May 14, 2008

Tranquillino brought Nick and Jason to the Hotel Malaga where Jane and Martina stayed. We were then picked up by Renato and he took us to the Baronia pasta factory. On the way there was a major accident headed in the opposite direction and the people were standing outside of their cars waiting for the accident to be cleared.

We were given an indepth tour of the impeccable facilities. We were required to wear very stylish ensembles to view the plant. They first showed us the main building which is where the grain is dropped off to be made into flour. Before the grain can even enter the compound, it has to be checked outside the gate. If it isn’t good enough, it is sent to a different facility. There are 7 floors each with a different function to modify the grain. We took a top down tour. The grain mostly comes from Puglia. There are 250 employees working in the Baronia factory. After the grain is completely ground down it is sent through a tunnel over to the pasta manufacturing building. At this point, Luigi, a Rotarian, joined us on our tour. In the manufacturing building they mix the flour with water and have eight different stations making different types of pasta. We saw as they made spaghetti, tagliatelli, shells, spinach lasagna, bowties, and much more. The entire process is done in this building from making the pasta to drying the pasta to packaging it and then shipping it off to a number of foreign countries as well as locally. They have a brand marketed to Whole Foods in the United States. We learned that the date printed on the box is two years, but the shelf life of pasta is indefinite because it is vacuum packed. We were then treated to a lunch of pasta called Basca which are very large looking rigatoni. Enzo De Matteis, a Rotarian, joined us at the end of lunch.

We were met by members of the Avellino Centaura Rotary Club. They took us to BioGem a genetic research lab. The lab was founded in 1997, but the building in Ariano Irpino was completed in 2006. The main research activity is to study human disease. They don’t perform testing on live animals. They genetically modify the embryos of over 40,000 rodents to study the effects and they add or subtract genes to get different results. The laboratory works in collaboration with the Universities of Sannio, Bari, Foggia, Naples, and Catanzaro. We then toured the facilities including the research building and the animal housing building. Our guides Andrea, Mario, Pasquale, and Giuseppe gave us detailed information about the research equipment, how they work with the materials, how they obtained funding from the European Union, and the animal housing building.

We then headed into Ariano Irpino to the local church. Jason’s great-great grandfather Rafael DeVito was from this town. The town has co-patron saints. The doors outside the church were redone in bronze during an anniversary of the church. Inside the church to the left is a statute given to the church by the town. To the right of this is a baptismal font from the tenth century. On the ceiling are paintings of the twelve apostles and around the walls are the stations of the cross. Toward the front of the church on the left is a small alter which is said to hold the crown of thorns worn by Jesus. It was a gift from the French Baron who used to have control of the area. There are a number of pieces in the church that were originally there before the earthquake in the 1700s. We were then taken through the back door of the church to the attached Bishop’s home. The top of the Bishop’s home is a type of library which holds many old archives dating back to the 1600s.

We then headed to dinner at Biffy’s, a local restaurant well known for pesce. We were joined by Guerino Gazzella, who also took us around during il pomeriggio, the President of the Rotary Club Avellino Centauro. We met a number of other people including Guiseppe, President of the Avellino Rotoract club and Guiseppe (Gepe), who lived in Baltimore for two years. Guiseppe, the Rotoracter, drove us home after dinner at 11:30 pm.

May 13, 2008

Miryam and Gigi picked us up at the hotel and took us to the train station. Our 8:39 am train picked us up promptly and we were off to Sorrento. Our lovely hosts had us seated in first class and we were able to comfortably work on the blog and/or sleep depending on the team member.

Tranquillino and Renato met us at the train station in Sorrento to drive us to Avellino. Tranquillino is a civil attorney and Renato is a doctor of geriatrics. On the way to lunch, we picked up Maria Louisa who is one of the members of the team from Italy that visited District 7450 in April.

We had a nice lunch in the mountains before heading to City Hall. We met the Assistant Mayor. He showed us a movie about Avellino and then presented us each with a copy of the video along with a blessed picture with a copy of the Madonna portrait they have in the monastery. Next we visited this monastery that was built in the 1100s. The resident monks lived on the mountain but came to the monastery during the winter months so they could help people in the hospital. The original house was destroyed by an earthquake in 1732, but rebuilt by Domenico Baccado. Today this monastery serves as home to public archives and has a large library. Many of the ancient works were written by hand by the monks in an effort to preserve the history of the town as well as the history of the world. There is a room in the monastery away from the library which holds a number of very old manuscripts. You have to be a specialist to receive permission to view these documents. There is an ancient pharmacy in the monastery. They had one room to hold all of the ingredients and another room where they mixed the medicinal herbs. To this day people visit the monastery asking the monks to cure their illnesses. They still have a number of the old measuring tools and jars that were used which they managed to save during the war. In the library are scrolls that date back to the 900s.

For dinner we went to the Ristorante Barone in downtown Avellino and enjoyed some Campania dishes such as fried zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese and pumpkin marinated in olive oil. We enjoyed dinner with a number of Rotary and Rotoract members including the Avellino Rotary Club President. Jason and Nick stayed with host families while Jane and Martina stayed in a hotel. Jason stayed with Tranquillino’s family. Nick stayed with Tranquillino’s friend and neighbor Tomas.

May 12, 2008

Peppino and Luigi, and Eleanora met us at our hotel to say good bye. Alfonso, Teresa, GianFranco, Cristiana, and Maddalena picked us up to take us to Nicotera. GianFranco had a whistle (fisciato) and everytime we needed to be herded together, he would blow the whistle. He also had a Mercedes SUV that was very nice and comfortable, and accommodated our many bags with no problem. Cristiana and Maddalena spoke English, and thus helped to translate. We stopped at a coffee shop and took some pictures, and then headed to a panoramic vista that overlooks Nicotera. We were then joined by Lea and Pasquale. We saw a monument commemorating Domenica Nicotera, a captain during World War I.

Next we visited the Museo provinciale di Mineralogia e Petrografia. There were many rocks, gems, minerals, and oceanic fossils. There was an adjacent museum that we subsequently walked through that had ancient jugs and pottery. Next we went to a Norman Church that was built in 1065. It was reconstructed and enlarged in 1586. In 1783 it was rebuilt after a large earthquake. There was a large wooden crucifix hanging on the wall with 7 bullet holes, inflicted by the Turks, who invaded the church in 1636.

Next we visited another museum that was once the home of a countess. She did not have any children, so she gave it to the Capuchin order of monks. This, by the way, is where the name Cappuccino comes from because the Capuchin monks wore a light brown robe. The home was damaged by an earthquake in 1783 and then taken over by a bishop until 1930. We asked where the monks went, and we were told they “went away.” Not sure what that means. Anyway, in 1975, the building became a museum. The museum includes pieces of Catholic memorabilia from throughout the ages including the garments of the priests, many statues, jewelry, candelabras, and chalices.

Next we went to pranzo (lunch) at Ristorante La Pineta. GianFranco started out by telling us that this was a gastronomy museum, which apparently was a joke. Jason figured it out after the first course was finished. During lunch, we discussed the correct pronunciation of bruschetta. It’s BRU-SKETTA, not BRU-SHETTA. People who say BRU-SHETTA sound American and misinformed. Apparently BRU-SHETTA is also an Italian criminal. For lunch we had several courses of pasta Calabrese before a course of pork with arugula and parmesan cheese. Jason took a picture.

Next we drove to Palmi and checked into our hotel. We met with Maryam Poscosta, the president of the local Rotary Club. We checked in to our hotel and then went to a panoramic vista overlooking Palmi called St. Elia. We could see Sicily – it was about 15 miles away. There is a legend that Saint Elia and the devil got into a fight. St. Elia won, and she kicked the devil to the island of Stromboli. On the mountain, there is a footprint of the devil that he left before departing to Stromboli.

Speaking of Stromboli, there is no such food as Stromboli in Italia. Only Calzone. It must be a Philadelphia invention. Oh, and the island is pronounced STRUM-boli, not strom-BOLI. It’s unclear if the devil actually lives there.

This is the farthest point South we will go on this trip. We learned that the government wants to build a bridge between Reggio Calabria and Messina. The span across the water is only about 3km.

Next we went to Palmi. We walked around the town square and saw the Rotary club’s 100 year anniversary project, which is a monument in a little park. We also saw a palace which had bronze statues of military figures.

By this time it was 9pm, so headed off to dinner…Pizza. The restaurant had a buffet antipasti bar that was unbelievable. We each ordered our favorite type of pizza, and when they brought it out, it was all made together into one gigantic pizza. It was about 8 feet long and two feet wide. It took up the entire table. The Pizza Calabrese section had nduja and was very spicy. There was also some pizza that had arugula and parmesan cheese that was very good. Pizza was followed by tartufo for some and Capo (local liquor) for others.

After dinner, we presented some flags and some Phillies caps to Cristiana and Maddalena and drove to the beach. We took some pictures and listened to the ocean for a few minutes before heading back to our hotel. We really enjoyed our new friends, and wish we could stay longer, but it’s time to travel North to Avellino. We have an 8:30am train to catch.

May 11, 2008

Today is Giancarlo’s birthday (and Mother's Day).

The dawn broke grey on the Tyrannian Sea, but it was less windy than yesterday. Everyone apologized for the lack of sun, however we know from speaking with our families that it’s much warmer here than it is at home. Off we went with Peppino and Giancarlo to Tropea where we were met by a huge contingent of Rotarians from the Tropea club including some of their children. We met Club President Luigi, as well as Giuseppe, Peppino, Raffaela, Pino, Giaccomo, Ernesto, and his son Lorenzo.

We first walked through the old city of Tropea, which was largely built in the 5^th century. We viewed an island with a castle on it called Santa Maria del Isola. It used to be isolated by water 2 centuries ago, but now it is connected to land.

We saw the Jesuit church, where the priest told us he had visited the St. John Neumann shrine in Philadelphia. There was a large bomb hanging on the wall inside of the church. It was dropped by an American bomber during World War II along with six other bombs. They did not detonate, and it was believed to be a miracle performed by Madonna, so it was hung on the wall. They had to dig it out of the ground from 5 meters below.

The town was full of a festive feeling because it was the first communion day for many young people, plus they were celebrating Festa della Mamma (Mother’s day).

Tropea is quite beautiful, and you should visit. If you come, it is recommended that you visit in June or September. There are 7 islands off the coast. You can sail to them. In Tropea, there are 42 restaurants.

We had a fantastic lunch in the country at a very secluded restaurant known only to the locals where the vegetables, fruit, meat, olive oil, and wine are all produced by the proprietors. This area is known for its wine production. We were fated with multi-antipasti, (eggplant, olives, ricotta, anduja), primi (pasta), and grande secondi (meats and sausages), and molte vino Calabrese (lots of local wine). We enjoyed the feast and the crowded noisy ristorante immensely. This was one of the best meals thus far.

On the way back to town, we stopped by Giuseppe’s house to pick up our schedule for the next 5 days, and enjoyed tartufo (ice cream) and a nocino (walnut liquor) made by Raffaela’s mother. From there, we went off to look at the sea from different panoramic spots. It was gorgeous. The turquoise-colored water was so clear that you could see the bottom. You could see Sicily from the coast. We then walked along the beach. We then went back to our hotel (albergo) for an hour’s rest before a large dinner.

At dinner, some of the dishes included smoked swordfish (yum!), cefallo (local pesche), spaghetti with fish, swordfish rotini (rolled swordfish, baked in cheese and olive oil). The wine tonight was white (vino bianco), and was called Grecco. It’s very typical in Calabria. I believe we had it the first night we were here as well. Try it if you can find it – it’s quite good. We also had more tartufo. We have become tartufo connoisseurs, and are making plans to learn how to make it when we get back.

Tomorrow we are off to Nicotera and Palmi. We are working our way South, before heading up towards Napoli. Hopefully we can drop by an Internet café so that we can publish this for you.

Buona Notte.

May 10, 2008

Martina and Jason stayed up late last night uploading the blog to the Internet. The WIFI in the hotel wasn’t operational, so we had to use the computer in the lobby. This morning Salvatore took us to pick up our laundry at the lavanderia. Then, Salvatore and Domenico and his wife drove us to the next stop: Vibo. The name of the hotel is “Hotel 501”, named after a Fiat. The hotel was very nice. Jane and Martina even had a balcony overlooking the Tyrannian Sea.

Giuseppe (Peppino) Sarlo, his daughter Stefania, and her fiancé GianCarlo met us at the hotel for a coffee before embarking upon a walking tour of Vibo Centro (city center). Today is Saturday, so there was an open air market (mercato) downtown. Martina bought a new handbag. Nick took lots of pictures, and Nick, Jason, and GianCarlo talked about American politics. GianCarlo is a financial controller for a real estate company so we all spoke with him about our plans to buy a house in Italy.

Next we visited a famous castle that had a museum and a restoration center. We viewed (and held) artifacts, some that were as old as 500BC. In the restoration center there were literally thousands of boxes of ancient treasures in various stages of restoration. Many of these items were of Greek origin, as many Greeks traveled by boat, and settled in Italy. Vibo was the most prominent harbor in Southern Italy for quite some time, so Vibo was a key port for the Greeks. We also learned that the Romans branded their pottery with stamps, while the Greeks did not. We saw wine jugs that were quite large and took two people to carry them. They were used on ships to transport wine, and if the ship became too heavy, they were thrown overboard. As such, they are often found in shipwrecks. We also saw a foil description of a legend called a mnemosyne. This is a rare artifact; one of only 5 in the world.

Next we had an excellent lunch in the city of Pizzo which included lots of fresh fish (pesce) and pasta (spaghetti).

We then visited Piedigrotta, which is an underground cave (and church) near the sea where a father and son carved religious statues into the rock over the course of 30 years during the 19^th century. Religious services are held on July 2^nd only.

Finally, we visited the Castle (fortress) of Pizzo that was built in 1492. It was used as a prison and held Gioacchino Murat, who had been married to the sister of Napolean Bonaparte.

We enjoyed dinner with everyone, and also Peppino’s nephew, Gregorio at a typical Italian family restaurant in the country. We enjoyed various pastas. Jane’s tasted the best. Peppino was very pleased to receive the print of Independence Hall, and said he would think of us when he looked at it. He asked us to send him a PDF of our presentation so that he could write an article about us.

If only we could access the Internet!

May 9, 2008

We started off the day in Lamazia Terme with Carlo, Peppino and Domenico who gave us maps and packets of information about the region. Lamazia Terme is actually comprised of three towns: Nicastro, Sambiase, and Eufamia. We visited the local archeological museum. Two excellent guides took us through the museum showing us the treasures of the area. We saw an ancient will stamped on bronze, an ancient loom, and a 2000 year-old tomb.

Jason asked what “Terme” means in the name “Lamazia Terme.” Domenico explained that Terme means “thermal baths,” and we were then on our way to a thermal bath center. As we got out of the car, we immediately smelled the aroma of sulphur. We went inside where people were breathing the sulphur steam for health purposes. We went back outside, and Martina waded into the thermal pool. Many lizards scurried around.

On our way to lunch we stopped at a large structure created by the knights of Malta.

Carlo joined us for lunch at the hotel, but could not join us for dinner because his wife was returning from Lourdes (in France).

We had some free time so we wandered around the train station.

Salvatore picked us up at 3:30 and took us to the mall so that we could buy Italian SIM cards for our cell phones. Jason, who was confused by all of the calling plans, decided to stick with a good old fashioned calling card.

Next we went to a kiwi farm owned by Rudolfo and his wife. Nadia, Marisa, and Rudolfo fed us cake and then drove us through the farm in the back of a pick-up truck. The kiwi farm began in 1971 with 10 plants. Now there are 14,000. Some interesting facts: there is one male kiwi plant to 7 females. Kiwis contain vitamins A, B, and C. One kiwi has more nutrition than 3 oranges. Rudolfo also grows olive trees for olive oil (olio), and has over 5000 olive trees. Everything is contained on 48 hectares, and very little pesticide is used. Rudolfo invited us to join him for harvest season in November. Jason is seriously considering it.

Next we went for a long walk around the town of Nicastro, and were rewarded with Gelato. Finally, we had a quiet dinner at our hotel. Notice the order: Gelato first, dinner second.

May 8, 2008

We woke up for our last morning at Hotel Villaggio Guglielmo and gathered, for the last time, around the pool with the palm trees gently swaying and the swallows diving to and fro. We enjoyed our blood orange juice and cappuccino before hopping in the van to visit the coffee roasting plant of the Guglielmo operation nearby. Daniel, the plant manager, greeted us and his assistant, Silvana, explained the operations while offering all of us espressos. We watched coffee being roasted and packed to be shipped all over the world…But, the best part was the coffee pot car in the parking lot.

We returned to the hotel where we met Franco and Francesco who helped us stuff our many bags into their cars and off we went to Lamezia Terme. Giacomo, the president of the Rotary Club of Amantea, met us at the hotel. We said good bye to our friends from Soverato and took a ride along the beautiful west coast of Italy overlooking the turquoise waters of the Tyrennian Sea. We navigated the narrow streets of Amantea, a lovely historical town along the coast, and met up with some Rotarian friends. Again, we saw another permanent meeting place for a Rotary Club in southern Italy in a meeting room in a hotel on the sea. From there, we went into the hotel dining room for pranzo (lunch), with an excellent local wine. It began with a seafood salad and many other types of appetizers (including a fish fritter, a zucchini fritter, shrimp, sardines in olive oil and lemon, salmon, cheese, salami). And when the waiter asked what we wanted next, we replied with a chorus of “Pasta!” For dessert, we had Macedonia (fruit salad). During lunch, Alfonso reveled us with his tales of his family and his travels. He even called his daughter in Milan to share his meeting us with her.

After lunch, the best picture of the day was Nick on Alfonso’s Harley in front of the hotel. Or, was it the clothesline hanging in the historic center of town? Or, was it the hearse, bedecked with copious amounts of fresh flowers, and the accompanying marching band at a local funeral? Or, was it Martina on “Danger Street?”

We walked by the sea and then ran into the town Mayor and took some pictures. Nick, Jason, Martina and Giacomo hiked almost all the way up to the castello high on the hill while Jane sat and caught another pass of the funeral marching band. At the top of the hill was a historic military lookout for Napoelon’s army. From this lookout, Amantea successfully held off Napoleon’s army for more than 5 months before succumbing.

After the funeral and castello, we left the old section of Amantea and headed down to the sea where we met Enrico, who had come to play a short recital for us and a few Rotarians, and his girlfriend Anna. Enrico is a student of Giacomo’s and is also a teacher at the music conservatory. He played a Beethoven sonata and two Chopin pieces. It was a huge treat to have such a private concert arranged by such considerable, kind people only for our pleasure. It must be what royalty felt like.

From there, we headed back to the hotel and to a quiet dinner with just the four of us. Jane was happy that she could have pastina soup. Martina was ecstatic that she could eat chicken for the first time in a week. Jason ordered typical Calabrian sausage and loved it.

And, the most important thing of all: we’re getting our laundry done tomorrow!