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Gita Italiana 2010: Visiting the Aeolian Islands from Calabria
From Sardinia yesterday, today we’re going to island hop with my fellow Calabria resident Cherrye Moore of My Bella Vita:
La Gita Italiana: Visiting the Aeolian Islands from Calabria
The idea of una gita Italiana is tempting, not only to our far-flung friends and family, but also for those of us who call this country home. I’ve written before about how deceptively difficult it is here in Calabria to pull yourself away and travel to other parts of the bel paese.
Not only is travel expensive and transportation slow, but since we live here, jobs, duties and responsibilities take precedent and unfortunately for the wanderlust in our hearts, travel plans are put on hold.
However, I recently heard of a — dare I say — easy, day trip you can take from several points in Calabria to the enchantingly beautiful Aeolian Islands.
Stromboli by Bartolomeo Perotta on Flickr
This mini-cruise day trip has been active for years, but in the past, passengers had to be in either Vibo Valentia or Tropea early in the morning to catch the boat for their day-long cruise. If they weren’t staying in these cities, they’d have to wake up even earlier, drive from their hotel or B&B, locate the marina, find appropriate parking-and still be ready to set sail by 6 or 7 AM.
Luckily, some of that has changed.
Travelers can now take a charter bus from almost 40 different bus stops across Calabria, on both the Ionian and Tyrrhenian coasts-and easily catch their morning departure in Vibo.
Vulcano by HOTC Media on Flickr
From Vibo Valentia, the cruise heads to Lipari-the largest and liveliest island, where you can visit the beaches, take a bus tour of the island or shop.
After a short break on Lipari, the ship sets sail for Vulcano, most known for its sulfuric mud baths.
After lunchtime, the cruise departs for its final stop-Stromboli, the second largest active volcano in Europe-after its Sicilian cousin, Etna-and home to the famous Sciara del Fuoco, which can only be seen on night tours of the islands.
Most people who have been to the Aeolian Islands agree you need to plan at least an overnight trip, but the mini-cruise is a fun way to sample the islands while providing day trippers with a memorable experience of these famous Sicilian islands.
Lipari by Michal Switala on Flickr
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Cherrye Moore is an American freelance writer and Calabria tour consultant living in Catanzaro, Calabria. You can read about traveling in Calabria on her site, My Bella Vita, and also join her on a epicurean adventure via the Calabrian Table Tour in October.
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Grazie mille Cherrye!
Be sure to come back tomorrow when we’ll be traveling to the opposite end of the boot — to Piemonte!
Gita Italiana 2010: Finding Treasures in Alghero, Sardinia
Welcome to our first stop on the Gita Italiana 2010! Today we’re hanging out in Alghero, Sardinia with my friend Keren Bensoussan of The Road Less Travelled.
Finding Treasures in Alghero
After having travelled all over Italy, I was finally called to Sardinia, Italy’s island famous for its emerald sea.
I was offered work so I accepted, but not after seriously questioning how long I could survive on an island. I am a city girl after all, but the airport was only 15 minutes away, and that sealed the deal.
My first days in Alghero were wonderful. It was like being in paradise. Tall trees fanned the streets with their delicate green leaves; the quiet sea glistened with sunshine diamonds in mountainous horizons, and I could walk through Alghero’s “central park” at ease, safe in a mother Alghero’s arms. I felt young, innocent, even slightly vulnerable, which made me wonder, “what is going on here?”
Capo Caccia by Keren Bensoussan
A week later I ran into my landlord.
“Ciao, Keren! Come va la prima settimana in Alghero?”
(“Hi Keren! How is your first week in Alghero going?”)
I told her that everything was fine but that something was different and I couldn’t put my finger on it.
“Ah, sì, tutti dicono che Alghero è speciale.”
(“Ah, yes, everybody says that Alghero is special.”)
She said this with a glint in her eye.
“… well … what is it?” I asked her.
“Non c’è criminalità,” she answered.
(“There’s no crime.”)
Certainly petty crime exists, but there is no “hard” crime like murder.
There’s no mafia either (there have been kidnappers, but only if you’re really rich. The rest of us can relax.)
I stood there sort of speechless, reflecting on what she said and I suddenly understood: When people feel safe, they are kinder towards one another. Which basically means that you don’t need to be on the defensive, and you don’t have to worry about being “straniero” (foreign) because they welcome foreigners with open arms.
Just as Sardinia is known for its sea, warm weather and cool breezes,
Sardinians are known for their generosity, sincerity and simplicity.
Porticciolo Beach by Keren Bensoussan
When my teaching contract ended my students took me out for pizza and bought me gifts. It was a lot of pizza and a lot of gifts so I asked, “why?” They told me that it was a tradition that began in the past when it was a great honor to have visitors arriving on the island. Sardinians will open their home to you, treat you like family and embrace you without expecting anything in return. It’s simply their way.
Sardinia is also the oldest land in Italy. In fact, I don’t really feel like I live in Italy here because they have their own language (Sardo) and their own history. “Il continente” (the mainland) is more like Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita” while Sardinia is humbler and simpler. When you get here all you really have to do is relax and be yourself.
But like “il continente,” Sardinia differs from place to place. I have visited many towns and cities, all very interesting, but have found that Alghero, “the gem of Sardinia” is truly special. Perhaps it’s the fact that it’s a port town that has greeted many tourists has something to do with it. It is more open-minded. Perhaps it’s the fact that it has a strong Catalan influence that gives it an exotic edge. Or perhaps it’s the strong Sardinian values that are instilled in a population that has had to survive on a separate piece of land- pulling together and developing trust and honesty amongst themselves so they could thrive and live in peace with each other.
Capo Caccia by Keren Bensoussan
A Sardinian friend told me that in his village, in the past, doors didn’t have locks on them. When someone arrived, they entered and were welcomed just the same.
I have woken up in some Italian cities with the sound of church bells banging in my ears (bing, bang, bong go the church bells at 7am) but here in Alghero, it’s a lullaby, sweet and gentle, like the people. Just another thing I love about Alghero.
This sweet simplicity extends also in the culinary department. There is less sugar in the desserts. The pasta special is “spaghetti ai ricci” (spaghetti with sea urchin). I never liked sea urchin’s overwhelming flavor until I tried this dish. I personally love the fresh sardines from local markets and although it sounds like sardines may have something to do with Sardinia, it doesn’t. And of course there is the Mirto, the local liquor made of berry leaves which is delicately sweet and strong but not in excess. Everything seems to be done with balance- perfect for a seeker of “la via di mezzo.”
When my contract ended I left Alghero but decided to return. A sweet Sardo convinced me to open a Yoga B&B with him and I agreed.
Sunset by Keren Bensoussan
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Keren Bensoussan is originally from Montreal, Canada. She has been living in Italy since 2007 and teaches ESL and Hatha Yoga in Alghero.
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Grazie mille Keren!
Be sure to come back tomorrow when we’re headed to the Aeolian Islands from Calabria!
El Marsam B&B Cookbook: An Umbrian Farmhouse and Its Kitchen
Kicking off the Gita Italiana 2010 is a review of my friend Ginda Simpson’s wonderful new cookbook, El Marsam B&B: An Umbrian Farmhouse and Its Kitchen.
If you’ve been around Bleeding Espresso for a while, you might remember Ginda from when I wrote about her first book, Deeply Rooted, in faith & family. Ginda’s family has roots in Calabria, but she has made her home in Umbria, where she operated the El Marsam B&B for many years and also creates gorgeous paintings (which was also featured in the previous post).
Ginda’s cookbook is full of great recipes from Artichoke Chicken to Zuppa Frantoiana (Tuscan white bean soup), but if that isn’t enough to draw you in, you will love reading the anecdotes sprinkled throughout the book that tie all the dishes together. With some snippets you’ll learn the history of a recipe or a cultural tradition, with others you’ll devour how certain foods came into Ginda’s life, and then, of course, there’s my favorite — the one about the shepherd in Calabria making pecorino as it’s been made for centuries.
Ginda’s writing style is friendly and conversational, so you’ll feel like you have a supportive guide in the kitchen with you as you work your way through 70 gorgeous recipes; if you’re like me, though, you’ll read through all the stories first and then backtrack through the recipes, re-reading the stories as you make your way through the book again. I haven’t tried any recipes yet as our kitchen slows down considerably in the summer, but I’ve already marked off the first three I’ll try: Farfalle with Speck & Rucola, Red Pepper Jam, and Cappuccino Mousse. Yum!
If you’d like to purchase Ginda’s cookbook and learn more about her art, writing, and life in the Umbrian countryside, you can do so at GindaSimpson.com.
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Are You Ready for the Gita Italiana 2010?
You are cordially invited to Bleeding Espresso’s Gita Italiana 2010!
For those who don’t know, many Italians go on vacation during the month of August, and they often end up in various places around the Bel Paese. In celebration of Ferragosto, Bleeding Espresso’s gita (trip) will run from August 16th to the 31st (except Mondays when we’ll have Italian-themed book giveaways), and is especially for those of you who can’t get away for a tour of Italy. Some of my favorite people have kindly contributed posts about their respective areas and will be featured here, so be sure to come back every day for a bit of a virtual holiday to close out the summer.
What: Gita Italiana 2010
Where: Bleeding Espresso
When: August 16-31, 2010
Along the way we’ll have stops in the Aeolian Islands, Sardinia, Venice, Assisi, Piemonte, and many more places, so I hope to see you there (here)!
How to Store Fresh Cut Basil
As we’re at the height of basil season here, I thought I’d share with you my method for how to keep basil fresh after it has been cut from the plant.
I’ve tried all kinds of ways over the years, and this is what I have found works best:
1. Wrap the stems in a damp paper towel.
2. Put a plastic bag over the unwashed leaves and secure with a rubber band at the base.
3. Place the basil in the refrigerator.
4. Pluck off leaves as you need them, washing just before use.
With this method, I have kept basil fresh for up to two weeks in the refrigerator, but you do want to keep an eye on it if you’re not using it immediately. Be sure to re-wet the paper towel when it’s going dry and also remove any leaves that are turning black and/or slimy; they will get moldy if left in there too long.
If you still aren’t using your basil quickly enough before it goes off, wash and pat dry the basil then tear off the leaves and pop them in a freezer bag. The leaves won’t be great for something like a Caprese Salad once they’re thawed, but they’ll still add great basil taste to soups and dishes like our Borlotti Beans alla Calabrese — and they do retain excellent flavor for about four to six months.
What are your favorite food storage tips?
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
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