As many of you know, I spent a good amount of time in Italy last summer and honestly every day was filled with joy and wonder. There is so much to love about Italy that I cannot possibly write about it all.
In recent years, my husband and I have gone frequently to Southern Italy. We have been so blessed and found so many wonderful friends there that I sometimes have to pinch myself to believe that it was not just a beautiful dream.
In my previous posts, I have written about many of the places we saw and things we did but I was saving Tortora for a time that I wanted to sit down and relive that day. It is when the weather turns cold and the sun goes down early at night that I long for Southern Italy and that longing will be made easier if I can share my experiences with you here.
I would like tp preface this little story by saying that two summers ago, my family and I visited a little Southern Italian village called Aieta. Aieta is a little hilltop village high on a mountain crest. overlooking the sea on one side and the Pollino National Park on the other. Aieta means “Eagle” in Italian and it truly is where you would expect the eagles to nest. It clings to the spine of a mountain. The Pollino is known for its wild and jutting mountains and majestic scenery. Sheer cliffs of multi colored stone rise up from nowhere creating huge canyons broken by sharp edged ridges which tell of this region’s violent volcanic birth.
When we arrived in Aieta it was a sleepy summer afternoon. The window shutters were just starting to be drawn in the ancient houses in the piazza for the afternoon siesta. We felt welcome to wander around the village and through the little streets and alleyways. We walked to the back of the village where we were rewarded with a sweeping view of the canyon below. From where we stood we could see little patches of farm land and the houses that have been there for a long time. The view was breath taking and yet so peaceful. For some reason it felt infinitely safe there as though the mountains themselves would protect you from any evil that may head thiat way.
Turning around we could see across the mountain to the sea beyond. The sun was sparkling on the surface as it connected with the sky and it felt like we were literally in heaven.
As we were wandering around, A man came out of one of the city offices. He introduced himself as Giacomo and we started chatting. From there we friended each other on Facebook and promised to keep in touch. He said he lived in the neighboring village of Tortora where he had grown up.
Last year, when we arrived back in Italy, Giacomo invited us to lunch in his home village.
Tortora is much like Aieta in many ways but each little hillside village in Southern Italy has its own unique personality. Tortora is absolutely devoted to beauty.
From the main piazza you look South and can see a sweeping staircase leading to the bottom of the village, each side is flanked by flowers and beautiful centuries old houses. Across the canyon, clinging by its adorable toenails to the top of the mountain as It has for centuries, is Aieta.
Wandering back toward the center of the village, we stopped in the beautiful piazza which was almost entirely covered by a tree canopy giving welcome shade.
On one side of the piazza we heard music and looked into a cantina to see people setting up for a celebration and a young boy playing the concertina. It turned the work of setting up into a party. In each of the villages in Southern Italy, I have seen people, including very young boys playing these concertinas. They are expert and everyone immediately starts dancing when they play. I wonder where they learned to play like that and I think I need to get a concertina next time I am there.
Since it was hot, I went into the nearby store and bought a bottle of water. The lid was on so tight that I could not get it open. After watching me struggle for several minutes, the little group of older men sitting next to me could stand it no longer and tried to open it for me. It was too much for the first man but the second one was successful. There was much congratulations to the winner and protests from the other man that his hand was wet and therefore too slippery to be of any use. Everyone was laughing and I felt like I had been accepted into their community.
Giacomo had given us directions to the restaurant where he would meet us. What we didn’t know was that the restaurant was owned and run my his cousin whose wife worked as the chef there creating magic in her kitchen. The restaurant was called Ristorante Al Caminetto. remember that name because it is my wish that some day you will have a meal there.
We got there early and mentioned Giacomo’s name. With great respect we were seated and drinks and snacks were brought out.
Giacomo and his family arrived shortly thereafter and the meal that followed was a joy that I will never forget.
Giacomo asked his cousin to bring us a sampling of the specialities of Calabria.
What appeared after that was several plates filled with different regional specialites including little puffs made with olives and something else completely magical and then fried. we also had tiny tender asparagus tips dipped in the lightest batter imaginable and fried. We had home baked bread with soft, fresh butter. We had platters filled with various cured meats, prociutto and local cheeses. And that was just the appetizers.
Following the starter course came plate upon plate of home made pasta. My husband’s favorite were the home made ravioli made with the sweetest and lightest ricotta cheese I have ever tasted. There is something about the ricotta in Italy. It is impossibly light and I still can’t believe that it counts as anything as heavy as cheese. It is like a beautiful cross between super light cream cheese and whipped cream. It is unlike anything I have anywhere else.
Another platter contained home made fusilli noodles made by taking a pasta strip and rolling it over a knitting needle. The shape of the pasta traps the sauce inside of it making it an ideal vehicle for the home made red sauce containing Chingiale or wild boar.
As I was exclaiming again and again about how wonderful the food was, Giacomo’s adorable son leaned back in his chair with a wise expression on his face and said “Yes, this is NOT Barilla”. I thought that was so true and so funny! It was right on point!
As the meal went on, more and more delicious platters emerged until I could not eat another bite. I started feeling sleepy so I did as the Italians do, I ordered a shot of Espresso and drank it with sugar. It was just the thing to make me eager to explore the village again.
Giacomo and his beautiful family then took us for tour of Tortora. He showed us the piazza where he played soccer as a child. I could almost see him and his friends running with the soccer ball trying to avoid the fountain in the middle of the piazza.
His wife showed us the apartment where she grew up close by. It created a picture of a beautiful community where time stands still and family and friends are the most important things in the entire world.
As we wandered around the village, we saw a ceramics studio that was open. We poked our heads inside and called out “Buona Sera?” The man who owned the studio bustled out full of excitement at the opportunity to show off his studio and his skills with the potter’s wheel.
After introducing ourselves, the owner sat down and quietly created a tiny vase on his wheel. We then asked him to make a pitcher as I wanted to see how it was done. He obliged and we watched as the pitcher took shape effortlessly before our eyes.
As we were getting ready to go, I asked if we could purchase some of his pieces. He was very happy to sell them and told us that the pitchers went for five Euros each. (About $7.00 American) I picked out several pretty pieces and upon hearing that we were friends with Giacomo, he further lowered the price because he and Giacomo were school friends when they were little.
I found the whole experience charming beyond belief.
Since I have discovered Southern Italy and it’s magic, it has been my passion to introduce it to other travelers. In the popular guidebooks, the authors never go South beyond Naples unless they head directly to Sicily. There is fully half of Italy that goes ignored because of this. Southern Italy is an absolute jewel. It is inexpensive and has not been soiled by the Disney atmosphere you see in some European cities that have become tourist hubs.
Southern Italy is a land where the individual is of immense value despite any faults, where the human spirit is recognized as an integral part of the person and the community. Rich traditions and rituals are carefully and reverently observed to the joy and wonder of thise experiencing them for the first time.
The food in Southern Italy is home grown. For a few Euros you can stop at a stand on the side of the road and purchase the freshest and most delicious produce you have ever had. You simply cannot find it in other regions that don’t share the same climate and attitude toward chemical soil additives. Farmers there farm as their ancestors did and when you bite into a piece of fresh produce there, you taste the sea air and the sunshine.
Think about a trip there. When you do, visit my friends Clive and Kathryn at Casa Cielo Bed and Breakfast. They are the sweetest couple. They are from England and know all of the ins and outs of the area. Clive is a walking encyclopedia of Southern Italian history and will keep you spellbound telling you all about the amazing ruins and other treasure you will find there.
You can find Casa Cielo on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/casa.cielo
And you can find Ristorante Al Caminetto here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g2299977-d2299597-Reviews-Ristorante_Al_Caminetto-Tortora_Province_of_Cosenza_Calabria.html
When you plan a trip, drop me a line. I am there as often as I can get away and love meeting up with people who are excited about seeing this beautiful place.
Meanwhile Keep your eyes on this website. My husband is in Italy now and will have lots to share when he returns next week.
Also you can go to Amazon.com and purchase my book Chasing La Bella Vita for a mini mental trip! http://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Bella-Vita-Chris-Ellis-Sobolev-ebook/dp/B006DJDG9E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385703857&sr=8-1&keywords=chasing+la+bella+vita
The Coast of Southern Italy.
Here is Pete holding the tomatoes from our neighbor!
See you there soon!
XO Chris
The post Beautiful Tortora and Lunch with Friends appeared first on Chasing La Bella Vita.