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Tuesday, April 18th we left Sicily and headed for the mainland. Two trains and one hydrofoil ferry (Liberty Lines) ride later we were on the toe of the boot. As it was along travel day, we decided to take it easy and just stroll around our new home for the next 3 days. Reggio di Calabria, or commonly known as Reggio Calabria was chosen to be part of this itinerary as it was not too far from Sicily and it was the largest city in the Calabria region. For Me it also had two main tourist attractions, the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecian (it is the home of the Riace Bronzes) and the Lungomare Falcomatá; a long seaside walkway perfect for people watching.

When we arrived, our AirBnB host also mentioned that the town of Scilla, a fishing community to the north, is a lovely day trip from Reggio Calabria. And yes mom, it also happens to be the name of a little blue flower that grows extensively in our garden in Vancouver…

Our day trip to Scilla was overall amazing, but we had not read the weather right and the ocean breeze and cloud cover made it for a chilly morning. The town was very picturesque and had many nooks and crannies to explore. This was mid-April and the tourists has not arrived, so He and I felt like the only ones there. We explored the Castello Ruffo and got lost in the maze of winding streets and steep staircases of Scilla.

The Chinalea neighbourhood of Scilla, east of the Castle Ruffo outcropping, was where we spent most of our time. The locals are proud of their houses perched on the cliffs over the sea; apparently a type of architecture unique to this area. It was so charming, and every so often you would see a fishing boat pulled up into a narrow slip beside a house, almost like a driveway. The steep stairs and uneven roads kept us on our toes, but the views of the sea were worth the risk to our delicate ankles.

We let TripAdvisor guide us to our lunch destination – Da Pippo. If it was later in the season, we would have had our meal on one of the many balconies over the sea in the Chinalea, but we had to settle for a covered patio on the beachfront with a view of the boardwalk under construction. The table white wine was wonderful and the seafood was plentiful, so not all was lost. Thanks again to Trenitalia, we managed to get back to Reggio Calabria via Villa San Giovanni. He’s post tell of that little adventure.

 

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The view from the top of the Castello Ruffo in Scilla, Calabria

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