Although most people consider Calabria a warm-weather destination, the lakes, mountains, ruins and medieval villages are actually year-round attractions. In fact, many people travel to Calabria in the winter months to meet their long-lost relatives or to save money on low-season flights and accommodations.
While it is true you won’t need to pack your summer trunks and tiny two-piece the following five things could make the difference between your trip-of-a-lifetime and that miserably cold Calabrian vacation you took one year.
Remember, layering is the key to successful winter dressing in Calabria-think long-sleeve t-shirts, sweaters and vests. And just to get you started on your list, here are five things you should always pack for a Calabria vacation in the winter.
photo credit: Maxwell GS
1. Good, warm boots
Despite what you’ll read in some guide books, Calabria is down-right cold in the winter, and you will need a good pair of warm boots. It is likely your journey will entail walking through cobble-stone streets, trekking up steep hills and sloshing through muddy, wet ground.
Carry (or wear) a good pair of warm boots. Your feet will be grateful.
2. Wool socks
Speaking of thankful tootsies, wrap those bad boys up in some wool socks. Be sure to carry an extra pair (or some furry warm slippers) to wear at night. There isn’t a lot of carpet in Calabria and the marble floors are C-O-L-D. If you are planning an extended stay in Calabria, plan to hand-wash your socks every few days and hang them to dry.
3. Umbrella
Sadly, sunny Calabria turns wet in the winter, so be sure to pack a small umbrella or raincoat you can carry with you on your excursions. This is especially important if you are traveling to less-touristy destinations where shop-keepers won’t run outside to sell umbrellas at the first site of rain.
4. Sunglasses
Contradictory to #3?
You might think so, but the sun often precedes (or follows) the rain in Calabria, so make like a Boy Scout and be prepared.
5. Scarves, hats, gloves
These accessories will diversify your winter wardrobe and keep you warm as you scout out family ancestors and explore Calabria’s castles. Additionally, Catanzaro, Calabria’s capital city, is known for its fierce wind. These accessories will protect you for the elements.
What else do you suggest people pack for winter vacations to southern Italy?
Hop on over to Robin’s and see what travel tips she is offering today.
Until next time … Buon Viaggio!
AS THE SNOW FLIES\Snowboarder has downhill daring.(SPORTS)
Daily News (Los Angeles, CA) January 18, 1996 Byline: Brett Pauly Daily News Staff Writer She pounds the slopes 150 times a year, but April Lawyer falls short of calling herself a snowboard bum. A half-pipe junkie, perhaps, but not a pauper.
“It’s a laid-back lifestyle, but I wouldn’t say I was a total bum,” said the down-to-earth professional snowboarder from Big Bear Lake. “I do have a lot of fun and it’s not very stressful, but I don’t want to say I’m poor. I rent a house. I have a car. And I don’t borrow money from my parents.” Actually, Lawyer is far richer than her bank account suggests. see here smith goggles
Indeed, she is an unassuming queen among the throngs of snowboarders identified by baggy pants, oversized sweat shirts and duct-taped gloves – a very existence that would scream poverty if it weren’t for those expensive surfboards-turned-skis strapped to the soles of their feet.
Her royalty is defined by top finishes in international freestyle competitions, corporate sponsorships, a burgeoning celebrity and a paycheck that will allow her finally to save money instead of merely getting by.
“I’m having the best time of my life right now. My job is to go out there and promote myself and get photos taken and all that stuff,” said the 20-year-old former children’s ski instructor who crossed over to snowboarding three years ago because she found it far more diverse and challenging.
Lawyer, who signed with her first professional backer last year, marvels at the notion of getting paid to snowboard.
“My folks are actually really excited about it,” she said. “They say that as long as I’m young and I’m able to do what I can do and make money and have fun, I might as well; it won’t last forever.” A grab-the-bull-by-the-horns-kind of gal, Lawyer rarely backs down to a challenge. Her specialty on the women’s pro snowboarding circuit is the big-air competition. She won an exhibition event in Japan last year and has several local successes.
“I have a lot of guts,” Lawyer said. “I think what makes me stand out is that my fear factor is a little different. I’m not really scared of many things.
“For example, if there is a big jump that a lot of people don’t take, I usually will as long as I know I won’t kill myself. I think ambition is the big difference.” She can fly 50 feet and excels at 360s and method air – acrobatically grabbing and twisting the board. website smith goggles
Competitors also match skills with her in the half-pipe event (freestyle maneuvers performed in a shell of snow), slope-style (tricks delivered over a series of jumps) and boarder-cross (a first-to-the-finish obstacle course in which five racers scramble around flags, berms and each other).
She will defend her big-air title next month in Japan during a three-week sojourn that will include filming a snowboarding movie and promoting the products of her sponsors – Hub snowboards, Airwalk boots, Bombshell clothing, Smith goggles and GMC gloves. Similar stops in Lake Tahoe and Colorado are slated before and after the overseas excursion.
Lawyer, who has called the San Bernardino Mountains home since age 3 and resides a stone’s throw from Snow Summit, is a quick learner brimming with natural talent. Last year, for instance, she took up mountain biking, then began competing and climbed the tour ranks from beginner to expert. She will be racing as a pro this year.
It’s not all speed and derring-do for Lawyer, however. She does have her mellow moments – painting watercolors, riding horses and disco dancing.
And though she is becoming more recognizable with each sideways tail grab, this poster girl for product catalogs, magazine ads and greeting cards remains unaffected and sincere.
“I’m definitely not different,” said Lawyer, who hopes to pursue management work in the snowboard industry. “People have known me for a lot of years living up here, and they know it hasn’t changed me. Every morning I get up to go snowboarding, the thrill is still in me.” It’s an excitement that will no doubt contribute to a canvas that has seen only the first of several promising brush strokes.
CAPTION(S):
Photo (1–color) Lawyer has gathered a group of sponsors by earning top finishes. (2–color) April Lawyer, a pro snowboarder from Big Bear Lake, shows her stuff at Snow Summit. Her specialty is the big-air competition. David Sprague / Daily News
Great tips Cherrye.
Thanks!
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I’m on the other side, in the heel of the boot, but it’s just as wet and cold here. The item that I just can’t live without at the moment is my bodywarmer. I don’t like having too much material over my arms and flapping around my hands, so a bodywarmer/gilet is perfect. A raincoat is the other absolute must. I prefer wearing a coat to carrying an umbrella, as it leaves my hands free. Mine’s light enough to fold up and put into a bag when I don’t need it, but sturdy enough to withstand the torrential rain that we seem to have all the time at the moment.
I’ve heard they are fabulous, but NEVER tried one. I think I should!
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[...] *cold* here in the winter, especially the further you go up into the mountains (duh). And I know Cherrye is with me on [...]