We’re officially on to the third and final leg of our epic European trip – visiting my Nonna and Zia in Pettorano sul Gizio, named one of the “most beautiful villages” in Italy!

Though I’m sure most of my (very few!) dear readers have already seen photos of every nook and cranny of Pettorano, today Patrick and I discovered a new area: a park and some trails around the old water-powered mills (mulini) at the foot of the mountains. Check out the great views of the town that we got from down below.

The product that is loved the most in Calabria is the Peperoncino, the so called hot chili pepper. In every house you will see peperoncino hanging from the ceiling, and in every dish you will taste it. Oh yes, i calabresi like it hot!

You name it and they use peperoncino; chocolate liquor with peperoncino, gelato al peperoncino (oh yes you can have this type of ice cream in the coastal town Diamante), pasta dishes with peperoncino, sausages with peperoncino, grappa al peperoncino and so much more…

I just mentioned the coastal town Diamante which is located 27km south of Praia A Mare. At the entrance of this town a red statue of the capsicum will welcome you to let you know that Diamante’s true symbol is the peperoncino. To honor this hot jewel the Peperoncino Festival is held every September. This celebration includes concerts, dances, film reviews, street theater and a competition to find the person capable…

We all have friends but also we have false friends. In grammar there are a lot of those, meaning words you think you know  but guess what… you don’t.

One of the gems of our seven week trip will always be our unplanned visit to Palinuro, which is two hours by road South of the World famous resorts on the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy. Palinuro is totally different to the sophisticated and highly commercialized resorts of Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, however, equally as beautiful in its own right. It does not have the expensive small shops, nor does it have the five-star hotels, instead it does have lots of shops selling affordable merchandise and some excellent four star hotels. The restaurants are catering for Italians and the menu in most of them is not translated, so if you don’t speak the language that’s tough but a lot of fun. English is not widely spoken here and it is so nice to spend time away from the hoards of Germans, Americans, Brits and in fact, tourists from all over the world. 

Today is Ferragosto in Italy, or the peak of summer folk festivals. Almost every town or village arranges its own “festa” or “sagra”. The difference between them lies in the fact that in the first case the highlight of the program is a costume show, and in the second one – tasting of local specialties. Newsstands sell a special guide on these holidays, which is called “Borgi and sagre”.

I love the Italian Middle Ages and so I seek to visit as many folk festivals as possible. Although, each year it is getting harder and harder. The fact is that I have visited almost all the festivals, which are available without car. Last Friday, my friends and I took part in a very picturesque festival “Notte nell’Ilex” in a charming medieval town Elice (Province of Pescara). The tiny borough is situated in the middle of nowhere and moreover the festivity…

Palermo is a great place. It’s partly falling down, with rats running around and for the other part it’s stunning and full of hidden treasures. It’s a city full of contrasts.

Obviously the summer is rather hot and sweltering but even in a 35° degree heat, you can’t be disappointed with this great Sicilian city.

For foodies, Palermo is also an exciting destination. The gastronomical heritage of Moorish and Arabian influences are very much present in the cooking traditions. They make the food here very exciting and exotic. One of the oddly interesting stops on any foodie tour of the city has to be the Antica Focacceria S. Francesco. It’s speciality is the spleen sandwich. So not for the faint hearted! If you are looking for good pizza or other ‘classics’ then you are better off somewhere else. However the spleen sandwich is a rite of passage for any lover…

The body of Giuseppe Garibaldi, a 19th century military leader, will be exhumed after doubt was raised as to whether or not his tomb actually contained his body.  There are fears that the tomb, located in Sardinia, may have been vandalized, and the real body removed and replaced with a fake.

Culture Minister Lorenzo Ornaghi has backed a request by Garibaldi’s family for his body to be exhumed.  Now that authorities have given their approval, the process can begin.  Giuseppe Garibaldi played a crucial part in Italy’s unification, as he was successful in numerous military battles.  He is still loved in Italy, with statues and memorials in his honor found throughout the country.