Restoring the Charm of old Pizzo

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new scenic piazza - in progress - in Pizzo old town

With great interest we have been following reports from Pizzo about the recent public renovation projects of the historical center, centro storico. The new major,  Sindaco Gianluca Callipo, a young motivated citizen of Pizzo sees Pizzo's potential. During the election campaign he promised - among others - to finally start long awaited projects to restore the charm of this picturesque village.

We are pleased to see, that the renovation of the alleys - an off-road car almost was necessary to pass - finally started.

uneven cement used to cover the original black lava stones for many years

Via Paladini belongs to the oldest part of Pizzo
getting messy for many months...

The narrow alleys, i vichi, of  the oldest quarter of the village, Carmine, which is just in front our doorstep, will be renovated by removing all asphalt and concrete and maintaining the old original black lava stones. The areas where the original stones have been removed in the past, will be restored using old stones taken from two other streets in centro storico. To complete the work in the other streets, they will use new stones similar to those used in some parts of the Piazza della Repubblica.

the street next to Chiesa San Giorgio will get newer stones

Another project that has progressed fast, was the demolition of the old elementary school. The school and the school yard was abandoned for years. But there was never enough money to proceed with the plan to remodel this area into a public piazza with sea views over La Seggiola bay.

demolition of the yellow old school building
future scenic piazza with views over La Seggiola

I can't wait to see and feel the new "face" of Pizzo. It is all happening around our house. Some neighbours will be very happy since they gain sea view! And I am very curious to see if Pizzitani will use the new piazza - or will they remain "living" in Piazza della Repubblica, their famous "public living room"? Will only tourist sit down and enjoy the view? Will youngsters hang out their all night? Or will it end up as additional parking space?

Identita Nov 2012, page 4

Well, I trust the team around Gianluca Callipo as they have a passion for art and culture. The actual restoration is a huge improvement for all inhabitants and visitors of the centro storico, especially in the old quarter Carmine. It is giving back the charm to Pizzo, as titels the newspaper Identita (Nov. 2012): "Partiti i lavori per restituire fascino al centro storico di Pizzo"!

Photo source credit: Angelo C. - Grazie for the update!

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Update: Progress of street pavement in April and June 2013

Sweet Memories of Summer

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pesce tabbachiere

Summer is over. But we have sweet memories. Lots of friends came visiting us in Pizzo. Friends from Bangkok, Stuttgart and Munich. And we met old friends in Pizzo and made new friends.

We ate great food, fresh fruits, lots of ice cream and went to the beach almost every day. Life in Pizzo is different from life in the big cities. One likes it - or not. I am glad, our visitors seem to have enjoyed the slow life in this little fisher village deep down in the very South of Italy. As I said before, here is not much to do - beside eating and going to the beach. Or eating and sunbathing on the balcony. Or eating and reading a book. Or eating and having a good afternoon sleep. Especially after some glasses of wine.

During summer, streets are deserted in the afternoon. A few people are still at the beach, but most are resting at home. Only in the evenings, the piazza awakes to life. Tables of the bars and gelateries are getting most crowded around 11pm, when people finish dinner and come for tartuffo icecream. During summer holidays in August, various spectacles are organised for locals and tourists. After a long night, the next day, when the sun invites to the beach again, sunbathers arrive at the Marina around 10.30am or later. The locals all have their favorite spots, and meet up with friends to chat in the crystal clear water and get more suntan. Most Pizzitani would leave the beach between 12.30 and 1.30pm to eat lunch at home. Then rest. Around 7pm you can find kids coming out of the houses and playing in the piazza, maybe having a granita or gelato before dinner. Dinner usually is not before 9pm. Only tourists, not adapted to the rhythm of the South, would feed their kids before 8pm. But not many tourist find their ways to Pizzo. Which is not too bad after all. It keeps the village innocent and at its own pace.

For us, summer passed smoothly, except for one or two incidents, and before I realized, it was already time to leave. I could have gone on and on with the slow peaceful rhythm of summer in Pizzo. And as there was not much to write about, I did not post anything. But I took a lot of pictures with my new 50mm lens. Since food was the major interest of the day, most close-up pictures are food pictures. I uploaded some today to our facebook page. If you want to stay connected with us via FB just "like" Palazzo Pizzo on FB. Not much posts their either, but I will upload sometimes for Sweet Memories of Summer.


connect with Palazzo Pizzo on Facebook
 
PS: we have a medium long "To Do" list for our guest residence. Although our guests had a good time living in the vaulted ceiling residence, we need to adjust some things before we rent out professionally.

PPS: I love Calabria runs a photo competition on facebook, just a a few more days.

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a not so lucky day

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Yesterday, after the storm, two "minor" accidents happened in our family, independently from each other, at different times of the day and at different sights.

In the morning, my mother-in-law tried to cut bread for breakfast. Italian bred, especially if it's older than a day, can be very hard. Very. It was a tiny rest of bread she wanted to cut, and the knife slipped, and she cut her finger, deep. In the afternoon, she decided to show the wound to a doctor. He send her for stitching to the hospital in Vibo Valentia. It was late evening when she was waiting to get three stitches.

About the same time, CC played football with our son, between the dining table and the kitchen, where I was cleaning dishes. I had given up to stop them kicking a tiny ball and using a wall as goal. All in a sudden son was screaming and crying on the floor. When I turned around, in the same second, there was a power failure, and we were in the dark. Son still crying, screaming. CC asking for candles, an alarm was ringing, and I tried to find my way to somewhere... As the laundry was drying inside (it was raining all day), I had to go the other way around the table - and stumbled over son, who was still lying on the floor.

What we did not know at that time, and only learned the day after, is that his tiny toe was broken! CC kept asking for a candle, and I was surprised how unprepared we were. No torches or candles... And then something funny happened. Our nine year old, injured and crying, on the floor, advised: "take the iPad, switch it on for light!"

I am still impressed, how he was able to have such a clear mind in all that chaos, and helping his disoriented patents out of the dark.

After CC had switched on the iPad, that was on the table, I grabed my iphone (sorry, it sounds like product placement) and used the app "flashlight" (very useful indeed!). I then managed to find a candle and even a lighter. After we had candles burning, the power came back. And the alarm stopped ringing. But son was still on the floor.

As it was already very late, I carried the patient, who was not able to walk by himself, upstairs. I gave him some paracetamol (I am always traveling with a little pharmacy), red him good-night stories, and around 11 pm we switched off the lights.

About the same time my mother-in-law left the hospital, her finger stitched.

And this is were we went first in the morning, today. To the "Ospedale di Vibo Valentia", where some decades ago, the patient's father, CC was born.

I have to say, our run through emergency, x-ray to the orthopedic doc (with patient on wheel chair) was quiet efficient. It seems kids have priority. Unfortunately in front of the door of the orthopedic there were a lot of kids and teenagers waiting with all kind of injuries.

When it was our turn, the friendly doctor pulled the tiny toe in the right position (the patient's screaming scared others waiting in queue outside), and applied a bandage.

We have to come back for check-up next week, we were told. And we need to get wooden shoe(s?) for the patient. Since it was lunch time, and shops are closing, and we were getting hungry, we went to "la nonna" of the patient, the one with the three stitches, as spaghetti vongole were in the making.

I am curious to see these wooden shoes. I have a bet running with CC whether the patient needs one shoe or one pair.

A Rainy Day

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Tonight, there was a big thunder storm. Directly above our house... at least it sounded like it. And it sounded like in a bad sound study, too loud, too much echo, unreal - but still scary! Lot's of lightening. Power failure included at some point. And lots of rain and wind from Northeast.

Usually these summer storms are heavy and short. But even now, 2 pm in the afternoon, the sky is still grey and temperature low. And laundry has to dry inside, as raindrops keep falling...

It is good for nature, it was not raining here for many weeks. They say, it has not rained since May! And I am spending a cosy and relaxed (even more relaxed than usual) day at home.

The flowers (above) are from CC, who cannot sit still at home like me, so he went to the fruit and veggie vendor. Oh, and they are not for me, they are for his mamma, to be cooked for lunch. They are zucchini blossoms and will be fried in a pan. It's an appetizer, called  fior di zucchine.

So, while CC and Angelo had to discover the countryside, I spent time with our son, playing, painting, reading, browsing the Internet, and blogging (while CC is on a mission, I can use his laptop).

I rediscovered some of my interior books, like "Italian Living", which unfortunately is not available via Amazon anymore. But I found "Italian Rustic" instead, which seems quiet interesting if you are renovating a home. No matter if in Italy or in the US, the Italian craftsmen techniques seem well explained to DIY.

I added the book to my blogroll as well as the "Bergamotto di Calabria" (Eau de Toilette) by Aqua di Parma. I am sure you can get it cheaper somewhere else than via Amazon. And maybe you prefer the other scents of the Blue Mediterraneo line better, at least they all have great names (great marketing): Mandorlo di Sicilia, Fico di Amalfi, Arancia di Capri (getting hungry?), Mirto di Panarea and last but not least Bergamotto di Calabria - a typical product of Calabria. All these scents sound and smell like sunshine and holiday! - I also love bergamotte marmalade, and latte di mandorla (almond milk), and onions from Tropea (but not as a scent!) - Mmmh, it is still raining...

I also finished a book, that I cannot recommend. In German it's called "Ein Haus in Italien" and in English "A Valley in Italy" (by Lisa St. Aubin). I bought it as I was interested in reading another house renovation story in Italy. The author is a strange woman, who for sure can write, but among others, she needs two "au pair" girls for her six year old son and a housekeeper who prepares his school bag in the morning... waste of time to say more about her attitude (if interested, read the low rated reviews on amazon). But more disappointing than her lack of parenting for me was that the lack of description of the renovation project. It was large a large project, since it was a big palazzo with almost three times more windows that we had to do. But she does not only once say something about her flooring, wall colors, tiles, how they choose a kitchen, or where she found bathroom equipment. At the end she builds a small chicken house. The only thing she seems to have been creatively involved. - Well, time for me to write about my project! ;-)

Oh, yes, I published a book already! I forgot to mention. And it is about our renovation, 2006-2012. And it was dedicated to Angelo, and his birthday present. More about it another day, promised.