The weekend of September 13 was seared on my brain and red-checked on my calendar as the day of the annual Festival del Peperoncino in somewhat-nearby Diamante. Plans were made, friends were here and the car was gassed and rearing to go. We left mid-morning and planned to arrive just in time for a late lunch of pepper shrimp, pepper liquor, pepper chocolate, pepper jelly … you get the idea.
 
Sadly all we got was the idea, as well. It seems unbeknownst to us and undocumented in any of the festival literature, this baby didn’t get underway until verso 8:00 at night. It was 2:00.
 
Instead of reversing our 136 kilometer trek on a wretchedly empty stomach we headed to the nearby medieval town of Scalea, home to mysterious grottos, secret Byzantine Mosaics and the best granita this side of Sicily.
 
We stopped by the Antico Casa del Gelato Bar La Torre, 10-time Calabrian gelato champs and international importer of Sicilian granita artigianale where we were happily greeted by the owner, Eugenio “Gino” Prospato.
 

 
Gino offered up spoon-sized samples of almond, cedro and lemon granita that glistened as the September sunlight peeked through the windows. He handed over the house favorite – fico d’india – then rushed off to prepare a fresh batch of pineapple.
 

 
And Gino has had plenty of practice whipping up granita. He began making this Sicilian specialty when he was NINE years old, peddling his cart throughout the hills of Santa Dominca and Praia a Mare, Calabria.
 

 
Sixty-one years later his legendary granita has a stable home and a wealth of followers. The walls are lined with medals, newspaper clippings and photos of the awards Gino has collected throughout the years.
 

 
“We can’t keep up,” his wife, Michela told us. “Every day we receive invitations to participate in another competition.”
 
Opening her mail in front of us she said, “This came in this morning – a competition in Bari.
 
“Ha,” she shrugged. “Maybe we can make it.”
 
As if creating award-winning granita, owning a town landmark and being a widely-respected member of the community weren’t enough, Bar La Torre recently began hosting the Festival della Granita. Each year on July 1, Bar La Torre opens it doors and offers up the best tasting granita this side of Sicily.
 
In addition to fico d’india and pineapple, Gino and his crew whip up melon, almond, lemon, strawberry, wild fruit, cedro and coffee granita. And the catch?
 

 
It’s all free.
 
Last year Bar La Torre dished out over 700 kilos of freshly made granita. When I asked why they do it, Michela smiled and said, “Because he loves it. Sixty-one years … he loves it!”
 
If you find yourself floating along the Tyrrhenian coast next summer and needing an ultra-light, fat-free pick-up - you know where to go.
 

Bar La Torre

Viale Kennedy, 9-11

Scalea (CS) Italy

(39) 0985.920450

 
Maybe I will see you there!

 
Catanzaro has it all … we have breathtaking beaches, rugged mountains and an intriguing downtown, to boot. But you already know that … we talked about it yesterday. One thing I didn’t mention, however is that Catanzaro’s central location makes it the ideal base for vacationers who want to tour Calabria.
 
Catanzaro is 45 minutes from La Sila, 30 minutes from Le Castella and 50 minutes from the freshest porcini mushrooms you’ll ever eat, but just a tad bit farther away … about 2 1/2 hours … is Scalea.
 
Scalea is one of the more touristy towns in Calabria, however “touristy” is a relative word and well, let it suffice to say that the streets are not yet overrun by foreign tourists, tacky souvenir shops and overpriced hotels. In fact, to prove how un-international this town remains, their website is only available in Italian.
 
The beaches are some of the best in the area, where diving, paragliding and rafting abound. Click the previous links for more information on any of these activities … sempre in italiano!
 
Scalea was named for the hundreds of stairs that weave throughout the old town, guiding visitors, step by step, through its history.
 

 
The Talao Tower is the symbol of Scalea and once stood proudly on an island with a flowing sulphur spring. Over time, ocean water descended and the tower is now surrounded by sand and connected to modern-day Scalea. The tower was built in conjunction with 337 other towers by Spanish Emperor Carlo V in the 14th Century in a defensive move, protecting the Tyrrhenian Coast from further attacks.
 

 
As with most Calabrese towns, Scalea abounds with churches, museums and intriguing artifacts, but the most impressive find in Scalea may be the Byzantine mosaics that date back to 3rd Century. Almost hidden in the intertwining town center, the Byzantine Chapel, with its unassuming facade, instantly transports visitors where they can literally reach out and touch the brightly colored mosaics of Scalea’s past.
 

 
An ancient Byzantine-built, Norman-occupied castle is perched on top of Scalea’s old town overlooking the bluest waters in the Tyhrannian Sea. Once the seat of Scalea, where Roger the Norman and Robert the Guiscardo signed the Treaty of Scalea that divided conquered Calabria, the castle is now too dangerous to ascend and visitors must be content to stand near the base and peer up.
 

 
With Scalea’s eight kilometers of coastlines, ancient city and preserved past there is something to satisfy even the most discerning traveler’s palate. This easy, and scenic drive from Catanzaro is worth every mile, making Scalea a *must see* on your next Calabrian vacation.