hello again, i have just come back from spending a month in calabria with family. In a place called villagio, near pizzo. I think this is a brilliant place to go, for a becah holiday, sun and relaxing in the evening. Lovely weather and hot nights. Beautiful mountain scenery and stunning coastal views. This is a perfect holiday !!! With water parks near by and shopping malls in a short car journey, lovely food, lusious wine and the sun, what more could you want. Highly Recommended, any questions please ask !!!

I ve visited several countries around the world but I loved a particular region in southern Italy that is Calabria.
Calabria is what I call a new home. The people are lovely...they treat you as an italian or better as a local in all ways.
During a visit in Scilla a lovely seaside village in Calabria we had the possibility to meet two old ladies in a particular way. One asked us to try her melanzane, eggplants...they were exquisite...then she told us to go over to her restaurant in the evning and she offered a lovely three course meal and a bottle of DOC white wine for only 14 euros each !!! You can image what a treat it was.
The second lady we met needed someone to help her with the eyedrops. I have to admit I was a bit afraid to go in her house and put her the eyedrops but my friend just did it and she wanted to pay her.Since my friend refused the money, she gave us a full box of delicious Perugina chocolates...mmmmm
Apart from these two women who treated us both for food and for dessert, Calabria offers it all.It has wonderful beaches and snowy mountains.The boys are really really sexy and the choice of ice cream is infinite...Ah if you love shopping I suggest Reggio Calabria for the latest trends and the best brands :)))

We have gone to Rome, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Naples, Amalfi coast, Capri, Barga, Lucca etc and nothing is as nice and inexpensive as Calabria. Listening and speaking to the Arbereshe is music to my ears.
You can stay in Civita for about 25 dollars a night with a full breakfast. The hotel overlooks a deep crevice and and you can see to the ocean. On the left is a mountain with wild goats scampering about, on the right a road that leads to Civita and to the rear cows grazing.There are at least three very good hotels to stay at Gran Canyon which looks like a Swiss chalet, a small hotel in town called D'quila and a brank new one that will open within the month that looks like a Spanish villa in an olive grove overlooking the famous Devils Bridge. Stunning scenery and great food. Short bus trips to Cosenza, Cassano, Spezzano Albanese, Frascineto, Porcile, and all the other little Arbereshe towns. You can visit castles until you become an expert in castles. Each town has a history and Civita has an Arbereshe meuseum, Frascineto has the largest Arbereshe library in Italy run by Father Bellusci and Arbereshe meuseum. If you go try to go during Easter when they get dressed up in Arberesh costumes and sing and dance. The outfits are beautiful. If you are really interested in the Arbereshe and have some sort of history then I suggest you type in Alicia Bodily and see what she has uncovered about the towns listed above. Let me know what you think.Go in Sept and you may be asked to cut grapes from the vines, beat walnuts out of trees, pick prickly pears off cactus, make wine and of course drink it. By the way the wine does not have an after tast as we have in America. For the US market the wines has preservatives in and it will tast funny. Home made wine does not have any and you can drink and not think about the taste.
Everyone makes wine. If you go and stay more than 7 days you will never come back. Very little snow too.Vincent

I am pleased and surprised at the new and growing interest in the south of Italy. Calabria.Not so long ago,when leaving on my annual visit into the foothills of the Sila mountain rangebelow Cosenza, I would have to point to a map to ease the puzzelment of friends. Where? What`s there? What`s there is some of the most stunning vistas in all of Italy.Valleys, forests,lakes,soaring mountain villages that disappear into clouds.Wild life and wild flowers.Lemons as big as grapefruits,grapes so full of sun and sugar it makes you gasp with surprise and pleasure. Then the Calabrese themselves.Courteous,dignified,incredibly hospitable and quick to aid the visitor. Did I mention the smoked meats and fresh cheeses still oozing milk!I am running out of space here , but I think you get the message. Calbria is fabulous!!