The Amarelli family in Rossano began harvesting and selling le radici di liquirizia (licorice root) in the 16th century, more formally in 1731. Today, the Amarelli licorice empire remains one of the oldest, most storied, family-owned confectionary companies in all of Europe. In fact, Amarelli is one of only forty-four members of the Henokiens, a prestigious association of businesses that have been family-owned for 200 years or more and whose descendants still run the company.

What’s the Fuss About Licorice?

The licorice plant, native to this part of northern Calabria on the Gulf of Taranto, is noted for its medicinal purposes in easing sore throats, coughs, liver problems, chest pain, and symptoms of food poisoning. It is also widely regarded as having both anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties.

Of course, most of us just know that licorice tastes darn good whether as candy or as a flavoring in food and teas.

The Amarelli Licorice Museum

Il Museo della Liquirizia “Giorgio Amarelli,” situated in the family’s 15th-century stone mansion across the road from the factory, pays homage to the company’s founder while offering its 40,000 annual visitors a peek into the historic operation from original documents and equipment to period clothes and production displays. The museum even has an Italian postage stamp in its honor.

Both the museum and factory offer guided tours—and the scent of licorice in the air is incredible.

If you’ve never had Amarelli licorice, check out the hard candies packaged in adorable little tins that recall an earlier, more innocent time. They make excellent gifts for people back at home, too — small, portable, and delicious!

When you pop one in your mouth, be ready for an absolute flavor explosion. The taste is much more bitter and intense than the mass-produced black licorice whips you may be used to, but also purer and, somehow, inexplicably Calabrian.

Un vero sapore della Calabria. A real taste of Calabria.

Have you ever tried Amarelli licorice?

* * * * * * * *

The above is an excerpt of my book, 52 Things to See & Do in Calabria, and is also my contribution for this month’s Italy Blogging Roundtable topic, FLAVOR. Please check out the rest of the Roundtable posts as well:

1. Jessica of Italy Explained – 7 of Italy’s Weirdest Foods
2. Rebecca of Brigolante – Local Flavor: Best Restaurants in Assisi
3. Melanie of Italofile –Five Favorite Flavors From Ferrara and Modena
4. Laura of Ciao Amalfi – Trattoria da Lorenzo | Excellent Seafood Restaurant Overlooking Ravello
5. Georgette of Girl in Florence – Barely Bigger Than A Breath, Tiny Spaces That Pack A Punch in Florence

The post Flavors of Calabria: Amarelli Licorice appeared first on Bleeding Espresso.

Last year, my word was GOOD and it proved a perfect choice. Over the course of 2016, many challenges arose from personal stress to political upheaval in both of my countries; it was quite helpful to have the reminder to look for the GOOD and focus on doing GOOD even as things around me weren’t always wonderful. I will be keeping this word around for a long time.

And so many GOOD things happened this past year, too!

My daughter, of course, is the highlight of everything GOOD, and watching her turn into a pint-sized, bilingual scamp has been a true joy. She even started sleeping through the night right around her third birthday in October. Huzzah! A day I feared would never come.

One of the highlights of the year was a wonderful trip to central Italy with then 2.5-year-old Marisa. On the way up, we had a quick stopover in Rome, so we got to meet with Eleonora of Casa Mia Italy Food & Wine Tours, whom I hadn’t seen since 2012.

Then, in Assisi, I met a few longtime online friends in person for the first time: Jessica of Italy Explained, Judith, and Rebecca of Brigolante, who generously offered up her spectacular, centrally located apartment in Assisi for our lodging.

Check out this view from the apartment:

Assisi is an exceedingly lovely place to visit, and I’d recommend a few days here to really give yourself time to duck in and out of the little streets and shops as well as visit the popular sites, like the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi:

Here is the kid with the fake camera she made me buy, sizing up the scenery outside the Basilica:

The Eremo dei Carceri — the hermitage — of St. Francis of Assisi, located on a hill outside the town center, is a must-see:

Then, not even a Trenitalia strike could stop the GOOD as we headed up to Florence. I absolutely fell in love with the city.

Look at this adorable Florentine cappuccino:

There, I also got to meet two other previously only online friends: Jennifer Criswell, with whom I worked closely on her fabulous book, At Least You’re in Tuscany, and another (blogless) friend and her daughter (hi A and M!).

With these lovely ladies, Marisa and I got our beef fix — first with a hamburger and homemade chips with Jen at Drogheria (just OK) and then the famous, must-try fiorentino steak (and *fabulous* rigatoni) with A and M at 13 Gobbi. Highly recommended!

Marisa and I stayed in a sweet AirBnB apartment just a short walk from the superb Koto Ramen and awe-inspiring Santa Croce (*swoon*) with my bestie Laura of Ciao Amalfi, who Marisa nicknamed Miss Pommel (of “My Little Pony” fame) for reasons only the toddler understands.

We had such an absolutely amazing time with Miss Pommel, it’s impossible to pick a favorite part. Getting caught in the rain on the Ponte Vecchio was probably not it, though our GOOD luck put us literally in front of an umbrella stand when the drops began to fall, so it wasn’t so bad after all.

Ooh, Dim Sum! That was pretty darn GOOD, too. Man, we ate well in Firenze.

Here’s the young lass chasing pigeons around the Duomo and Baptistery:

The Duomo peeking through the streets:

A couple months later, Marisa and I set off for the United States to visit my family in Pennsylvania, where she especially bonded with her cousin, Mia (Mimi, according to Marisa). We spent lots of time with extended family and in the pool and at nearby Knoebel’s Amusement Resort (where I met another longtime online friend and her daughter who drove all the way from Ohio to meet us — hi B and S!).

We even managed to get in some goat petties at a local wildlife park, Lake Tobias:

Over the summer, I also self-published my book, 52 Things to See & Do in Calabria, and then in November, I wrote 50,000 words in the first book of a cozy mystery series. I have since added a whole bunch more and am currently working on edits; I hope to get this book released within the next few months, so stay tuned!

And then the end of the year. Whoo boy.

Well, it was an emotional roller coaster with the election in the United States occupying most of my psyche, but — looking on the bright side — it also inspired me to get more involved in causes that are near and dear to my heart, so that’s a GOOD thing, too.

And now, finally – *deep breath* – it’s time to introduce the new word. Yes, I know it’s mid-February. How did *that* happen, by the way?!

Anyway, rest assured, this word has been guiding me already even though I hadn’t published it yet here. Without further ado . . .

My One-Word Theme for 2017: FORWARD

Do you always have several projects going at the same time, even if some are only in the daydream phase?

Yes? Same here.

I love the excitement of starting something new and planning it all out and then digging in and seeing progress. People like us, though, we can get a bad rap for being serial starters and hardly ever finishing anything. Maybe it’s not even other people who label you as such — maybe it’s you, yourself.

First of all, I’m going to go ahead and say that finishing isn’t everything. Sometimes a project pushes other, better ideas to the forefront — ones that wouldn’t have occurred to you had you not set off on the initial journey.

As the mommy of a spirited toddler who is hardly ever out of my sight it’s easy to get caught up in endless to-do lists and feel like I’m not doing enough. In fact, another candidate for my one-word theme this year was ENOUGH, to remind myself that I am, in fact, enough, that I have enough, and that I’m doing enough.

But I couldn’t shake this word, FORWARD.

It’s so important, especially for those of us who like to start things, to keep moving FORWARD. To take even baby steps toward what we want to accomplish. Baby steps add up!

Losing momentum happens to all of us and for various reasons, but I do believe that if we keep looking FORWARD and moving FORWARD, eventually that momentum will come back. It may not return in the exact way we had planned or even would have wanted, but we need that FORWARD motion to get us moving again.

And I want to remind myself of that this year. I need to. Often.

Another aspect of FORWARD that I intend to channel is being more FORWARD, asking for what I want. Going out there and seeking out new opportunities and making people say “no.” After all, they just might say “yes,” right?

So, yes, I’m intending to move FORWARD and be FORWARD this year.

How about you?

Do you have a one-word theme?

The post One-Word Theme for 2017: FORWARD appeared first on Bleeding Espresso.

Nearly fifteen years ago when I made my own leap across the pond from the United States, I would have thought that was a silly question.

Back then, English speakers were few and far between ’round these parts and the only people who had even heard of Calabria were those who had origins here. But between Americans, English, Danes, Swedes, Germans, and others who speak English, we have truly invaded the toe of the boot — not just in my area (in the province of Catanzaro on the Ionian Sea), but all over Calabria.

And judging from my email inbox, the “moving to Calabria” trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.

Look, I don’t blame you. The scenery is breathtaking, the people are generous, and the cost of living is a lot lower than most of Italy, especially if you’re comparing it with cities like Rome or Florence.

There are also many, many properties for sale in Calabria, a lot of which have come with extremely attractive price tags — especially now that the dollar and euro are more on par than they’ve been in a long time! I’ve interspersed photos of available properties in this post.

Before you commit to making the leap, though, please take a look at these dos and don’ts for moving to Calabria written with love by someone who’s been there and done that.

Never did get that pesky T-shirt though. Harrumph.

The DOs:

1. DO spend some time in the area you want to move to first.

I’ve seen several people online lately simply throwing out the question of where they should move to in Italy. The bottom line is that no one is you. No matter how much someone loves where they live, they have different needs and wants from yours.

Beyond that, there’s the old intangible factor of just “feeling” it when you get there. If you talk to most relatively happy, long-term expats here, they will invariably tell you they knew they were meant to move to that specific place. I felt it. My bestie Laura at Ciao Amalfi felt it. It’s not a coincidence. Your place will call you if you listen.

2. DO try to make some contacts in your chosen town.

Moving to a different country is an enormous undertaking, and you will be grateful for all the help you can get, especially if your Italian is a bit lacking at first. If you follow #1 above, it’s pretty easy to achieve this one in Calabria. Unless you’ve chosen a larger city where people are more anonymous, you will surely find at least a few potential new neighbors willing to help you figure some things out.

3. DO learn Italian (and don’t worry about the dialect for now).

Despite the influx of English speakers in Calabria, it’s still not common to find someone in a government office or store who can help you in English. I only knew basic Italian phrases and some verbs when I arrived, so it’s not impossible to learn on the fly.

Still, the more of the language you know when you arrive, the easier the transition will be in all respects — including socially, which should not be underestimated. Only being able to exchange small talk about the weather with people gets old pretty fast, trust me.

And yes, natives do speak a lot of local dialect in these smaller villages, but don’t worry: for you, they will stick to standard Italian. Except the older folks sometimes, in which case, just smile politely and nod. Sure, you can them “non capisco,” but they will probably keep talking anyway. Just roll with it.

4. DO figure out how you can stay here legally and also how you will make a living.

These are critical. If you have Italian heritage, the first thing you should do is determine whether you are eligible for Italian citizenship jure sanguinis. Having citizenship makes everything a helluva lot easier, but if you can’t get it, you must look into visas with your local consulate and how you can stay in Italy legally.

One of the potential visas is for work reasons, and I won’t sugarcoat the fact that unemployment is ridiculously high in Calabria. Finding work teaching English is fairly easy, but it’s unlikely to be either regular or lucrative. And not for nothing, but just because you speak English doesn’t mean you should be teaching it, so please research this as well before simply assuming this is how you’ll make a living here.

If you can do some sort of location independent work, this is ideal IMHO. I have been freelance writing and editing since I arrived and although I briefly taught English and worked with the local health care agency as a translator/interpreter, I haven’t have had to rely on finding work locally. That kind of economic freedom makes living here a lot easier (though pay careful attention to tax rules as well!).

5. DO have some savings.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that sometimes things don’t work out as you plan, so a financial cushion is a good idea in case things fall through with employment, housing, or any other factor that could make life more challenging here.

On the other hand, when I moved I had more of a sachet than a cushion, and I made it. But if possible, again, do as I say and not as I do on this one as well.

The DON’Ts:

6. DON’T think life here is just like being on vacation.

Italian bureaucracy is infamous, and its reputation is well deserved. Moreover, if  you’re moving to a larger city, you may find some of the conveniences you’re used to, but in rural Calabria it’s hard to really think of anything I’d call “convenient.” Most everything closes for a few hours in the middle of the day and on Sundays, public transportation is sparse, and basically everyone wants you to show up in person for everything.

These types of things may be quaint for a week on vacation, but dealing with them each and every day — in Italian — can be challenging. Moreover, your interactions with people are going to be more authentic, for lack of a better word . . .  no more niceties put on just for tourists. Everyone knows Italians can be warm and welcoming people, but remember, they are also just people like you and me, and with that comes all kinds of personalities and problems just like anywhere else.

Again, spending extended time here before moving can help you get a better taste of everyday life before committing to anything.

7. DON’T try to find a house or apartment from afar.

There’s simply no way to know what you’re getting into regarding housing without being here in person — and that refers to both the people you’re dealing with as well as the living situation itself.

Photographs can be taken from extremely creative angles and yes, some people may find foreigners easy prey. Come and rent a place for a bit so you can look around first and sign contracts later.

8. DON’T underestimate the extreme weather.

People often think Calabria is tropical in climate, and it’s just not. It does get extremely hot in the summer — into the 100s is common — but usually without humidity. The temps also drop to freezing and below in the winter (and the further up you’re in the mountains, the colder it gets). We have great skiing, for example, in the Aspromonte and Sila Mountains.

Sure, you may be thinking, it’s hot/cold where I currently live, too. OK, but do consider that central air conditioning and/or heating is rare in Calabria, mostly because the cost of electricity is so high. Exacerbating the extremes is that these stone houses are not well insulated for the cold, so winters can be especially brutal with cold, damp weather for months at a time.

On the bright side, the lower floors of houses tend to stay livable in the extreme heat of the summer — but that won’t help much if you have a second floor apartment.

9. DON’T romanticize the ease of using public transportation to get around and visit Europe.

Yes, Italy is only about the size of Arizona and you are relatively close to many other countries simply by living here. But there’s a BUT.

For one, Calabria is not very well connected through the train system. Yes, you can get to other main stations in Italy from here, but many small stations have closed, which means often having to get a ride or drive to one of the main stations (and paying for this can sometimes cost you as much or more than your plane or train ticket).

Also, our main airport is Lamezia Terme — but the train station in Lamezia is not connected to the airport, so, again, either a taxi or ride is necessary to travel between the two.

It’s also not as inexpensive to travel around Europe as it might seem. Yes, there are always deals, but your choices of flights, flight times, and airlines out of Lamezia Terme are somewhat limited.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s still great to be able to get to Rome in a matter of hours, but unless you have a pretty healthy bank account, flitting around isn’t as easy as you might imagine.

10. DON’T let tales of organized crime scare you off.

Ah, the best for last. If I had a euro for every time someone asked me about the mafia in Calabria (which, for the record, is called ‘Ndrangheta), I’d probably be a target of organized crime, ahem.

Yes, Calabria has ‘Ndrangheta, and yes, it is rampant in business and governmental dealings especially in some areas. This affects many aspects of life here like the poor infrastructure, difficulty of starting some kinds of businesses, and such, but what it does not equate to is a higher level of violence or violent crime — especially as it involves the average (unaffiliated) citizen.

I don’t have statistics, but just from my experiences and from reading the newspaper, Calabria is just like anywhere else regarding crime where one should take all the usual precautions. That said, in my tiny village of 150 souls where everyone knows everyone else, I would think nothing of walking alone with my three-year-old late at night — so again, check out where you might want to live to get a good sense of what you’re getting into if this is something you’re concerned with.

*****

I know some of the things discussed above may come across as negative, but I hope not overly so; as you know if you’ve read my site at all, I do love living here. As with any place, though, there are gives and takes, pluses and minuses, and this is just meant to offer up some of the realities of actually making a move here.

Now, any more questions about moving to Calabria?

Shoot! (HA!)

*****

This is my post for the Italy Blogging Roundtable topic for January: MOVE(D). Please take some time to visit my fellow bloggers at the table:

1. Jessica – Italy Explained – Moving Lets the Light In
2. Alexandra- Arttrav – The Cost of Living in Italy: My Annual Budget
3. Melanie – Italofile – Before Considering a Move to Italy, Consult this Quality of Life Index
4. Laura – Ciao Amalfi – Get Your Move on in Positano with a Yoga Retreat
5. Georgette – Girl in Florence – Why Moving to Florence May Not Be the Best Idea for You

The post 10 Dos & Don’ts of Moving to Calabria appeared first on Bleeding Espresso.

1. Wait for snow to start falling.
2. Go outside and collect the freshest flakes in a pot (from the rooftop tiles is an excellent spot) and bring it into the house.
3. Scoop the freshly gathered snow into a small bowl or glass.
4. Drizzle it with the liquid of your choice and stir.
5. Enjoy!

Here in Badolato, I am told the traditional way calls for mosto cotto — cooked wine must. Other common flavorings include honey (fig-flavored especially) or cooked fig syrup. More recently, folks have been adding sugar with orange or lemon juice (both winter fruits common throughout the region), coffee, liquor, or chocolate cream.

No bright blue artificial coloring or flavoring here . . . and voilà!

The purest snow cone imaginable. Literally.

La scirubetta calabrese with fig honey by @egidio_painter on Twitter (used with permission)

The name of this poor man’s gelato is said to derive from the Arabic “sharbat,” which is chilled drink made from fruit or flower petals. A student of Calabrian history knows that parts of this region was heavily influenced by Arabs during the mid-Middle Ages, so this just may be when la scirubetta became a wintertime treat here as well — or at least when the name was adopted.

Adding honey to snow for a delicious brain freeze, though, dates back thousands of years in places like China, Egypt, and Mesopotamia.

Neve dolce neve? Snow sweet snow! Awwww…..

La scirubetta (shee-roo-BET-tah) isn’t the only interesting use of snow around these parts either. I am told it was also common for folks in the Sila, Serre, and Aspromonte mountains to dig profound holes, fill them with snow, and then cover them with straw. These natural refrigerators could then be used as cold storage even into the summer — but even better for the kiddos especially, the blocks of ice that formed sottoterra could also be used for la scirubetta as described above.

How’s that for recycling and reusing?

I’ve (sadly) have yet to enjoy la sciurebetta as we rarely get snow here in the village, but I’m sure I’d be partial to the coffee flavoring.

How would you flavor your scirubetta?

*****

This is my contribution for the November 2016 Italy Blogging Roundtable‘s topic of WINTER.

I was busy working on a novel for NaNoWriMo during that month — and I “won,” having written 50,000 words in what will be the first in a cozy mystery series featuring American lawyer-turned-B&B owner Dahlia D’Amato, set in a rural southern Italian village. The first book is tentatively titled Rustic Revenge, and I’ll be sure to keep you posted! Needless to say, I didn’t get a chance to do a blog post for the Roundtable in November.

BUT meglio tardi che mai (better late than never) — and now you can catch up with the rest of the WINTER Roundtable posts too. Hurry, while it’s still wintertime!

1. Jessica – 4 Reasons to Visit Italy in Winter 
2.  Alexandra – How to Travel the Cinque Terre in Winter Too
3. Laura – Visiting the Amalfi Coast in the Winter – 5 Things You Need to Know
4. Georgette – What To Expect in Florence This Winter 2016

The post La Scirubetta Calabrese: Ancient Snow Cone appeared first on Bleeding Espresso.

Yesterday I received word that Bleeding Espresso has been named the Best Living in Italy Blog in the ITALY Magazine Blogger Awards.

Ce l’abbiamo fatta! We did it!

Grazie mille to ITALY Magazine and to everyone who voted for Bleeding Espresso, and now please forgive my Sally Field “You really like me!” moment but here we go:

I started this blog on a whim in 2006, three years after I moved to Calabria. During the early years, I didn’t have Internet in my house as I couldn’t afford it, and anyway it wasn’t very common around here back then. In the village, only the tobacco store and a real estate agency had it, so I would mostly write offline and often travel a half hour by bus to send off writing assignments at an Internet cafe.

I also walked uphill in snow both ways, but that’s a story for another day.

Then I got Internet in the house and I began reading a few Italy blogs and wanted in. I knew less than nothing about HTML or coding and such, so I started on Blogger with an insanely long Blogspot URL because someone had already claimed Bleeding Espresso (though they never did anything with it, apparently). And I wrote anonymously, going only by “sognatrice,” which means “dreamer.”

I never could have dreamed, though, that doodles on a notepad regarding a blog name, tagline, and potential topics could have turned into the wonderful, worldwide community it has ten years later.

Over these years, I’ve told you lots about my life in Badolato and how living in my ancestors’ village has changed my life. I’ve also shared my story about acquiring Italian citizenship jure sanguinis — and many, many of you have communicated with me privately regarding your quest.

We have shared Calabrian Christmas traditions in our families, tales of malocchio, recipes (especially on Wednesdays!), and book recommendations. We have discussed hot topics like the Amanda Knox trial and whether or not to give children wine. We have laughed over how you know you’re in Italy and the top 5 Italian words you don’t want to mispronounce.

And Nutella. Oh, was there ever Nutella.

This past year, I finally published a book about my adopted region — 52 Things to See & Do in Calabria — and your support has been unwavering and simply amazing.

As my freelance writing and editing career grew and then especially after I had my daughter, my blog writing has gotten more infrequent, but you’ve stuck with me — even as attention spans fade and Italy-based blogs and websites abound, competing for your attention.

You still come, virtually, to my little corner of the toe of the boot, to a medieval village in the rural south where most of you have never been and may never visit.

I don’t have Rome, Florence, Venice, or Tuscany to entice you, yet you come.

You have been coming for ten years and now you have rewarded me with your votes for ITALY Magazine’s Best Living in Italy Blog — and I couldn’t be more proud or humbled by this.

So thank you, from the bottom of my heart as I type from the toe of the boot, for sharing this space with me and for contributing your stories, experiences, and opinions to enrich this community. You have provided me incredible support and love in ways you will never know. Many of you have become among my most cherished friends. You know who you are, and you ground me. Thank you.

I’m sorry that one particular reader-turned-cherished-friend is not here to celebrate this award with me, however. We never met in person, but he always had a kind comment or a funny email forward at the ready and would’ve voted the crap out of this contest — not just for me but for all his favorite Italy bloggers. Unfortunately, the world lost his generous spirit in 2016. I know he would’ve been just as proud of this award as if he were my own father.

Love and miss you, Gil. I hope you’re enjoying a sfogliatelle somewhere.

I have exciting things planned for Bleeding Espresso for 2017, and I look forward to revealing them, time-permitting, throughout the winter and spring.

I still have to post my One-Word Theme for 2017, too, so put your thinking caps on and be ready to share yours as well, please.

So grazie mille, again, for your votes, yes, but more importantly, for choosing to spend precious moments of your time with me.

And a special thank you to ITALY Magazine for reminding me how much I love and appreciate this space and the people in it.

Buon anno a tutti!

The post Best Living in Italy Blog 2016 – Grazie Mille! appeared first on Bleeding Espresso.

Dreaming Sophia follows the journey of a young artist who, in the face of tragedy, follows the guidance of historical and cultural Italian icons who appear to her in daydreams and encourage her to follow her own heart to Florence.

I’m pleased to give Melissa space here to talk about how her novel came about and also give you a chance to win a copy of this daydreamy read. Giveaway details below.

*****

Sophia Loren once said, “Credo in sogni, sogni diventano realtà“—I believe in dreams, dreams become reality.

This idea resonates with me, and it is one of the themes of my new book Dreaming Sophia. It is a novel about Italy and weaves together many strands of Italian culture in a mixture of fantasy, romance, art, and history. The story takes the reader on a journey from the vineyards of Sonoma California to Florence, Lucca, Rome, and Venice. Along the way, they will discover more about Italy, popular legends and illuminating anecdotes as well as film, music, and food. They will also learn a bit of Italian to boot.

Inspiration for Dreaming Sophia

The inspiration for the novel Dreaming Sophia comes not only from my love for Italy and my personal experiences traveling and living there and learning the language but also from a beautiful dress.

To be more specific the black and white pomegranate patterned brocade dress embroidered with silver and gold thread that Eleonora de’ Medici wears in the portrait of her painted in 1545 by Agostino Bronzino. I have always been fascinated by the Duchess’ image and have imagined what it must have been like to wear such a beautiful gown.

Being an artist and art historian, I have also fantasized about being able to talk with the images in paintings that I have seen in books and museums.

What if I could go back in time and meet the influencers of Italian culture: Eleonora de’ Medici, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Simonetta Vespucci, Lucrezia Borgia, Garibaldi and even the Prince himself Lorenzo de’ Medici? If I could have a conversation with them what might they tell me about their lives and times?

More About the Book

To give a brief synopsis, Dreaming Sophia is the story a young American painter named after La Loren, the legendary movie actress. At the start of the novel, she is a woman blindsided by fate and must come to terms with a devastating tragedy.

But Dreaming Sophia is also a joyful story, at times funny and whimsical. It ultimately tells how Sophia emerges from a very dark place by tapping into her creative, imaginative powers. In Italian, a person who daydreams is said to sognare ad occhi aperti—to dream with eyes open. And this is what my character does. Through sogni Sophia meets famous Italian personalities, and they each give her a gift and a bit of advice, urging her to follow her heart to Italy and turn her dreams into reality.

I have had a wonderful time bringing Dreaming Sophia to life. I hope you too will enjoy your travels with Sophia—because dreaming is an art!

Before concluding I also want to mention that Michelle was my content story editor for Dreaming Sophia. She helped me to initially shape my ideas and focus the story line, as well as suggest the title. On behalf of Sophia and myself, grazie Michelle, for your collaborative efforts. It was a pleasure working with you!

*****

Melissa Muldoon writes the dual language blog StudentessaMatta.com in Italian and English.

[Side note: Melissa also designed my logos for Bleeding Espresso and Goat Berries!]

She also produces Matta Youtube videos in Italian and Podcasts and co-leads Italian Language Immersion programs in Lucca and Arezzo as well as organizes Homestays with Italian teachers to improve language skills and learn more about Italian customs and culture.

Dreaming Sophia is now available on Amazon in print and e-pub versions. The e-pub book has links to art, music and film clips mentioned in the book so you can experience the book visually and aurally.

You can also find Dreaming Sophia on Facebook, Pinterest and the web at DreamingSophiaBook.com where Melissa will be posting more stories about Florence, Italy, and art.

*****

And finally, the giveaway!

In bocca al lupo!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

P.S. There is also still time to vote for Bleeding Espresso in Italy Magazine’s Blogger Awards – Best Living in Italy Blog category!

The post Dreaming Sophia by Melissa Muldoon: Guest Post + Giveaway appeared first on Bleeding Espresso.

** Please note this giveaway has ended. **

Over the summer, I published my ebook, 52 Things to See & Do in Calabria — a true labor of love intended to entice readers to visit the toe of the boot and give those who already love this area as much as I do a little more information in English.

Thank you, thank you to those of you who have purchased a copy and have given me great feedback.

More positive Amazon reviews are always appreciated as they are the best way for an author to spread the word!

Many of you have asked about a printed copy, and since there has been such a demand and because I would love to hold this book in my hands too, that is one of my winter projects. Image quality for print books must be a lot higher than for ebooks, so this is the main reason a print copy isn’t available yet, but I shall do my best.

In other book news:

I have lowered the price on the ebook to $2.99, which will be the lowest it will ever be and will be in place throughout the holiday season (until January 6, the Epiphany).

And now, the free stuff:

You also have the chance to win one of three copies I will send to the winners of this giveaway. You can earn up to five entries per person:

1. Comment here OR on Facebook (1 entry).
2. Like the Bleeding Espresso Facebook page (1 entry).
3. Follow michellefabio on Instagram (1 entry).
4. Follow michellefabio on Twitter (1 entry).
5. Share this post on Facebook or Twitter (1 entry).

If you already like Bleeding Espresso or follow me on Twitter or Instagram, just tell me that in a comment and you get the extra entries too.

Giveaway is open internationally and ends on December 27 at midnight Italy time.

** Please note this giveaway has ended. **

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And finally, unrelated to book giveaway, if you feel like it, vote!

I am incredibly honored to once again be nominated for Italy Magazine’s Blogger Awards in the category of “Best Living in Italy Blog.”

If you’d like to throw a vote my way, I’d very much appreciate it!

The post Book Giveaway: 52 Things to See & Do in Calabria appeared first on Bleeding Espresso.

I hear this often from friends this time of year, and if you, too, believe this is a special and magical season here in the rural south of Italy, you’re not wrong.

Christmas in Calabria *is* magical and special — but maybe not in the way you might think.

Forget the quaint New England village Christmas with a medieval, cobblestone twist.

For starters, snow is highly unlikely. Last year, we didn’t need jackets on a wonderfully sunny and warm Christmas day. Indeed, picking clementines is one of our favorite December activities. No complaints here!

But what Christmas in Calabria lacks in white stuff and typical greeting card cuteness, it definitely makes up for through simple and pure joy revolving around family and food.

Even if that did take a bit of getting used to for this transplant . . . .

What Is Christmas in Calabria Like?

Put simply: much more low-key than what I grew up with in the United States, where people seem to be complaining about Christmas decorations appearing in stores earlier and earlier every year.

Here, festive touches go up in early December, in stores and in homes, and community celebrations are rather rare. There’s a smattering of Christmas markets and concerts, and I’m sure there are Christmas parties in larger towns and cities, but it’s not the norm in my village except perhaps among non-locals.

Instead, the biggest crowd draws are the presepi (Nativity scenes) set up by church volunteers; some towns have private competitions as well. A neighboring village, Sant’Andrea, has a live Nativity Scene (presepe vivente) featuring people dressed up as Mary, Joseph, the Three Kings, and shepherds, and Paola, on the Tyrrhenian Coast sets up a mini-Christmas Village that has been attracting a bigger crowd every year since it began in 2014.

Some Calabrian towns do have big, lighted Christmas trees in the piazza (especially larger towns and cities). Others don’t. My village has only had one in all the time I’ve been here, but we do get lights on the Corso (main street).

Our humble lights are rented out from a local company, so they are different every year, and get strewn across our barely-one-car-wide-street without much fanfare — just some dudes on ladders with string. One day they’re not there and the next day they are, making a crisp evening walk on the Corso a lot brighter.

Are gifts exchanged here? Yes, usually a smaller scale than what is more common in the US — though this is changing too, and I’m afraid not for the better.

Overall it’s safe to say Christmas in Calabria is family and food-based. The main meals are on Christmas Eve (Vigilia di Natale) and Christmas Day and may feature any or all of the following as well as a wide variety of other specialties: baccalà, stuffed lasagne, zeppole, pignolata, cumpettu, panettone or pandoro cakes.

You may have heard of (and even do) the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, but the first Paolo had ever heard of it was from me. In any event, seafood and fish do tend to feature in holiday meals here, probably because it’s considered a little fancier than your average plate (it’s also common at weddings, for instance).

And remember, the holiday season extends through the Epiphany on January 6 here, so all this family and food-related goodness continues well into the new year as well.

There is a Christmas Eve Mass — I’ve heard the church bells — but I’m not religious so I haven’t gone; there is also a pre-dawn novena leading up to the big day as well. There are no grand processions, parades, or anything of the sort, though. The closest we get to that is on December 8 for the Immaculate Conception, which kicks off the holiday season with a procession led by bagpipes (le zampogne).

Bagpipes pre-procession for the Festa dell’Immacolata (Immaculate Conception). They are on the way to the church for Mass, which will be followed by the procession. Today is the official start of the holiday season in Italy!

A video posted by Michelle Fabio (@michellefabio) on Dec 8, 2016 at 6:59am PST

Here in Badolato, we also have someone dressed as Babbo Natale carry around a little Baby Jesus statue and a portable radio blasting bagpipe music on Christmas morning. I have a feeling this may just be a particularly lovely village quirk, however.

Embracing a Calabrian Christmas

My first few years here, I have to admit that Christmas was a bit of a disappointment for me. There was no build-up, no excitement, no rush up to the holiday, no checking off lists and wondering whether I was forgetting anything. In some part that was because I was either on my own (the first couple years) or only had one other person (Paolo) to think about.

So when I had my daughter Marisa in 2013, I thought for sure the calm and relaxing holidays I had grown to appreciate on this side of the pond would get more hectic.

Nope.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized I have complete control over whether to make things hectic and crazy and full of responsibilities.

And I choose “no, grazie.”

Now I just pick what I want to focus on and make those things as special as I can. The relaxed atmosphere around me helps — as does the fact that I don’t feel responsible for entertaining in-laws or extended family.

This year, as we have for all of my daughter’s Christmases so far, we will be spending Christmas in Calabria, in famiglia, as they say. The house is decorated more than it ever has been; having a three-year-old who talks about Babbo Natale every day has certainly helped me get into the spirit.

Last week, Marisa and I made Christmas cards together with stickers (her) and a glitter pen (me) and sent them out. We’ve also constructed a gingerbread house and a chocolate house.

She fell in love with Snoopy over Halloween (thanks Great Pumpkin!), so we’ve been listening to one of my favorite Christmas songs quite a bit — I have glorious childhood memories of jamming out to my Snoopy’s Christmas record (yes, record!) as Snoopy battles the “Bloody Red Baron.”

This year, I introduced her to Home Alone and she laughs hysterically whenever Macaulay Culkin slaps the aftershave on his face and Joe Pesci gets his hat burned off and Daniel Stern steps on glass ornaments.

Every. Single. Time.

And, accordingly, so do I.

I haven’t planned out a menu yet for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but I’m sure it’ll be delicious and decadent. And most certainly involve pasta.

But for now, we still have cookies to bake — chocolate chip and peanut butter for sure, maybe thumbprints, hmmm —  and I have a handful of presents left to wrap, so I’m not too concerned with the food aspect yet.

It’s only December 15th after all, so there’s still plenty of time to figure it out. We’re in no rush.

Wishing you and yours a healthy, happy, peaceful, and calm holiday season!

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This month’s Italy Roundtable theme is HOME. Check out the other posts from around the table:

• Jessica: Italy Explained – You’ve Been Gone So Long (On Leaving Home & Finding Ancestral Roots)
• Rebecca: Brigolante – The Humble Art of the Nativity Crèche in Umbria
• Laura: Ciao Amalfi – Finding Home on the Amalfi Coast

The post Christmas in Calabria: Home for the Holidays appeared first on Bleeding Espresso.

In “A Report on the Case Investigation of Natuzza Evolo,” Michael Nanko wrote that Calabria is “an area spattered with beliefs in sorcery, witchcraft, charms and spells.”

Well . . . yes.

And Natuzza Evolo is a great place to start talking about mysterious happenings here in the deep south.

“Mamma” Natuzza was a Calabrian mystic who acted as a medium and healer, showed evidence of stigmata, and could “bi-locate” — be in two different places at once. She is also connected with “hemography,” which is when blood stains miraculously transform into symbols, shapes, and even words, particularly Christian ones like crosses.

Although she’s relatively unknown internationally, Italians have been fascinated by Natuzza for generations as she has been a popular subject of books and various Italian television programs.

After Natuzza passed away on All Saints’ Day in 2009, about 30,000 people traveled from all over Italy and beyond for her funeral in rural Calabria. One-hundred priests and six Italian bishops were also in attendance.

The Early Life of Natuzza Evolo

Natuzza was born in 1924 in Paravati, a tiny hamlet near Mileto in Calabria. Her given name is Fortunata, from which the diminutive “Natuzza” comes. Natuzza’s father had left for Argentina a few months before she was born, and he never returned, leaving Natuzza’s mother alone to care for her newborn as well as her other children.

Natuzza never learned to read or write and helped support her mother and siblings by working for local families. She allegedly began having her first visions as a small child — Jesus, it is said, appeared to her as a boy who played with her and one of her brothers — but her brushes with the dead didn’t become popular knowledge around town until she began experiencing them as a young teen at work.

And it wasn’t just apparitions with Natuzza, even as a child. At her First Holy Communion, her mouth reportedly filled with blood when the wafer symbolizing the body of Christ was placed inside. At her Confirmation, a large stain of blood in the form of a cross formed on the back of her shirt.

Because of Natuzza’s experiences with the paranormal, as a young woman she was closed in an asylum for a few months by the local priest and was not permitted to enter a convent to become a nun.

Still, Natuzza always supported the Church and devout Catholics arrived by the busload to visit her in Calabria and ask for her help or intercession; a few hundred people waited to see her each day. There are records of thousands of cases in which Natuzza is said to have intervened — and judging from the number of Catholic priests and bishops who attended her funeral, the Church eventually came around as well.

Visions, Bilocation, Stigmata, and More

In addition to seeing Jesus, Natuzza also claimed to have also seen and communicated with the Virgin Mary, angels, and the dead, particularly souls in purgatory, throughout her life.

Natuzza was also considered a healer, credited with being able to look at a person and tell them what was ailing them, physically — using formal, medical terminology — as well as suggest treatments. She could also see the future and sometimes spoke in languages she didn’t know (remember, again, she was illiterate). In fact, some of her blood stains even transformed into phrases in foreign languages.

But perhaps Natuzza is most famous for the appearance of stigmata — marks that occur on one’s body in the locations of Christ’s crucifixion wounds — at Easter. Natuzza would lock herself away and wouldn’t take visitors because of the extreme physical and emotional toll that Settimana Santa (Holy Week) took on her.

Natuzza never accepted money for what she did or was accused of participating in anything fraudulent based on her abilities, which, in the eyes and hearts of many, lend credence to her and her followers’ claims.

Skeptics, of course, have varying explanations for the goings-on with Natuzza. Psychologist Armando De Vincentiis believes Natuzza’s “stigmata,” for instance, to have actually been Gardner-Diamond Syndrome, a rare disease characterized by the appearance of unexplained, painful bruising.

Regardless, Natuzza had many devoted followers and still does today through her Fondazione Cuore Immacolato di Maria Rifugio delle Anime (Immaculate Heart of Mary, Refuge of Souls Foundation), which she formed during her lifetime. Her remains are now found there and can be visited by the faithful during allotted hours. The foundation also holds regular mass and prayer groups.

One of Natuzza’s most endearing qualities was that she was a “donna del popolo,” a woman of the people. Here is Natuzza’s welcome message (in Italian) on the foundation’s homepage, during which she humbly describes herself as “una di voi” — one of you:

More Info About Natuzza Evolo

There is no shortage of literature about Natuzza available but most of it is written in Italian. As far as I have found, only one volume of Natuzza of Paravati (Dr. Valerio Marinelli’s ten-volume collection documenting interviews with Natuzza and people she had helped) has been translated into English; you can read excerpts of testimonials — and see photos of some examples of her hemography — at Mystics of the Church.

You can also learn more about Natuzza at the website of her foundation: http://www.fondazionenatuzza.org/

Sainthood for Natuzza Evolo?

I have read in a few unofficial places that the canonization — the process toward sainthood in the Catholic Church — has begun for Natuzza Evolo. If she is eventually canonized, Natuzza would join Father Gaetano, subject of the wonderful book, My Cousin the Saint by Justin Catanoso, as one of Calabria’s modern-day saints.

I’m sorry to say I didn’t know much about Natuzza’s story before she passed away, so I never had the pleasure of meeting with her. I would love to hear from you if you or someone you know did, though — or have ever met with a medium or healer!

Please share in the comments!

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This month’s Italy Blogging Roundtable topic is “Myths/Legends.” In choosing to share the story of Mamma Natuzza, I interpreted the topic quite broadly to encompass the unknown, unexplained, and mysterious since, as a real person who was with us until just a handful of years ago, Mamma Natuzza was certainly neither myth nor legend.

As for her abilities, well, that is for you to decide.

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To read more entries from the Roundtable, check out the following:

1. Italy Explained: 4 Italian Myths Debunked 
2. At Home in Tuscany: Of starvation and cannibalism in Pisa
3. Arttrav: The Best Way to Experience the Borghese Gallery
4. Ciao Amalfi: Watching Over Amalfi’s Legends
5. Girl in Florence – How Not To Learn Another Language As An Adult 
6. Brigolante: Common Myths and Misconceptions Regarding Italian Culture Fostered by Guidebooks

The post Natuzza Evolo: Calabrian Mystic appeared first on Bleeding Espresso.

One of my favorite things about living in Calabria, in fact, is how easy and relatively inexpensive it is to get fresh, tasty fruits and vegetables. Whether from our own garden, a neighbor, a traveling fruttivendolo in an Ape, or an open-air market, farm to table here is easy peasy — especially for our most prized food products.

The region of Calabria has several foods that have secured the coveted labels of DOP (protected designation of origin) and IGP (protected geographical indiction), which both protect and assure consumers of the foods’ origins.

Calabria DOP products include capocollo, soppressata, pancetta, salsiccia (sausage), caciocavallo silano, and the bergamot; IGP products include the Calabrian clementine, the Tropea red onion, and, soon, Calabrian olive oil.

But one of the least known IGP specialties outside the region is the humble patata silana. The Sila potato. And its time has arrived.

I wrote about this special spud in my book, 52 Things to See & Do in Calabria, and I’m sharing that excerpt here so you can get a taste of what you’ll find in the book as well as learn more about our beloved, under-appreciated potato, which is grown in the Sila Mountains, one of Calabria’s major ranges and, incidentally, home to the Sila National Park. There’s lots more about Calabria’s mountains and three national parks in my book, by the way, if you’re interested!

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12. Order “some fries with that” to taste the famous taters of Sila.

For quite some time, the people of Calabria have known that the Patata della Sila, the Sila potato, is no ordinary tuber. Only recently has the European Union caught on and granted it IGP status, which guarantees its geographic origins as the Sila plateau.

Cultivation of this special spud dates back to the early 1800s. Its distinctive whitish-yellow flesh contains a taste stronger than your average Italian tater and has more nutrients as well. While the Sila potato is great baked or grilled, it is best fried, so if you’re a patatine fritte (french fries) lover, villages along the Sila plateau are great places to order some fries with that.

To be more specific, the Sila potato IGP is grown in the following places:

• Province of Cosenza: Acri, Aprigliano, Bocchigliero, Celico, Colosimi, Longobucco, Parenti, Pedace, Rogliano, San Giovanni in Fiore, Serra Pedace, Spezzano della Sila, and Spezzano Piccolo.

• Province of Catanzaro: Albi, Carlopoli, Cicala, Confluenti, Decollatura, Magisano, Martirano, Martirano Lombardo, Motta San Lucia, Serrastretta, Sorbo San Basile, Soveria Mannelli, and Taverna.

Sila potato harvest / Photo: Giovanni (Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

And the best time of year to taste the famous Sila potato? Why, that would be at the Sagra della Salsiccia e della Patata Silana (Sausage and Sila Potato Festival), held annually in the fall in the charming Camigliatello Silano. This celebration has been around for over thirty years, so you can be sure those folks know their way around the potato, which pairs especially well with spicy Calabrian sausage. The festivities also include traditional music, tarantella dancing, and other various food and entertainment stands.

If you miss that one, though, another potato fest takes place in Parenti on the last Sunday of August.

There just never can be too many celebrations for a potato, can there?

More: http://www.patatadellasila.it/ (Italian, English, others); http://www.patatadellasilafest.it/ (Italian only)

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Now . . . what about getting the Sila potato from farm to table?

As mentioned above, you can slice it up and make some fries, but having a bag of Sila potatoes on hand is also a great opportunity to try one of Calabria’s favorite dishes: pipi e patate  — potatoes and peppers. Grab some peppers from the market and click for my simple recipe, exactly how my grandmother always made them.

What’s your favorite potato dish? 

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This post is part of this month’s Italy Blogging Roundtable‘s theme “Farm to Table,” and for the occasion, we’re thrilled to welcome Georgette of Girl in Florence, to the blogging roundtable!

Read other posts here:

• Jessica of Italy Explained: Packing the Perfect Picnic in Italy
• Gloria of At Home in Tuscany: The Joys of Seasonal Food in Italy
• Rebecca of Brigolante: Umbria’s Farm Bounty
• Alexandra of ArtTrav: Eat Local: Farm to Table Options in Florence
• Laura of Ciao Amalfi: In a Landscape Surrounded by Lemons
• Georgette of Girl in Florence: Gourmet Tuscany: Restaurants that Embrace a Farm-To-Table Philosophy
• Melanie of Italofile: A Little Greek / Yogurt in Paestum

The post From Farm to Table: The Sila Potato appeared first on Bleeding Espresso.