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Thursday, October 6, 2022
A cab driver picked us up at our apartment and drove us over to the main train station. He had trouble lifting our bags. They weigh about 50 lbs. each. When you’re planning to travel for about two years you have to bring along a lot of stuff. I tried to help him but he wouldn’t let me. I gave him a good tip.
We intended to get coffee at the train station but nothing was open yet. We found a small cafe across the street and settled in. Our train was scheduled for 10:31 am. It arrived on time but we had a problem finding a place for our large luggage. The overhead compartments were too small and there was not enough room in the space between the seats. We piled them into the seats next to us and hoped no one would be sitting there. For most of the 3.5 hour trip to Reggio Calabria the train hugged the coast. The water was beautiful. There were few towns. We saw some small vineyards and a bunch of small olive groves.
We arrived at 2:06 pm. We hadn’t eaten lunch but weren’t really hungry so we took a taxi to the apartment. We dragged our luggage up to the second floor (really third floor), settled in, and went in search of lunch. In these smaller towns most businesses, except for coffee shops, close in the afternoon for siesta. We managed to find a restaurant that had pre-made dinners. I got a lasagna and Deborah got a gnocchi in red sauce. We tried to get arancini (Sicilian Rice Balls) but they had run out. The food was pretty good. I tried a soda made from chino. The picture looked like an orange but was actually the fruit of an myrtle-leaved orange tree. It had an unusual taste and was very bitter.
After lunch we walked over to the waterfront. It was gorgeous. We could easily see Sicily across the way. The temperature was about 70F with a cool breeze. We loved it. We walked around in shorts and t-shirts. The locals were in long pants and jackets.
Karen, a friend from college, had spent a lot of time in Calabria and now hosts tours in the region. We consulted with her about the best places to see. She also recommended two gelato places. We just had to check them out. Both were along the waterfront.
Along the way we encountered a number of old excavations. Some were Roman and some were Greek. It was easy to tell one from another by their use of building materials. All along the water’s edge there were numerous parks and restaurants. We also saw people sitting in the sand enjoying the beach. Eventually we came to one of the recommended Gelato shops called Sotto Zero. The shop was actually across the street but they had a lovely glass enclosed dining area overlooking the water. We got some ice cream and enjoyed the view. The gelato was ok but we’ve had better.
We continued walking along the waterfront for a while before heading back. On our way we kept an eye out for a grocery store. We had a lot of trouble finding a place that was open and much of the information on Google was useless. Finally we gave up and headed back to the apartment. We went into a cafe and got some sandwiches and pastries for tonight’s dinner and breakfast tomorrow. Around then corner a salumeria was actually open. We bought most of the things we needed for the next few days.
Dinner that night consisted of a mini cannoli and a chocolate mouse stuffed into a chocolate tart. It was the best cannoli we’ve had so far. We’re really looking forward to the food in Sicily.
Friday, October 7, 2022
We had a full day planned. Our first order of business was to get “stand up” coffee. Unlike our previous apartments this one had no coffee maker. Throughout Italy you can go to a cafe, sit and be served coffee or you can stand at the counter and drink it there. If you sit then you incur a service charge. There is no extra charge for standing at the counter. You’ll see a lot of tourists sitting and having coffee but for the most part locals always stand at the counter. The cafe had some very tempting looking pastries but we’d already eaten breakfast in the apartment: the sandwiches we’d purchased the night before and the last two pastries. One was a flakey and infused with almond. The other was a fried dough pocket filled with sweetened ricotta. Yum!
After coffee we found a grocery store and got the rest of the things we needed. Our next stop was the Basilica Cattedrale di Maria Santissima Assunta in Cielo or simply the Duomo. This is the major cathedral in town. Unlike Naples whose cathedrals had no stained glass windows, many of the churches in Salerno had them and almost all here in Reggio Calabria seem to have them.
The origins of the cathedral date back from the time of the Normans around 1061 AD. The building was burned during the 16th Century when the Turks raided the city. It went through several subsequent renovations before it was rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1741. After the earthquake of 1783 it was completely restored. It was so heavily damaged in the earthquake of 1908 that it was once again completely rebuilt.
As it stands today the church is essentially in the traditional Gothic style with a vaulted ceiling made of wooden rafters. There are stained glass windows along the walls and a rose window over the entrance. Many of the chapels along the sides have elements from older versions of the church.
Our next destination was Castello Aragonese. Along the way we happened onto another church and poked our heads inside: Chiesa del Santo Rosario. We took a few quick pictures and left because services were just about to start.
Castello Aragonese is a Medieval castle that sits right in the middle of town. It is likely that part of the old city walls from the 8th Century BC were incorporated into the Medieval version. The first defensive fort on the site probably dates from the 6th Century AD. In 1059 the castle was passed from the Byzantines to the Normans. In 1266 it came under the control of Charles I of Anjou who established his court there and further expanded the castle. Ownership of the castle changed hands many times in subsequent centuries with each new owner making additional changes. The last battle it saw was in 1869 when Garibaldi conquered the city during his campaign for the unification of Italy. Because of neglect and earthquakes large portions of the castle have fallen into disrepair and have collapsed. Only the two main towers now remain.
Entry into the castle costs €2.00 per person. Cash only. We took the elevator up to the top floor and found ourselves with a magnificent view of the surrounding area. From our vantage point it was easy to see Mount Aetna and the town of Messina, both in Sicily. At every level we explored all of the rooms and passages but there was little to see. When we finally got back to the street level we walked around the back of the castle and were able to get some nice photographs.
We checked out another church in the area called Chiesa degli Ottimati. The church dates from the 10th Century. The church’s claim to fame is its mosaic floors. They are original to the church and quite interesting to see.
Next up was the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia. Huge parts of Southern Italy were inhabited by the Greeks more than 2,500 years ago. They established towns, traded goods, built temples, and thrived for centuries. These Greek parts of ancient Italy are all referred to as Magna Grecia or Greater Greece. This archeological museum is dedicated to that Greek civilization and all of the artifacts that have been found.
Entry costs €8.00 per person. Credit cards are accepted. The museum has a lovely collection of Greek pottery, and other household goods, but its main attraction is the Riace Bronzes. The two life-sized Greek Warriors were found by someone snorkeling off the coast of Riace (on the Eastern shore of Calabria). After nine years of restoration the pair were finally put on display in 1981. They have been dated from 460-430 BC. The two bronzes are in a room by themselves. Before being allowed to enter we had to wait in an ante-chamber for about 60 seconds while dust and other contaminants were removed from the air.
The two bronzes are magnificent. We were allowed to take our time and view them at our leisure. Produced using the lost wax method the details are amazing. The lifelike poses are characteristic of the Hellenistic period. They were worth the price of admission.
For lunch we stopped in at a small restaurant that specializes in Arancini. They had a large selection in a variety of flavors. We got one amatriciana, one pesto, and one with butter, mozzarella, and parmigiana. We enjoyed them immensely. They were so filling that the two of us couldn’t finished all three. In spite of that we couldn’t help sharing one of their cannoli for dessert. It was freshly filled to order and was absolutely delicious.
The only thing left to do was to find the other gelato place that Karen had recommended – and that’s exactly what we did! We enjoyed this gelato much more than what we had gotten the day before. It may not have been the best we’ve ever had but it was still very good.