Tag: Italy ex pats

It is 7:00 AM and I am so comfortable. The antique bed holds me in its arms and refuses to let me go. The sun slants in my window tickling me awake. 

From the edges of my consciousness I hear the sounds of the church bells reminding the faithful that it is time to get up and come to the church in the piazza. It is time come together to start a new day. 

With my eyes still closed I smile because I am waking up knowing I am still in Italy. 

The weather is warm and moist in my village, just up the hill from the seaside town of Scalea. 

I toss on a light dress and head up to the piazza. I sit at a table just outside the little bar while the owner brings me a cappuccino and a freshly baked croissant filled with sweet cream, still warm from the oven. 

The people buzz in and out of the bar tossing back bitter, black espresso and shouting to each other as they head off to work. 

The lady who owns the flower shop across the piazza opens her doors and brings out her flowers. She stops and smiles, and we wave. 

Seven years ago, my husband and I purchased a house on the top floor of an ancient building in the hilltop town of Santa Domenica Talao, Calabria, Italy. 

After a short visit we decided that this is where we wanted to spend our best years. We wanted to wake up to the church bells, gaze at the sea from our balcony and laugh as the swifts dip, dive and buzz our heads. 

And we have never looked back. 

When travel guidebooks talk of Italy, they rhapsodize about the regions north of Naples. They completely ignore the South of Italy and in doing so, do a grave disservice to their readers. 

There are so many reasons that Calabria is the dream destination not only for travelers but also for expats. It is tough to list just a few. 

The prices

Southern Italy traditionally was considered the poor region. While this was true before the 1950’s it is not true now. 

Nonetheless, the prices are ridiculously inexpensive compared to Rome or anywhere in Tuscany.

A cappuccino in Rome costs about three euros whereas a cappuccino and pastry costs one euro thirty in my village.  

Hotel accommodations are almost half what you would pay for similar accommodations further north.

Healthy living

Most mornings I visit my friend Nunzia who owns the store in the piazza. Parked nearby is an ape, the little three wheeled truck that is ubiquitous in Italy. It is filled with whatever produce is leftover from family farms for Nunzia to sell.

Today it is peaches, still fresh and fragrant with their leaves still clinging to them. Tomorrow it will be tomatoes as big as your head, sweet and juicy from the Calabrian sun. 

Every Tuesday the fish man comes through the village with his loudspeaker announcing the fresh catch of the morning. 

Your dinner has just been pulled from the Mediterranean.

Olive oil is a staple and the Mediterranean diet has been touted as one of the healthiest diets one could adopt. Italy as a country ranks among the highest for longevity. 

The community

When my husband and I first arrived in our village we must have been a sight. I am a tall blonde lady with wildly curly hair. My husband is of Northern European descent. In short, we are very different than the average villager. 

Nonetheless we are accepted with open arms by everyone. 

Our village is a giant family, I witnessed this one night as Nunzia and I took the passagiata (the evening walk). We stopped and kissed all the babies. We chatted with neighbors. We celebrated their joys and mourned their losses. 

Throughout the piazza women walked arm in arm. Men played cards at tables outside the bar and everyone belonged. They are part of something bigger than just themselves or their nuclear families. They are part of the village. 

I truly believe that the absence of mental health issues in our village stems from this vital fact. They all belong and everyone is loved and accepted, even a lanky blonde with faulty Italian. 

The food is art

Calabrian cooking is becoming famous. Most Italian food you enjoy in the US has its roots in Calabria.

Many Calabrians came to America in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s bringing their recipes with them. 

Since we are right next to the Mediterranean, seafood is king. Tiny anchovies dressed in lemon grace our plates while calamari, fried with impossibly light breadcrumbs, come next. Octopus, swordfish, cuttlefish, giant prawns, clams and other shellfish are plentiful. 

Most of the restaurants in the hill towns serve house made products. The pasta is hand made, the sauces are crafted from old family recipes and the bread is as fresh as it can be, having come out of the oven that morning. 

Traditional pizzas are baked in brick ovens and topped with a perfect sphere of mozzerella di bufula.

The wine is amazing

Most of the wines in Calabrian restaurants are locally created. Calabria is known as the Mezzogiorno or the “midday” region. The sun shines most of the year and the mix of sea air, bright sunshine and rich soil seems to be the perfect environment for wine grapes. 

The wine is light enough to avoid interfering with the cuisine and you taste the fruit rather than just the alcohol. It pairs perfectly with Calabrian specialties.

The pace

It’s rare to see a Calabrian rushing off somewhere. The pace of life is softer and gentler than I am used to. 

The focus in life is life. The joys and sorrows, the family times together and views of the sea are vital to my neighbors. Work gets done but it is given its proper importance. 

The landscape

Calabria is home to miles upon miles of the most beautiful beaches on the planet. The stretch of seaside from Scalea down to Reggio Calabria boasts of stunning beaches and picturesque seaside fishing villages. 

Looking inland you see the dramatic, jutting mountains that turn from pink in the morning to grey to purple as the day progresses. The mountain ridges carry tiny hill towns on their backs while little farm houses dot the fields below. 

My favorite pastime is sitting at the restaurant at the edge of my village, gazing at the 360 degree view first of the mountains, then the sun setting over the Mediterranean and finally the village glowing gold and looking so much like a fairyland that you have to look twice. 

Everywhere you look in Calabria there is something jaw droppingly beautiful. The sea is crystal blue and warm, magnificent art and architecture are everywhere, and the people, so willing to smile and hug you are the most beautiful sight of all. 

The people

Calabria is home to some of the toughest and yet most warm and loving people I have ever met. 

Not so long ago, these people eked out a living from farms and the sea. They withstood the horrors of two world wars, and yet when you approach them, they smile. 

It is so easy to make friends. There are several expats in our village.  We all get along and we all fit into this little village of disparate personalities and backgrounds.

Calabria is a great jumping off point for travelers

A short trip south on the train is Lemezia Terme airport. From there you can catch cheap flights to anywhere in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

From Santa Domenica Talao you can drive east to Bari, Puglia and take a ferry to Greece. 

Or you can drive south to Reggio Calabria and take the ferry across the Straits of Messina and over to Sicily. 

The travel possibilities are endless. 

We are there 

And we want to share this idyllic life with everyone we know. 

Book your flight and head over. You too can wake up to the church bells and enjoy the healthy and beautiful Italian lifestyle. Your best years are ahead of you. Give yourself the gift of Calabria. You will never want to leave. 

Call us. We can help you plan the perfect trip. Don’t miss this perfect destination.