Destination Calabria

There are many articles about Calabria (e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calabria) so I am going to write just about my experience and impression.

Calabria is the region of green hills, clean beaches (except public ones), citrus trees, liquorice, almonds, chilli peppers, and Grapa (hard drink).

There are many things you notice being in this region. The first one is the flora. They grow citrus and fig trees as we grow tomato plants in our country. In every garden or yard there were some of them. Joined with many cactuses and other plants we are glad when we are able to grow them in the flowerpots. Put a sprig in the ground there and it will grow without caring for.

It is also a region famous for growing the chilli peppers so there were some special shops just with the chilli pepper products.

The thing what made me sometimes quite laugh was they put all the traffic signs in the middle of the pavements. And the step on the pavement from the road was usually very high. The results of those things were that almost everybody were going alongside road (because they were too lazy to rise their legs so high to reach the pavement) and if you were walking on the pavement after all you had to be very careful to did not hit the traffic sign.

People there were very friendly but I didn´t like one aspect of their personality much - they are sometimes quite careless about the other people´s privacy. It is given by the fact that they are accustomed to live outside their flats in the big terraces or balcony. They do their washing up or washing there as they have the sink and washing machine there. They use this places as the other room in their flat so they eat there, live there and sit there and watching other people after the sunset.

In the town they have usually something to not allowed other people to watch them on their terraces (as big plants) but anywhere else you can see everything they do and they can see what you do on your balcony. And they sometimes watched a lot and didn´t care we saw them watching.

The cities and towns are wonderful, with wonderful Roman architecture, old houses and (as I wrote before) the colours of plants and trees are breathtaking. But they are quite dirty. Nobody cares about litter on the roads and pavements.

Our guide told us it is said that lower from the city of Naples there is the beginning of Africa. Well, I have never been to Africa but it is very pity to see those wonderful streets full of trash.

Italy is a very religious country. I haven´t seen it on the north of the country but on the south every door of the church is a masterpiece representing a tableau from the Bible.

We spent our holiday in the town of Scalea. It is divided to two different parts - the new Scalea and the old Scalea. The new Scalea is a typical town with many old (but not so old) houses, new blocks of flats, restaurants, shops, malls and promenades.

This is one of the houses in new Scalea which made me wonder and amaze. It is in the middle of the promenade full of shops and restaurant. This house dwarves above all these things and with its dignity and nobility it attracts attention of everyone. I love the terrace on the roof.

Next time I will write about the old Scalea, the city of steps, very narrow streets and recesses.