th post, next the managing of various social media pages, even a YouTube channel, and now the start of tours …
Over the past few years, I have become more and more aware of an exotic fruit rather common in the Province of Reggio Calabria. In Italian, this unusual, light-green fruit that ripens in the fall is called annona from the Latin Annona cherimola. In English, it is known as the cherimoya (also chirimoya, chirimuya) or custard apple.