Tropea - Calabria
Tropea - Calabria, Italy
We awoke to a cloudless blue sky, the waves of the Tyrrhenian Sea washing gently against the shore and were amazed at the sight before us. We were about three hundred feet above the roadway, set in a sheer cliff. Across the water, a little hazy at the early hour, was Stromboli - one of the many active volcanos in Italy. Her last eruption was in 2003 and we were hoping that she would put on a show for us!
Fishermen were already on the water eager for the first the catch of the day. From our bedroom door I could see Iosla del Maria, perched on a promontory and to the south a beach that needed exploring.
We had no supplies so I sent my buddy Peter off went to see what was open and what he could scavenge. He soon returned, laden with fresh bread, butter, cheese, coffee, milk and marmalade - enough to start the day. I was amazed! The beautiful people of Tropea spoke little English and they didn’t need. We only knew the basics of hello and goodbye but we easily made our purchases of fish, pasta, vino, fresh fruit and vegetables. Sign language is a wonderful thing!
After a coffee back at the apartment we made our way along the cliff top, meandering in and out of tiny alley ways, admiring the architecture and still wondering how on earth this place was built. Some buildings dated back to the 1800s but I knew others were much, much older. Every now and then we came across a break in the buildings and had a look out to the stunning blue of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Stromboli had disappeared into the mist.
We came to some steps that took us down the three hundred or so feet of the cliff face to the road and sea below. We wandered carefree, firstly along the roadway and then along the beach itself. It was a magnificent day, beautifully warm under the azure blue sky. There were people fishing along the shore and others soaking up the very late summer sun. At the end of our stretch of beach, steps took us back up to the roadway to the Chiese della Sanita, dating from 1883. The ringing of the church bells all over the town seemed to indicate that it was noon and time for the shops to close for afternoon siesta.
The ringing of the church bells all over the town seemed to indicate that it was noon and time for the shops to close for afternoon siesta.
Back once again to our apartment where we hoed into the delicious fresh food we had bought earlier, sipped a cup of coffee on the balcony and soon, we too were soaking up the wonderful late summer sunshine. I felt like to could say there forever!
As we continued to bask in the sun, three hundred foot below in the car park a group of men arrived. First two, who fossicked in the bushes and brought out a white plastic picnic table, then another and another, each in turn ducking behind the bushes to bring out chairs. A card game had begun! Soon another car arrived, and another man wandered from who knew where - until there were at least ten men around the tiny table. Slapping down the cards with gusto, their voices drifted up to us on the balcony above. We watched for a while, enjoying our English Siesta, before setting off once again.
The town was shut up as tight as a drum, almost ghostlike as families enjoyed their siesta time together – a tradition long endured due to the fierceness of the midday sun. We worked our way back to the Old City and in our search for olive oil and more of the delicious local cheese, we stopped at the only shop open. That morning when we got our initial supplies it was tended by the man of the family but that afternoon we found two women sitting in the cool darkness - ready to sell the whole contents of the shop! We hadn’t been in one shop that first day and returned with just the one item we intended to buy!
We went on to explore the other side of the town and found more alley ways and, interesting architecture. In and out of the tiny streets we found the Duomo, a magnificent building which we would have to investigate on another day as there was a funeral in progress. Heading back past our apartment to Largo Viletta, we sat with many of the townsfolk to watch the sun set over Sicily in the South. The card game was still in full swing and there were shouts from above to the men below - words of encouragement no doubt. Even though it was only 5pm, it was beginning to get quite cold, so we ventured back to our lodgings for vino on the balcony. Yes, the card game was still going and had now expanded onto two tables, with some 24 players! As the darkness grew, the players started to drift back to their homes and the chairs and tables were flung back behind the bushes – to await another game! Our first day in Tropea had been wonderfully amazing.
- Anne Berry-Smith
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