I recently returned from a vacation in southern Italy. Here’s an unvarnished assessment of my sojourn to the Seed of Aeneas: Spettacolare!
Mine was mainly a southern-based journey across Calabria—from la Sila, the forested mountains (Camigliatello, San Giovanni in Fiore, Castelsilano and Caccuri) to la Costa degli Dei, “the coast of the gods” (Vibo Valentia, Capo Vaticano and Tropea). And it was nothing short of glorious.
After renting a car in Rome, we drove to Naples, Sorrento and the aforementioned towns and resorts in Calabria. Spoiler alert: you haven’t lived till you’ve luxuriated at the Capo Vaticano Thalasso Resort Spa. This palatial 5-star hotel on the Tyrrhenian Sea beggars the imagination. Moreover, it offers all the amenities one could desire. Indeed, the resort’s efficiency, courteous service and sheer elegance call to mind Rome’s Hassler Hotel.
Tropea is yet another jewel in Calabria’s Coast of the Gods. Forget France’s St. Tropez. This thriving Italian borgo (town) is as scintillating as it is beautiful. From the nightlife to the scenery to the cuisine, Tropea is a must-see locale. Plus, it’s a lot of fun!
Camigliatello in la Sila, which boasts Europe’s purest air, was humming with excitement. And the Alpine-like views and bracing mountain air reinvigorated my body and soul. Plus, kudos to the Duchessa della Sila hotel. With its lakes and majestic mountains, la Sila is evocative of the Dolomites. And as historian Donald Dudley noted, the giganti (alberi, trees) della Sila played a leading role in providing the timber that built the ships that made the Mediterranean a Roman lake (Mare Nostrum).
We also enjoyed our brief excursions to Sorrento and Ischia.
As for the minuses, they were minor. The notorious graffiti afflicting the major cities appears to be lessening. My belief is that such graffiti is the handiwork of migrants who now live in Italy. (I also maintain that careless tourists and migrants contribute to some untidiness and clutter at the margins of the cities and towns.) By the way, the graffiti is negligible in the southern borghi.
My interactions with Italians in Rome and throughout the Mezzogiorno were pretty much exemplary. The Eternal City is being revitalized—with an eye to uncovering and expanding the ancient imperial sites. Plus, the Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino) Airport is enjoyably and efficiently top notch and chic.
In short: The Magic Boot lives! –RAI
Bravo! The Calabria which “Searching for Italy” either ignored or about which it was clueless. The pictures, and Rosario’s words, speak volumes. Get thee to the real “boot” of the boot!
Great info…….Will just keep adding to the bucket list, which will last longer than one life time!…Coincidently I was reading the book, Calabria the other Italy by Karen Haid, 2015, and still a timely assessment of the region….it may be out of print now, but it offers an engaging portrait of the area on a day to day basis, and a timely reminder, that while the memories and pictures of any region are stilted by time and a family members perspective, the actual region just keeps moving along and changing. I have noticed the cuisine of Calabria, is making itself known too in some of the more innovative Italian restaurants. When I wrote my cookbook Flavors From a Calabrese Kitchen, in the 1980’s I did it with preservation in mind, thinking that cuisine and lifestyle was fast disappearing, instead it took a culinary upturn………crazy making too, when I have to listen to the experts talk about it ….. I wont even go into wines, and all the chatter…..basically for me, it is still a food, and part of the meal.