This morning, Zio and I head off to the local retirement home to visit Zio Leli. He is my mum's Zio and will turn 91 tomorrow. He knows that I am here so I want to spend some time talking to him about mum. We take him to do some shopping and to collect his dry cleaning. He insists on buying me a coffee so we stop at a bar and have one. He tells me lots about mum, much of which I already new but I listen with interest and ask lots of questions. Mum spent 8 years from age 8 to 16 living with Zio Leli and his wife, Zia Pina. Zia Piña was my Nonno's sister. They had no children so mum was sent to them as a surrogate daughter. Apparently these things were done in those days. I know for a fact that mum hated every moment of those years!
Although the weather hasn't been great here, it is warm enough today to head to the beach. Our destination today is Briatico for a play in one of the most clear and beautiful beaches in this magnificent country. There's a bit of wind today so the beach is a little rougher than expected. In fact, there are waves big enough for a boogie board! The sun is hot though, and within moments of arriving, the kids are soon in the water having a fantastic time! Johanna, Anna, Marika and I sit on the beach and talk about the sites that we can see. The local towns are Vibo Marina, a port town that accepts major supply tankers and Lamezia, which was our point of arrival for Calabria. There are a few people on the beach. One of the tourists here decides to rinse off at nearby outside shower and to our shock strips off naked! After all this is Europe! We spend a few hours here and then head off to Vibo Marina for a gelato.
Vibo Marina is usually packed with people but with the summer ended the place is deserted. We take some photos and then move on.
The afternoon proves to be another FGI treat! We head to Zia's dad's farm where grapes are being picked for the manufacture of wine. It is an involved process. On arrival, we are shown how the wine is made. We spend a lot of time chatting and laughing with Zia's brother, sister, brother in law, father, mother and nephews. We all cram into their farm shed for some fresh salami and sausages and home made wine. Unfortunately, no photos for this experience. This was truly an experience of the heart and the senses! You can't imagine the closeness of this family and also how many people have made the pilgrimage to my Zio's house in honour of my mum. It is incredibly humbling. This is a grounding experience!
Further into the afternoon Ruby and Lucy gather experience in making Fileja. This is a homemade pasta twirled over a skewer. It is a typical Calabrian style pasta similar to the trofie of Genova. The kids have a great time making them and, hopefully have taken notes on how to recreate them. The pomodoro sauce is infused with N'duja which is a softer style pork salami typical to this area. Another FGI experience of the senses has been created!
As a special treat, we all head off to Pizzo in the evening for a Gelato. Pizzo is another Calabrian coastal tourist town with magnificent panoramic views of beaches and towns along the coast. We are here at night. This is the first time we have been able to visit such a town at night and for those that don't know, small towns here morph into something completely different to what they look like during the day. This experience is also extraordinary; fantastic company, sumptuous tartufo and a million dollar view.