Travels of THB: Day 20: Calabria, Day 5

Day 20: Calabria, Day 5

THB and the newlyweds

Quote of the Day: It's a conga line!

Weather: Very pleasant

Breakfast

Department of Amplification: When the workers are sitting idle by rain, while Librandi doesn’t pay them, the government pays them!

Department of Concession: THB concedes. The food is too plentiful, not varied enough, the wines unmemorable and the meals too long. Time to cut the blog short and skip most of the reporting on the meals and wines. That leaves the other interesting events of the day, of which there really aren't that many.

It’s an early start: 8:30 for bags, 9 for people. Since we went to bed early, we’re up early so head to the wifi spot. We’re also first at breakfast. No charge for dinner last night, DB found out that the on-site chef/caterer would appreciate a tip so THB goes looking for him. Turns out he is chatting up the newlyweds. Time for a photo op, bride’s idea to eliminate the chef, so THB is in the middle with the newlyweds. And, chef seems very appreciative of the tip.

A drive to an old hill town, Rossano, with a very Germanic tour guide (e.g., “Four minutes to go, four minutes to go” while there are still 5 women in line for the restroom…it doesn’t compute). Visits to an old church, an old palazzo that got turned into a nunnery, and a licorice store.

Father Guido imitator. THB is sure this guy dresses in a cassock and walks the town amusing tourists.

The fashionably dressed woman on left is a statue placed in with the Crucifixion statue

One of only 3 nuns left at the monastery, a converted palazzo turned into a rental place, we make a small contribution of coins to take a tour

A converted nun left this magnificent palazzo to the the nuns

Another first to THB: the nun is a videographer

The ceiling of the palazzo

Back to the bus and another 1 hour drive to our lunch spot, Casa Solares. It’s a place run by an old friend (from the early days) of Rosetta’s in her Italy days. And, it’s lovely. Rosetta has taught immersion cooking classes here before; THB would be cutting class. Close to the beach, close to a water park, and a gorgeous pool, spa and soccer field on the property.

The "Last Supper"?

Lunch looks like it is going to an anomaly: only two forks and knives and two wine glasses. Turns out the food is light, the wine is light and everything is available in big quantities if you want them. 3 hours later the bus is loading. One thing becomes obvious: the group at one end of the table has bonded (LOUD laughter that goes on for quite a while!) and the other end of the table has bonded over watching those over-amped tour members thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Very unusual opener, fresh anchovies, home-made crackers, ricotta.

Pasta is excellent

Dessert for lunch? It's a cold half/frozen nougat/nut concoction

Lunch is quite good, each dish excellent even when very familiar. The two wines are definitely drinkable (they aren’t from local wineries nearby) with THB preferring the white and DB the rose.

typical post-meal activity

After lunch (well, a few hours before we reach our next hotel and dinner spot), DB gets us facetimed with the twins and KBM. All happy, about 15 minute’s worth, the twins are now mothers with their babies' cribs in front of their own and strollers. They are reading bedtime stories to them.

Is this the entrance to the hotel?

The cavalry to the rescue

We miss the turn off to the “castle” where we are staying the next two nights and wait 10+ minutes for the hotel staff to guide us in the back road. This is the same mistake made two years ago. Hmmmm…. So much for relying on Google maps rather than human memory.

Ed. note: THB is baffled as we leave this way and return this way the next day. How can it have taken our leaders and driver 15-20 minutes to figure this out the prior day?

Castello de Serragiumenta

Our room, complete with sloping ceiling line

Snazzy tile

….is huge!!! Big rooms throughout and the guest rooms are large, though in our room (and others) the ceiling slants down to the outside making it a bit treacherous to go look out the window on the far side. Good news for DB: our request for a bath tub is met. Turns out there is at least one other room for a tub and that couple is grousing about not having a shower. So goes life on the road.

THB goes for a dip in the really small pool, the group re-unites for an odd white wine and fried up appetizers. THB holds back, it’s tough enough keeping up with good wine. DB and others report lots of mosquito bites. THB with his sour blood is immune.

Dinner is outside again, though at some risk from mosquitos the bigger risk is being able to hear each other as there is a large (75+) cocktail party complete with DJ and dancing going on about 20 meters away.

the Calabrian conga line dance

Very unusual: roasted black pig with potatoes

The only mom and daughter pair on the trip, their mannerisms are identical

Cream concoction

Yet another b'day celebration: Chiara our wine guide. She's very good, we've been chatting her up the last few days

Dinner is unusual in that the main course is actually a slab of meat, roast pig. Damn, THB is very happy. Along with roasted potatoes, salads of radicchio and tomatoes, it looks like a meal we might get out in the US or even make at home for company. Once again THB barely touches the pasta though this time they offer parmesan, maybe a first on the tour.

Off to bed at 10pm!

Pics from here and there:

Ionian Sea resort, on of few along this stretch of coast with large sandy beaches

area is known for its clementines

Shot from around Rossano

THB's arty shot of the day? Dinner? Lunch?

No solid wall between men's and women's restrooms

One of five illustrated codices from the 1400s is in Rossano, and the guide has a nifty touch screen that will take him to any page and then blow up the details. He somehow selects the parable of 10 virgins (or is five?) and that sets off a brouhaha among the Catholics: is it or isn't it in the "Catholic" bible? Some say yes, some say no, and Google and the Guide say yes. Not sure what the Torah's position is on virgins and whether it competes with the Qu'ran or the Bible, as THB is not sure of most religious stories.