When I was a little girl my bedtime stories were those of Roman Gods and Godesses, Greek and Nordic Mythology, how the sun moved around the earth accompanied by a wonderful demonstration from my dad which consisted of him holiding a crystal bowl or my globe (which ever was closest) and moving a flashlight around it explaining the effects of the sun in the different seasons and a one year cycle. I know it doesn't sound like your average adolescent bedtime stories, but I loved these moments with my dad and stories or information about the world; my favourite stories however and still are today are, the Myths of the Motherland. These don't include gods and goddess' - though maybe at some point they might have been thought of with the high regard from others, holy grales - though holliness did take place, sons of god - though sons were born, any wars or fights with opposing towns or beasts - though an attack did happen, nor are there ruins - though the stories do take place in a town once inhabited by a population of 4000 only now to be mostly abadoned with a population of 300.
The stories are centred around a little boy who was born into a poor family during the second world war. He was the youngest of four and had a thirst for knowledge. His family barely had enough food or money for that matter. His toys were bumblebees, catching flies and the little alleyways and steps through out the town where he ran. He was a very happy child and loved his life, family and was quite content in his village atop a hill, with panoramic views of rolling hills and farmland, snow peaked mountains and the Adriatic Sea. One day when he was 8 years old, his family took a train to the otherside of the country, got on a boat and waved goodbye to their town and set sail for a new land and a new life, never to go back. Though it is to be said that he still has relatives in that town.
I always got told different stories about this little boy, there was never just one. There was one story about him riding a donkey when he was three and the donkey got scared and threw him off. How they moved from one house to a smaller house because they couldn't afford to live where they were. The new house was small a kitchen, and bedroom and a basement area where him and his brothers slept. He was baptized in the church at the centre of town. There was a story about him and his friends being outside the school windows when a rabid dog in the town approached them and there only place to go was on the window ledge but one being unfortunate and being attacked horribly. A local man who had been in jail for killing his wife was sitting there on a stool, he picked it up and beat the dog to death, though the little boys friend passed away only a few days later. Horrible I know, but thats the way the story goes.
My whole life, my dream has been to go to this town where the Myths of the Motherland have taken place. If not me at least my dad, I've always wanted him to go more than I wanted it for myself. It has been so important to me for him to go and the fact that both of us got to go together is incredible.
The town is about a half hour from where we are staying in Termoli. Termoli is about 4 hours from Rome which is where we flew into from Athens. It was an easy and short flight and we didn't even have to go through customs - I was pissed off because i didnt get a stamp in my passport. However, my parents are not used to traveling and didn't think to hire a car before we got there. Nothing was available, nothing till Christmas or after Christmas, some places you have to give them 48 hours so they wont out if its not reserved. Our hotel was booked out in Termoli for that night and my mum didnt want to lose the deposit so they were hell bent on getting out to Termoli. Finally after an hour we found a company that would rent us a car but it had to be returned on Christmas day.
We ended up with an Audi, as beautiful as it is it is quite a frustrating car. It stopped and my dad couldn't get it started, it took almost 10 minutes for him to get it started, plus the GPS they gave us is a TomTom and it is horrible, it tells us to turn and then tells us we are going the wrong way, it doesn't tell us to turn and then tells us we are going the wrong way. It's night time, we have no idea where we are going, we are exhausted and the thing got us lost 2 or three times. - Never buy a TomTom -
The drive was long, well 4 hours isn't long but its because it was getting late and we didnt know where we were it makes it seem longer. The drive was pretty incredible, even though it was night. I had no idea Italy's landscape was mountains and rolling hills. The roads were windy and a lot of the time we were high up over towns - which i'm kind of glad it was night because I don't think during the day my vertigo would be too happy. Even though we were driving through the mountains we never seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Lights from surrounding towns all over the mountains could be seen the whole time...it was so pretty. I could see sillouhettes of mountains with peaks covered in snow "no honey thats just clouds" my dad said "no daddy, lol, they are mountains. But don't worry just keep your eyes on the road" We arrived at our hotel at 2am. We are staying in a castle. This place is a little town with narrow streets hanging laundry and little eateries, surrounded by castle walls that look out the beach and the Adriatic. This place is a landmark and so beautiful. We were so excited when we got here we couldn't sleep, we cracked a bottle of wine to celebrate, but within minutes we were all curled up in bed in sleeping.
The next morning we were up and in the car; off to the town of the Myth of the Motherland. Lidia (what I have named the TomTom) got us lost, turned us town the smallest dirt road with holes instead of keeping us on the main road. Honestly I swear she was having a laugh at us, almost like she was programmed just to piss us off. Though, the drive was incredible, rolling hills with hills on them that rolled into the other rolling hills. It landscape looks like a patchwork quilt of the most vibrant greens, some patches being brown with freshly turned soils. Towns and farms dotting the patches, and a backdrop of the biggest mountains I have ever seen covered in snow. It was breathtaking. We stopped a few times for pictures, but we were all really excited to get up to the Motherland town. We finally get up there and drive around the nearly empty streets and park. We walk up to a monument surround by local men and my dad asks (in Italian of course) "where would I find the Piazza" the guy looks at him with a smile and points to where we are standing "this is it" my dad smiles and continues to speak with the man who slowly leads us into the local bar where we order homemade wine that they freely poor to the top of the glass. Within five minutes my dad had a circle of men around him, saying the know his brother. My dad also gives them two womens names, one being a relative of the little boy from the stories. The town is so small the men of course knew who they were, they even knew the family name of the little boy. My parents and I couldn't stop crying, it was incredible. My dad for the first time, after leaving on a boat had never gone home to his home town and for the first time in 62 years he finally stepped foot on his Motherland...my dad was that little boy.
He showed us the church where he was baptized and just outside on the stairs where he hit his head and got stitches. He pointed out the old school where he sat on the window ledge while the rabid dog attacked his friend. We walked the narrow streets, 95 percent being abandoned, places borded up, no shops, one bar and restaurant, the school is all closed up, houses are crumbling. I felt so sad, it was like a ghost town, but at the same town I was walking the streets that I had heard about over and over growing up, always trying to picture what it looked like and now having it write infront of me. It was such a surreal feeling. Even though it's mostly abandoned its exactly the way I have always pictured Itay to look like. Narrow little streets barely wide enough for a car but they somehow magically fit perfectly. The streets are cobblestone each side lined with buildings (mostly residences), laundry hanging from oneside to the other, beautiful doors and windows and old fashioned buildings, even though most of it is quite derelict it is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been too.
One of the main things my dad really wanted to see was the last house he lived in. He has a picture of it at home and its the house he always talked about. As small as the town is, when you don't know where you are going its easy to get turned around. We didn't mind though, we were in no rush and my dad was pointing out things from when he was little and we were all quite happy taking photos. All of a sudden this car pulls up and rolls down its window. The men from the bar had called my Uncle's friend who hopped in his car to come and get us and show us around. How awesome is that! First stop, my dads house.
It's been abandoned for 30 years. But there it stood, a one room house where his whole family lived. I had heard so many stories and yet there it stood infront of us. We broke in...well we just unhinged the wiring on the door. My dad was shaking as we entered. It was all concrete really not much of a site, but yet I found it so incredible, I was standing in the house that I heard stories about my whole life. Plus, with me being curious like a cat I ended up finding an original key to the house and grabbed it for my dad, now he has the key to his past.
Next we went for lunch. There is no menu, they bring you what is being cooked, but it's a 4 course meal. We only did two courses, we were so full after and our tastebuds were going crazy. Homemade pasta and sauce, homemade wine, fried yet not greasy vegetables...I have never tasted food so good in my life. I was speechless with overwhelmed tastebuds they have never been so happy.
After that Teddy (my uncles friend) took us to see the two women my dad wanted to go see. As soon as we walked down the narrow street to Maria's house she recognized my dad - Maria has kept intouch with my aunt (my dads sister) for all these years - and they embraced in hugs and kisses. Then the neightbours door opens and another woman pops out; her and my dad exchange a few words and she says "Ahh, Nicola," then they embraced with hugs and kisses ending with us being invited upstairs for some drinks. To top it off the room we were standing in was the first house my dad lived in and the room he was born in! It was an incredible and extremely emotional. My dream of my daddy going home finally came true.
Ive heard my dad speak Italian all my life, but hearing him speak it in his own country and to see his face light up as he is surrounded with others in his homeland is incredible, I really can't explain it.
The next day was Christmas Eve and in Italy mostly everything is shut until the 27th. However, the owner of the (only) bar/restaurant in his town said that if we were coming back the next day (Christmas Eve) they would open just for us, so we planned to be there for lunch the next day. That night we went for pizza. Now for those of you that know me well, you know that pizza is my favourite food group. Let me tell you, this pizza was the best pizza I have ever tasted. It was just a Margarita one but it melted in my mouth when it touched my lips, I hadn't even taken a bite of it yet. I think I even melted with the pizza. Its quite strange as you can eat quite a bit but the food even though cooked with oil is not greasy, or heavy and you never feel bloated after a large meal, it's heaven.
When we arrived the next day there was a table set for us. They brought out a carafe of there lovely homemade wine and we poured ourselves a glass, "salute." Within in five minutes we had the biggest plate of homemade spaghetti with fresh seafood and a tomato oil sauce. I ate half of the plate (which was meant for all three of us) after that was done they bring out salad and a plate of seafood. I had no idea we were getting more food, i thought the pasta was the only serving which is why I ate so much of it, I could barely eat anymore but it was soo good I didn't want to stop. We had to go to the bar downstairs as thats where you pay and we ended up having more drinks and talking to the locals. After that we went by Maria's house (the first lady we met the previous day) she invites us in for espresso's. We find out she was my grandmothers cousin! She is family and her kids (who were there) are our distant cousins, how amazing is that! We met family! After that we stopped by Gina's (the second woman from the previous day) I knock on the door - knock knock "buonjorno, zia gina" I said as i knocked my mum was laughing at me. She invites us in for coffee, these incredible homemade pastery things smothered in a homemade wine and chocolate drinks which is like drinking a fudgcicle in a shotglass. We even got to see her kitchen where she makes her oil out of olives...unreal. It was an amazing two days.
My dad was pretty beat when we got back. He had a bit of an emotional hangover so my mum and i decided to go out and have a few drinks.
We went to two places for some wine and came back up to our castle town as one of the bars was open, but it was a private function so we went back into town and settled at the bar we had just left. 3 glasses of wine, 2 sambucca's and 3-5 plates of tapas was 15 euros (about $20 CAD). Tapas plates are brought out automatically with every glass of wine ordered here. You don't even need to eat dinner, and you dont get drunk. It was soo yummy and we had such a good night. Our waiters name was Massimo and even with a huge language barrier - i've been spoiled having my dad around as a translator - we still managed to communicate :)
It was still quite early when we got back but with everything pretty much closed we decided to call it a night. I could hear the bells ringing outside and people getting ready for midnight mass. My FB messages pop up from my mum "wanna come outside and meet me for a smoke." I grabbed my wine and blanket and we sat outside till past 1am drinking wine and giggling, while we watched everyone go to and come back from midnight mass, what a great way to spend Christmas Eve.
Today was Christmas and we were exhausted. The past two days had been really emotional for all of us and it had caught up so we napped for a few hours and didn't head out till about five. We found a place that was open and just had some munchies and then headed back. We have only been in italy for 3 days and it feels like we have been here longer than Greece, but so much has happened it has made it seem longer - in a good way of course.
Tomorrow we have to drive to Rome to switch our cars around and come all the way back. Thats another story to explain and you will have to wait for that one.
Bone Netale (spelled wrong) x
The stories are centred around a little boy who was born into a poor family during the second world war. He was the youngest of four and had a thirst for knowledge. His family barely had enough food or money for that matter. His toys were bumblebees, catching flies and the little alleyways and steps through out the town where he ran. He was a very happy child and loved his life, family and was quite content in his village atop a hill, with panoramic views of rolling hills and farmland, snow peaked mountains and the Adriatic Sea. One day when he was 8 years old, his family took a train to the otherside of the country, got on a boat and waved goodbye to their town and set sail for a new land and a new life, never to go back. Though it is to be said that he still has relatives in that town.
I always got told different stories about this little boy, there was never just one. There was one story about him riding a donkey when he was three and the donkey got scared and threw him off. How they moved from one house to a smaller house because they couldn't afford to live where they were. The new house was small a kitchen, and bedroom and a basement area where him and his brothers slept. He was baptized in the church at the centre of town. There was a story about him and his friends being outside the school windows when a rabid dog in the town approached them and there only place to go was on the window ledge but one being unfortunate and being attacked horribly. A local man who had been in jail for killing his wife was sitting there on a stool, he picked it up and beat the dog to death, though the little boys friend passed away only a few days later. Horrible I know, but thats the way the story goes.
My whole life, my dream has been to go to this town where the Myths of the Motherland have taken place. If not me at least my dad, I've always wanted him to go more than I wanted it for myself. It has been so important to me for him to go and the fact that both of us got to go together is incredible.
The town is about a half hour from where we are staying in Termoli. Termoli is about 4 hours from Rome which is where we flew into from Athens. It was an easy and short flight and we didn't even have to go through customs - I was pissed off because i didnt get a stamp in my passport. However, my parents are not used to traveling and didn't think to hire a car before we got there. Nothing was available, nothing till Christmas or after Christmas, some places you have to give them 48 hours so they wont out if its not reserved. Our hotel was booked out in Termoli for that night and my mum didnt want to lose the deposit so they were hell bent on getting out to Termoli. Finally after an hour we found a company that would rent us a car but it had to be returned on Christmas day.
We ended up with an Audi, as beautiful as it is it is quite a frustrating car. It stopped and my dad couldn't get it started, it took almost 10 minutes for him to get it started, plus the GPS they gave us is a TomTom and it is horrible, it tells us to turn and then tells us we are going the wrong way, it doesn't tell us to turn and then tells us we are going the wrong way. It's night time, we have no idea where we are going, we are exhausted and the thing got us lost 2 or three times. - Never buy a TomTom -
The drive was long, well 4 hours isn't long but its because it was getting late and we didnt know where we were it makes it seem longer. The drive was pretty incredible, even though it was night. I had no idea Italy's landscape was mountains and rolling hills. The roads were windy and a lot of the time we were high up over towns - which i'm kind of glad it was night because I don't think during the day my vertigo would be too happy. Even though we were driving through the mountains we never seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Lights from surrounding towns all over the mountains could be seen the whole time...it was so pretty. I could see sillouhettes of mountains with peaks covered in snow "no honey thats just clouds" my dad said "no daddy, lol, they are mountains. But don't worry just keep your eyes on the road" We arrived at our hotel at 2am. We are staying in a castle. This place is a little town with narrow streets hanging laundry and little eateries, surrounded by castle walls that look out the beach and the Adriatic. This place is a landmark and so beautiful. We were so excited when we got here we couldn't sleep, we cracked a bottle of wine to celebrate, but within minutes we were all curled up in bed in sleeping.
The next morning we were up and in the car; off to the town of the Myth of the Motherland. Lidia (what I have named the TomTom) got us lost, turned us town the smallest dirt road with holes instead of keeping us on the main road. Honestly I swear she was having a laugh at us, almost like she was programmed just to piss us off. Though, the drive was incredible, rolling hills with hills on them that rolled into the other rolling hills. It landscape looks like a patchwork quilt of the most vibrant greens, some patches being brown with freshly turned soils. Towns and farms dotting the patches, and a backdrop of the biggest mountains I have ever seen covered in snow. It was breathtaking. We stopped a few times for pictures, but we were all really excited to get up to the Motherland town. We finally get up there and drive around the nearly empty streets and park. We walk up to a monument surround by local men and my dad asks (in Italian of course) "where would I find the Piazza" the guy looks at him with a smile and points to where we are standing "this is it" my dad smiles and continues to speak with the man who slowly leads us into the local bar where we order homemade wine that they freely poor to the top of the glass. Within five minutes my dad had a circle of men around him, saying the know his brother. My dad also gives them two womens names, one being a relative of the little boy from the stories. The town is so small the men of course knew who they were, they even knew the family name of the little boy. My parents and I couldn't stop crying, it was incredible. My dad for the first time, after leaving on a boat had never gone home to his home town and for the first time in 62 years he finally stepped foot on his Motherland...my dad was that little boy.
He showed us the church where he was baptized and just outside on the stairs where he hit his head and got stitches. He pointed out the old school where he sat on the window ledge while the rabid dog attacked his friend. We walked the narrow streets, 95 percent being abandoned, places borded up, no shops, one bar and restaurant, the school is all closed up, houses are crumbling. I felt so sad, it was like a ghost town, but at the same town I was walking the streets that I had heard about over and over growing up, always trying to picture what it looked like and now having it write infront of me. It was such a surreal feeling. Even though it's mostly abandoned its exactly the way I have always pictured Itay to look like. Narrow little streets barely wide enough for a car but they somehow magically fit perfectly. The streets are cobblestone each side lined with buildings (mostly residences), laundry hanging from oneside to the other, beautiful doors and windows and old fashioned buildings, even though most of it is quite derelict it is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been too.
One of the main things my dad really wanted to see was the last house he lived in. He has a picture of it at home and its the house he always talked about. As small as the town is, when you don't know where you are going its easy to get turned around. We didn't mind though, we were in no rush and my dad was pointing out things from when he was little and we were all quite happy taking photos. All of a sudden this car pulls up and rolls down its window. The men from the bar had called my Uncle's friend who hopped in his car to come and get us and show us around. How awesome is that! First stop, my dads house.
It's been abandoned for 30 years. But there it stood, a one room house where his whole family lived. I had heard so many stories and yet there it stood infront of us. We broke in...well we just unhinged the wiring on the door. My dad was shaking as we entered. It was all concrete really not much of a site, but yet I found it so incredible, I was standing in the house that I heard stories about my whole life. Plus, with me being curious like a cat I ended up finding an original key to the house and grabbed it for my dad, now he has the key to his past.
Next we went for lunch. There is no menu, they bring you what is being cooked, but it's a 4 course meal. We only did two courses, we were so full after and our tastebuds were going crazy. Homemade pasta and sauce, homemade wine, fried yet not greasy vegetables...I have never tasted food so good in my life. I was speechless with overwhelmed tastebuds they have never been so happy.
After that Teddy (my uncles friend) took us to see the two women my dad wanted to go see. As soon as we walked down the narrow street to Maria's house she recognized my dad - Maria has kept intouch with my aunt (my dads sister) for all these years - and they embraced in hugs and kisses. Then the neightbours door opens and another woman pops out; her and my dad exchange a few words and she says "Ahh, Nicola," then they embraced with hugs and kisses ending with us being invited upstairs for some drinks. To top it off the room we were standing in was the first house my dad lived in and the room he was born in! It was an incredible and extremely emotional. My dream of my daddy going home finally came true.
Ive heard my dad speak Italian all my life, but hearing him speak it in his own country and to see his face light up as he is surrounded with others in his homeland is incredible, I really can't explain it.
The next day was Christmas Eve and in Italy mostly everything is shut until the 27th. However, the owner of the (only) bar/restaurant in his town said that if we were coming back the next day (Christmas Eve) they would open just for us, so we planned to be there for lunch the next day. That night we went for pizza. Now for those of you that know me well, you know that pizza is my favourite food group. Let me tell you, this pizza was the best pizza I have ever tasted. It was just a Margarita one but it melted in my mouth when it touched my lips, I hadn't even taken a bite of it yet. I think I even melted with the pizza. Its quite strange as you can eat quite a bit but the food even though cooked with oil is not greasy, or heavy and you never feel bloated after a large meal, it's heaven.
When we arrived the next day there was a table set for us. They brought out a carafe of there lovely homemade wine and we poured ourselves a glass, "salute." Within in five minutes we had the biggest plate of homemade spaghetti with fresh seafood and a tomato oil sauce. I ate half of the plate (which was meant for all three of us) after that was done they bring out salad and a plate of seafood. I had no idea we were getting more food, i thought the pasta was the only serving which is why I ate so much of it, I could barely eat anymore but it was soo good I didn't want to stop. We had to go to the bar downstairs as thats where you pay and we ended up having more drinks and talking to the locals. After that we went by Maria's house (the first lady we met the previous day) she invites us in for espresso's. We find out she was my grandmothers cousin! She is family and her kids (who were there) are our distant cousins, how amazing is that! We met family! After that we stopped by Gina's (the second woman from the previous day) I knock on the door - knock knock "buonjorno, zia gina" I said as i knocked my mum was laughing at me. She invites us in for coffee, these incredible homemade pastery things smothered in a homemade wine and chocolate drinks which is like drinking a fudgcicle in a shotglass. We even got to see her kitchen where she makes her oil out of olives...unreal. It was an amazing two days.
My dad was pretty beat when we got back. He had a bit of an emotional hangover so my mum and i decided to go out and have a few drinks.
We went to two places for some wine and came back up to our castle town as one of the bars was open, but it was a private function so we went back into town and settled at the bar we had just left. 3 glasses of wine, 2 sambucca's and 3-5 plates of tapas was 15 euros (about $20 CAD). Tapas plates are brought out automatically with every glass of wine ordered here. You don't even need to eat dinner, and you dont get drunk. It was soo yummy and we had such a good night. Our waiters name was Massimo and even with a huge language barrier - i've been spoiled having my dad around as a translator - we still managed to communicate :)
It was still quite early when we got back but with everything pretty much closed we decided to call it a night. I could hear the bells ringing outside and people getting ready for midnight mass. My FB messages pop up from my mum "wanna come outside and meet me for a smoke." I grabbed my wine and blanket and we sat outside till past 1am drinking wine and giggling, while we watched everyone go to and come back from midnight mass, what a great way to spend Christmas Eve.
Today was Christmas and we were exhausted. The past two days had been really emotional for all of us and it had caught up so we napped for a few hours and didn't head out till about five. We found a place that was open and just had some munchies and then headed back. We have only been in italy for 3 days and it feels like we have been here longer than Greece, but so much has happened it has made it seem longer - in a good way of course.
Tomorrow we have to drive to Rome to switch our cars around and come all the way back. Thats another story to explain and you will have to wait for that one.
Bone Netale (spelled wrong) x
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