After the glorious sun of yesterday, today was once again cloudy and windy but with only some light rain. The sea was churned up, however, and the waves were the strongest I’ve every seen. In fact, I am always able to get to Frank’s Lido Mediterraneo from the beach but I couldn’t today. Frank picked me up and I spent the afternoon with him, talking about family and watching him cook lunch for us. Today it was pasta with local shrimp and they were so good! When they say local is better, it’s true. After a quiet day, then Frank and Silvia treated me to dinner (yes, I feel like I am always eating but I have no regrets
). I tried Bresaola for the first time, air-dried, salted beef, with olive oil and shavings of Grana cheese and it was so tender and delicious.
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Boat rocking in the waves
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Boat rocking in the waves
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Waves crashing to shore at Lido Mediterraneo
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Turbulent sea
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Lonely bench at the beach. No one is out in this weather.
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Pasta with local shrimps- yum!
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Bresaola
Day 21 – my last day in Soverato. It was a bittersweet day today. I started off the morning with the famous “Cornetto”. I picked it up after I bought flowers to take to the cemetery to pay my final respects to my aunt – it happened to be her birthday today – and my maternal grandmother and great-grandmother.
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Cornetto
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Cornetto stuffed with cream - so good!
Today my cousin Frank, Fabio and I were going to Petrizzi to not only pay our respects to our departed but to also see the ancestral home which has been restored. It’s no longer in our family but my aunt’s greatest wish was to see it restored and it’s fitting that today, on her birthday, we get to see it. Also with us is Silvia, Sisi (Fabio’s wife) and Lorenzo, their son.
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Family in front of restored ancestral home.
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Antique jar set in niche all original late 1700s
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Original wood beams and stone arches
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Study
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View of Ionian sea from balcony
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Fireplace off the kitchen
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Kitchen
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Dine in Kitcen
A lot of old homes are being purchased and restored in Petrizzi and it is a joy to see. Many are being bought by foreigners but the locals are happy because their town of 946 inhabitants is doing well. If the owner doesn’t fix their old homes, the town gives them the choice of forcing them to fix them or they will be torn down.
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Restored homes
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Restored homes
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Chiesa Matrice di Maria Santissima della Pietà, restructured in 1783 after earthquake
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Restored homes
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Restored Home
The oldest part of the town is crumbling and it’s heartbreaking. So much history is being lost.
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Crumbling Homes
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Oldest part of town crumbling
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Old milling house overrun with weeds
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Views from oldest part of town are stunning
After our visit, we all went back to Lido Mediterraneo so we could spend my last day with the family at the beach. After a light lunch, we went to the beach for a couple of hours. Back to my apartment to clean up and pack. Thanks again to Casa Ludo for a wonderful place to stay these 3 weeks. A final dinner with Frank, at his home, of local seafood and salad and I brought desserts for a sweet end to my time with him and Silvia.
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Goodbye to Lido Mediterraneo and the beach
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Last Dinner at cousin Frank’s - rinciolo a local fish that isn’t found in Toronto with salad
It has been an amazing 3 weeks, re-connecting with family and making precious memories – mostly around food! The cities and towns I’ve visited so far have been incredible but family means the most to me. I have to put aside the sadness i feel in parting and think to the adventures ahead. Tomorrow I’m off to Reggio Calabria so I say goodbye to Soverato and my family, until we meet again.