Three Joys in Reggio Calabria

We just spent a week in Reggio Calabria with Katy, Jack, and Opal.  We chose the location because Jack has two greatgrandparents from that region, and we hoped to do a little sleuthing into the family roots.  Our group was hit by a nasty cold that taxed us each, so we didn't have the brandwidth to get out and about very far.  We were able to enjoy the sunny weather and many things in easy walking distance from our apartment.  Here are three joys that came up on some of our 'top 3' lists from Reggio.

The History:

Reggio Calabria was part of Magna Grecia, or an extension of Greece, in the 8th century BC, so Reggio was Greek before it was Roman, and way before it was Italian.  There are hints of this heritage all over the city, from original Hellenic walls visible by the sea, to the references to Posideon instead of Neptune, to the amazing Magna Grecia museum and the two Bronzi di Riace. 

We spent a morning at the Magna Grecia museum and discovered that our apartment, about a 10-minute walk up the hill from the Lungomare Falcomatà, the beachfront walkway, was in the original Greek settlment, visible here with an orange dot.

We also enjoyed meeting the two Bronzi di Riace, incredible bronze statues from about 450 BC that were discovered in the sea near Reggio in 1972.  They were carefully restored and are kept in a climate-controlled room that requires visitors to spend time in a kind of air lock before entering.  They are referred to as A and B, but with Opal's help we renamed them Alberto e Berto (silly...).  We saw Alberto e Berto all over Reggio, including featured in paintings in a coffee shop wearing what looked like 70's tennis outfits.  You can tell them apart because Alberto  is wearing a headband and has two eyes.  Berto has a helmet and only one eye.

Our Neighborhood:

Our apartment in Reggio had an amazing view of sky and green trees, and the mountains of Sicily (hard to see on photo, look in the middle right).  The apartment was part of a little gated community of condos called Parco Fiamma.  From different spots on the grounds, we could see even more Sicilian mountains and the Straight of Messina.

Our neighborhood had plently of small businesses, including a grocery store, coffee shop, bulk coffee supplier, pharmacy, and bakery that had two kitchens- one for gluten-free baking, and one for gluten-full.  We were greeted warmly and offered samples and treats in a couple of the small shops.  This gift is a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans we received the first morning.  Opal tried but did not love them. 

We also met a sculptor who was out working in his driveway nearly every day.  He asked us into his studio and shared about his work.  He said good morning everytime he saw us heading into town.  A different kind of neighborhood art is visible at the end of this entry: the beautifully festive Fiat 500 di Natale.  I hope the video works so you can enjoy the whole experience.

The Food:

Here you can see a photo of Jack and Gibbs and their delight over their pizzas from Fratelli la Bufala.  We also enjoyed other southern Italian specialties, including 'Nduja (a spicy, spreadable pork salami made with calabrian chiles), Arancini (deep fried stuffed rice balls), and crespelle (fried savory beignets stuffed with anchovies and enjoyed during winter holidays in and around Reggio).

The crespelle we tried were from my new favorite bakery with gluten-free options, senza e con.  It was just steps from our apartment and offered baked goods made in two kitchens, one with, and one without gluten.  This was one example of many in what turned out to be the easiest gluten- and dairy-free eating experience in a city I have ever had.  

One of the bakers at senza e con offered me a crespelle on Dec 30, and told me about the local tradition to eat them for Capodanno, but she warned me to come back early if I wanted some.  We got there on the 31st just in time.  We had to take a number and wait outside about 5 minutes, but when we left the sidewalk was crowded.  We enjoyed our warm crespelle on the terrace in the sunshine, they didn't even make it into the house.

Ecco la Fiat 500 di Natale: