Breakfast at the hotel, not as grand as the Olimpico, but still good. Although we got there late, obviously. It’s a business place mostly, and apparently they all had early morning meetings, because the spread appeared a bit picked over. No worries though, there was still plenty to eat and fresh made Café Americano and Cappuccino.
Today we tackle La Sila, the area of mountains and plains in the midst of Calabria. It is divided into 3 areas, Sila Grande, Sila Greca and Sila Piccolo, and has huge mountains with peaks as high as 1928m. Most towns up here are holiday villages – both summer and winter as the summer temps are quite enjoyable, and the winter gets a lot of snow (as is apparent from the snow measuring sticks on the side of the road – and the snow tires/chains required signs). Our plans are to visit a couple of the lakes, then as time permits drive to the other side of the country, to the Ionian coast, then back again through different little towns.
On the road a little after 9, we’re still entrusting Alice with our navigation because Camila didn’t even know where we were located. She kept twirling around in circles and telling us to turn on all these roads that didn’t exist. Alice wins by default (although CPS is really missing her detailed map book that was left behind in HHI because of the sheer weight of the thing). Alice directs us out of town the same way we came in, which CPS thinks is incorrect….but….anyhow…we get lost a few times (this is REALLY a confusing city – we don’t normally get lost this much, but you should see some of the turns and streets!), but finally end up on the A3 going south. Huh? Whatever……
As it turns out, this bizarre route ends up being spectacular. Instead of driving straight up into Sila Grande, we approach it from the south heading through the back roads and twisty lanes to Lake Arvo, a spectacular Mountain lake. On the way we climb up into the mountains on these little teeny roads with sweeping vistas down into the valleys. Ed’s getting his driving working out, trying not to turn into a true Italian psycho driving, but still doing his share of passing on the aforementioned teeny, winding narrow roads!
Once we are into the mountains, taking all the bizarre turns Alice tells us to take, we are all alone. We don’t see another car for over 30 minutes – just beautiful forests, valleys and mountain wild flowers – the name of which we still haven’t figured out, but the area is awash with vibrant yellow flowers that make the most beautiful contrast to the deep green trees. The weather is perfect, sunny, yet chilly enough to have the windows down so that we notice the silence. The only sounds are the whir of our tires on the pavement and the birds singing from the trees and bushes. We are alone in the world of Sila….Fabulous.
As we approach the Lake we are rewarded with stunning vistas. Sparkling blue water, green fields and those ever present yellow flowers.
The only negative we can see are the flies. They are as abundant as those yellow flowers, and not anywhere near as pleasant. When we stop to take pictures, we are absolutely swarmed by them. They start out one at a time, but then they must call their buddies, because after only a few moments we are surrounded. We have to run back to the car and open and shut the doors as quickly as possible to avoid bringing them into the car. Ick!
As we continue to circumnavigate the lake, we finally see human activity. Unfortunately it’s a huge tractor trailer being loaded with wood chips that is straddling the middle of the road. they motion for us to wait a minute while they continue chipping and filling, then they move the whole truck out of the way for us. As we wait, those blasted flies swarm the car. Eek! How do these tree guys stand it? The flies must be all over them all day long. Oh yuck! Finally clear, we shed the flies and off we go on our adventures through La Sila.
After a couple hours of meandering around the lake, we head back up to the main roads and on to Crotone, a large city right on the Ionian sea. This road is great – almost like an autostrada (actually better than the A3 coming through Calabria!). We make it through the mountains (and San Giovanni, a beautifully named town that is described in our tour book as “mean and shabby” – well, it’s not all that beautiful really, and it’s huge, so we’ll pass on this one, thanks!) and the scenery on this side of the range is totally different. When we are up high, we can see all the way to the Ionian Sea, but the hills are covered in scrubbier trees, almost stubby compared to the area around Lake Arvo. There is a lot more brown on this side of the range, more fields and maybe more arid areas where foliage can’t grow. Still very beautiful, just in a different way.
Down we go on the “good” road and we are in Crotone in no time. One of the down sides of our “American” GPS is that there is no function for city “centre”. You always have to have an address as your destination. We picked some restaurant that sounded good as our address, but quickly decided we wanted to head down the coast along the beach and check out the action. Off goes Alice (who had been protesting and “recalculating” enough to grate on our nerves) and on goes CPS aided by EPS (yes, Ed now has his own designation). We follow our senses and make it down to the main beach promenade. But oh boy…only by the skin of our teeth. One this is very apparent here in the south, they don’t build their cities the same way. Each city or town we’ve been in has these teeny, tiny narrow little streets – and these guys park like idiots. Seriously – they just shove their cars where ever they want to go and arrivederci! If you can get by, fine, if not – who cares! We’ve got a little Hyundai I20 (which is cool, btw), but even then Ed has to carefully navigate between side view mirrors and scooters – oh yeah – don’t start us on the scooters! 
So – we do make it to the beach front promenade and we actually find a parking place in a free lot (who’d a thunk it?). So we are free to wander. It’s still gorgeous, sunny and warm, but with a cool ocean breeze. We walk up and down the promenade watching the beach goers frolic and looking at all the cabanas and bungalows you can rent for the week, month or season. Great slice of typical summer beach life!
We peruse a couple of options for lunch, then settle on Gambero Rosso which is perched right out on the water over the beach. You walk down a long deck walkway across the beach and into a round building that has picture windows with beach and ocean views. The menu looked basic, but good, and heck, what a view!
We’re the only ones there (of course, we’re eating early, it’s only 12:30!), but no problem. We’re seated and order (boo hiss, no pizza, no oven until evening) wine (1/2 carafe of excellent frizzante for only 6 euros), grilled zucchini and spaghetti Kroton (slightly spicy and sweet red sauce) for me and beer, antipasto and linguine alle vongole for Ed. Filling, yes, but fabulous as well!
Time to head back. We’ve mapped out our course with a stop in Santa Severina, what is described as a town built on a rocky outcropping, an one we’ve actually seen from the road. We plug in the address for Alice and head out. Oh my gosh…Alice! We swear she does this on purpose. If there is a direct route on a major road, she will intentionally not take you on it because by her calculations you might be able to save 30 seconds traveling down unpaved roads. Seriously! We should know better, but Camila hasn’t inspired us much….so we’re stuck following the back roads with Alice.
Getting out of Crotone, you follow route 106, the major road out of town, then exit off it in about 10 KM. Alice sends us down this torn up 2 lane back road that goes through every nasty industrial area there is, then finally, (no surprise here) dumps us out onto the 106 maybe 1 Km from where we could have started in the beginning. Here we go….in for a penny, in for a pound, as they say….
We follow her directions, going down one road where Ed thankfully notices a sign that says the road is closed. We turn around, totally freaking out Alice. but, she gets her act together and sends us off on the next exit and into the back roads of Italy – we’re in the middle of nowhere, 1 lane country roads, olive groves on our right, farmland fields on our left. We take so many twists and turns, we’ve no clue where we are, but we just keep following that little grating Alice voice.
Finally, we turn up into the mountains. We’re still on those little 2 lane roads, now precipitously clinging to the mountainsides. At least we’re headed in the right direction. And the views are spectacular, we even catch site of Santa Severina!
We drive through a few little sleepy towns where no one is out and about and everything is shuttered (siesta time). We have the road pretty much to ourselves, even up here with civilization.
We get to our final turn off and…oops! There are barriers on either side of the road with that red criss-crossed tape. But the tape has been broken through and is laying on the ground. Hmmmm….is the road closed? Is the road open? Only one way to find out – up we go!
Wow! Even better vistas here, but wow again. This road is in bad shape. There are lots of parts where it’s just fallen away down the hillside, and there are barriers to keep you from going where the road has already gone. Then there’s this little area:
…as seen through our windshield, there’s barely enough room for one car – and that’s over rocks and dirt. Thankfully we have seen other cars, so the road is open…but its not exactly highway driving!
We finally reach Santa Severina and it’s totally worth the drive. This place is built on a rocky outcrop and it perches up above the valley like the king on the mount. It’s also deserted when we get there –remember siesta time. Probably a good thing because the road up to the castle at the top of the town is like a mini-Amalfi drive, so empty is better.
We park and walk up to the castle, through the little cobblestones streets lined with beautiful old stone houses.
The main square is also deserted with one café open, and the castle ticket office doesn’t open until 3. Bummer – it’s 2. But people are going in, so, we sort of loiter around the main square, peek into a church, then wander into the castle itself.
There is a music school, and the students are in there. Inside the ticket office, a man is there, we ask if they are open. He looks at his watch and shrugs. Ok, we’ll take this as a yes? We ask for 2 tickets, he shrugs again, and gives us the tickets in exchange for our 8 euros. Probably could have just wandered in for free…but…..
Inside the castle is really neat. We climb up the batteries and take tons of pictures of the valley below. There’s also an excavated necropolis in there. It’s really a nice little diversion – not to mention the entire time we are exploring we are being serenaded by the music students playing piano and flute and singing opera.
After the castle tour, we stop at the “Jolly Bar” for a coke. It’s hot and we’re thirsty – no alcohol for us. No Coke Zero or Coke Light, just “normal”, but the sweet guy says he’ll give it to us with lemon and ice…and he’s so sincere, he sells us. Yummiest full bodied coke we’ve had. In the shade, on the main square, sipping ice cold coke and munching on potato chips and those delectable (well to me at least!) little Taralli (these are a little spicy and melt in your mouth…so good….I’m checking out recipes to keep my addiction going when we return stateside!).
Back in our little car (as seen here from above on the castle turret)..
..we navigate the switch back roads down the mountainside back to the 106 and head toward Cosenza. We have one more side trip – to Lake Cecita – the other large lake in Sila Grande. Alice gets us there – with our help, and once again we circumnavigate a beautiful crystal blue lake with lucious scenery.
And cows! Lots of cows! Cows wading in the water of the lake – too funny! Never seen that before – we dubbed it “cows day at the beach!”
There is a lot more civilization here than at Lake Arvo. Lots of cottages and villas – all looking very Swiss Alpine-like. There are hotels and resorts and camping, it’s obviously a bigger holiday area. Lovely though, out in the middle of the forest with the A frame houses and alpine feel. It must be wonderful in the winter…if you like snow that is!
As we are leaving the lake, we follow Alice and once again are thrust onto back country roads, not more than little rutted lanes where the cows cross in front of you and not another car is to be seen for miles (or people for that matter, just the cows).
Click here for a video of our country lane driving:
http://youtu.be/li7tN7B09Tk
We get stuck in some little town while Alice is telling us to go back and make u-turns. We of course are smarter than that! We have seen the sign for Cosenza and we follow it – and literally in one minute we are back on the main road to Cosenza. Sometimes that darn girl and her goofy directions….
We make it back safe and sound, park in the underground lot, go to the grocery store for our evening meal (including a liter of really good white wine for only 1.87 Euros – yeah!), then hunker down in the room for R&R after a full day of driving the back roads of Calabria with Alice!
