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Calabria 2024
  • Jcrieff

Calabria 2024

A 11-day adventure by Jcrieff Read more
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  • JcrieffCalabria 2024Traveler

    Dinner and Wheel of Fortune

    November 5, 2024 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 55 °F

    Dinner was about 45 minutes later. There was a big table, with a tablecloth at one end. On the wall in front of me was a giant TV with "Ruota della Fortuna," or Wheel of Fortune! I actually did pretty well guessing. It is similar to ours, except "Vanna" is young and more scantily dressed, "Pat" has his shirt open with lots of gold chains, and it lasts an hour.

    Dinner started antipasto of olives, mushrooms, prosciutto, cheese, and grilled eggplant rolled around capers and maybe anchovies. That could have been enough for me... but no. Pasta was spaghetti and meatballs. I thought the Italians didn't do that! The main course was mashed potatoes with pea and ground meat, mixed and fried. So good! At this point, I was stuffed, but there was dessert--nuts and an apple. The offered and amaro that they made here from a fruit I never heard of.

    During the dinner, I was alone except the father, who was watching TV behind me on the couch. The son, the same man who greeted me, served me the food. After the pasta, I met Maria, who was doing the cooking. After dinner, she came out and spoke with me. Again, nobody speaks English. She sat with me and told me that they grow almost all the food here. They press olive oil, make marmalades, have chickens, etc.

    I was SO tired and finally said buonanotte. We agreed that breakfast would be at 9am. I fell asleep very quickly!    Read more

  • JcrieffCalabria 2024Traveler
    Maria surveying the fruit trees
    Bee hiveOutside the villaThe villa doorThe kitchenMaria and mePicking veggiesButterflies on rotting nespola

    L agriturismo

    November 6, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    Wow, what a day so far! I woke up and went downstairs to breakfast fast and heard the awful news about the election. I almost started crying. I wasn't hungry, but Maria's pastries looked too good! I spoke with Maria during most of the breakfast, and she showed me pictures of her grandchildren and the foods she makes. She is in her seventies (my Italian brain missed the other half of the number!)

    I asked if I could walk around the farm. Instead, I got a 4-hour tour of the property from Maria. First, we walked downhill to the orange, mandarin, and lemon trees. She picked a basket of oranges, and I got to try an orange and a mandarin. All the fruit trees are mixed together. There also were figs, pomegranates, cherries, grapefruit, and medlars. I'd never heard of a medlar or nespola in Italian. The are.eaten overripe and taste like vanilla and almonds. The seeds are used for an amaro that tastes like almonds.

    After that, she took me in her car to the villa across the way. It is 500 years old and still being renovated. They want to turn it into another lodging for bigger groups. There is a small chapel, which was beautiful. Then Maria started to sing, and I started to cry. Maybe the stress of the election news, or the beauty of it all, or both.

    The house (manor, villa?) Was being renovated. I understood that they are doing it slowly, as they get loans from the government. The agriturismi are subsidized by the government to keep the farms going with the help of tourism. Downstairs was a disaster, with old and fairly new furniture and junk everywhere. But upstairs, there are 2 rooms that are almost completed, with bathrooms. Then she took me to the top floor. That started by climbing a ladder to a small doorway, then up some broken stairs. Maria told me to follow her steps exactly! Up there is what used to be the kitchen--an enormous room with a big fireplace. Off the kitchen, they have started building out more guest rooms. There are balconies with great views.

    Then we visited a small building where they plan to have a bar (coffee area), it also needs a lot of work. But I could see that it will be great if finished. She also showed me where the pool will be. For that, they are waiting for permits.

    Finally we stopped at a vegetable patch where Maria picked lettuce and some broccolini.

    Back at the main house, she brought me coffee, and I relaxed on the patio.    Read more

  • JcrieffCalabria 2024Traveler

    Driving

    November 6, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    I said I wanted to take a drive, and Maria warned me that I only had 2 hours of daylight left. I left without a plan.

    Short story. Not many pictures because there was nowhere to stop. Many narrow, twisting roads and GPS that was confusing. I got turned around a few times, saw some cute villages, and avoided 2 head-on collisions.

    After I returned, I sat on the patio with my wine leftover from the last restaurant, and watched the sunset. It's getting chilly, so I will go inside and rest before dinner at 7pm.    Read more

  • JcrieffCalabria 2024Traveler

    Dinner

    November 6, 2024 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 55 °F

    After my drive and my glass of wine, I rested in the room for a while. Dinner was at 7pm, but the bell rang closer to.6:45pm.

    Tonight, the menu was as follows:

    Antipasto - roasted peppers filled with tuna, anchovies, and capers. Cheeses, an eggplant relish, and olives. Also, a salad with the lettuce we picked this morning. (I didn't really help!)

    Pasta - pasta "alla chitarra" with a brown sauce and maybe chicken.

    Secondo - a place of spicy sausage with broccoli rabe.

    Amaro and dessert.- grappa, made here of course! Biscotti with fennel.

    Again, we watched Wheel of Fortune during dinner. Then the news with all the US election stuff. The Italians are worried, too. Well, some of them, at least... Maria wanted to watch a show with young singers (8 to 14 year olds). It was interesting and the singers were very good. I didn't really understand the judging process. After the first round, I excused my self, and went to bed. I watched the end of "Hunger Games" before falling asleep.    Read more

  • JcrieffCalabria 2024Traveler

    La Raccolta della Olive

    November 7, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    I woke up and took a quick shower before going down to breakfast at 9am. I had my cappuccino and a piece of pomegranate cake, along with pomegranate juice. Maria showed me their publicity video and rave review of this place. She explained why all the food here is the bet, too!

    They were harvesting olives, and she asked if.i wanted to see. Of course! Honestly, some of the experiences I am having would cost a lot of money on Airbnb Experiences!

    It was a short walk to the olive grove. There were 2 men with electric "rakes" that shook the branches to knock the olives off onto a tarp. Then, there was a woman gathering up the edges and picking out the branches. After most of the leaves and branches were picked out, they put the rest into a small crate. They even let me pretend to help.

    We walked back to the house, and I noticed a bunch of dried grapes that looked like raisins. They, of course, were raisins! I am now relaxing on the patio with my raisins, an espresso, and other goodies. I have no other plans for the day, and that is fine.    Read more

  • JcrieffCalabria 2024Traveler

    On to FCO

    November 8, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Yesterday was a relaxing day after my "hard work" during the olive harvest. I went back to my room and began to organize my things for tomorrow. I wanted to buy some goodies and needed to make sure there was enough room. But mostly, I rested and watched some TV. At 4pm, noticed that the sun was out, so I walked around the property. When I returned Maria was asking me about my plans for the next day.

    I went to the room and retrieved my tablet and the rest of the bottle of wine from Reggio Calabria. We made arrangements for dinner at 7pm, breakfast at 7:30pm and I will leave at 8:15am. I relaxed with my book and the wine until the sunset, and I was getting chilly. Before I went upstairs, Maria showed me her kitchen. She had just finished the pasta for dinner. And when I say "just finished," I mean, rolling it out by hand! It was a big kitchen with 2 wood burning stoves. A big work area and other gas stoves. Then Atanasio (son) and Giuseppe (Maria's husband) were ready for me to let me go shopping.

    I picked out some jams for gifts for co-workers and cat sitters. It all looked so good! They added it up, along with the rest of my bill, including meals and the balance of my stay. The entire 3 days, including gifts, cost 280€. What a deal! Just over $100 per day for food, lodging, gifts, and a great experience!

    Dinner was delicious. She brought out the stuffed peppers I love so much. Plus, the rolled, stuffed grilled eggplant. Plus, a salad made with the lettuce from the day before. The pasta had the tomato sugo I'd been smelling all day along with some stewed beef. The final course was grilled zucchini, topped with ground meat and cheese. And some Italian green beans...or I suppose they just call them green beans...actually they call them fagiolini! At this point, I am really to burst! But then there is dessert! Maria brought out a big container of roast chestnuts and joined me. At one point, she asked if she was bothering me. I had to have her repeat it several times because I couldn't believe she asked that! Giuseppe came in and poured some grappa. It was strong! Before I could go to bed, they insisted that I have a bit more.

    At about 10ish, I went upstairs to bed. I put my pajamas on and packed the clothes I wasn't going to wear anymore. The alarm was set for 6:30am.

    I hit snooze twice (maybe more) before I got out of bed and did my final packing. The suitcase closed without using the expander, but I am now using my purse as a third bag. And I had to sit on the suitcase! I bought it down first, and Maria was ready with my cappuccino. I had a piece of cake filled with chestnut jam. So good. I also had one last glass of fresh pomegranate juice.

    At 8:15, we loaded the car and said our goodbyes. I wish I'd taken a picture of all of us! A big hug with Maria, and Giuseppe gave me a little flower.

    The drive was uneventful. It took about 2 1/2 hours, mostly on the Autostrada. The views were beautiful--mostly of the hills, but some of the Mediterranean. I stopped once at a service area to stretch and take care of business. Then again, about 20 kilometers out of Reggio Calabria to fill the tank. It cost 67€, which is about what I predicted. I did use full-service since I didn't want to deal with the hassle. I did accidentally leave the Autostrada in RC, nit sure how. It took another 10 minutes to get back on.

    After dropping off the car, I made my way to the terminal, where I've been sitting for the last 2 hours. I can check my bag soon. The flight to FCO leaves at 3:15pm, and takes about an hour. From there, I only have to walk across the way to the hotel!    Read more

  • JcrieffCalabria 2024Traveler

    Hilton FCO

    November 8, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    My flight was fine. Short, with a large person next to me that sort of oozed into my seat. Luckily, it was only an hour! My luggage was landing on the belt, just as I arrived. It took me a while to get out of the airport, and to figure out which way to go. Like airports everywhere and most of Rome, there was a lot of construction. The walk was only about 7 to 8 minutes.

    The hotel is nice, as was my room. I wasted no time dropping my bags and jumping into the shower. It was a tub/shower combo, and I almost took a bath. But my hair needed washing, too. After that I headed to the lounge for something to eat and drink. I met a couple from Atlanta, who I spoke with the entire evening--staying up past my bedtime!    Read more

  • JcrieffCalabria 2024Traveler

    Travel day home Part 1

    November 9, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    After the 5:45am alarm, I packed up and made my way to the terminal. I missed a walkway yesterday that made it a much faster and easier way to the terminal.

    I checked in for my flight and checked my back. Good news! My status on Delta got me into the ITA lounge. So after going though security and passport screening, I headed to the lounge. I had a cappuccino, some eggs and bacon, and a pastry. Hey, I'm on vacation.

    The flight was uneventful. The meal was good, and I watched Harry Potter movies.    Read more

  • JcrieffCalabria 2024Traveler

    Travel Day part 2

    November 9, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    We arrived at JFK on time, and I used my Global Entry at an airport for the first time. I didn't even need the card--it was all facial recognition. It was definitely faster!

    My phone was all messed up from my eSim, so I had no internet. I was really tired and had thought about getting a hotel room for the 7 hour layover. All the hotels were outside the airport, and I didn't feel like going through security again! I had heard about "sleep pods" at some airports and figured JFK had to have one.

    They are called Minute Suites. And they are $50 per hour. Totally worth it! I negotiated 4 hours for $170, (+tax). I was in the Central Park room. It was a small room with a sofa that may have pulled out. I just grabbed the pillow and blanket and rested/slept for a few hours.

     My flight was delayed another hour, so I decided to grab some food since I hadn't eaten in over 8 hours. I wasn't even that hungry, but I had another 5 hours on a plane. I settled on a $20 bowl of clam chowder. It was actually pretty good!

    The next flight was uneventful, too. The middle seat was empty again, which always nice. I arrived at PDX at midnight and was in bed by 1:30am!    Read more

    Trip end
    November 9, 2024
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