Abballamu!!!

Abballamu. Lets dance! Yes, but not these dances that are known all over the world. I do not ask you to come to club. No! Instead on the street! I ask you to come to dance tarantella! Tarantella, you ask me? Yes excactly!

Tarantella is one typical dance and music form in South-Italy. It is represented in regions like Campania, Puglia, Sicily and as well in my beloved Calabria. 

Legend tells, that the name, the dance, is related to the spider bite. Bite of toxic spider tarantula. That is why this dance is reffered sometimes to a spider dance. Tarantism was spread over Taranto city, Puglia, in 15th century until 17th century. Bitten ones were usually women. But not those aristrocratic, noble ones. Once bitten by a spider the person were called to be "tarantata", only cure for this were to gather around, sound unusual rythmic song and dance. As an instruments were used simple ones as tambourins, mandoline,guitar. Or in some villages lyra. They searched for a correct rythm, so "tarantata" would be cured. Every different rythm caused different movement. Once they have found the correct rythm, they were sure "tarantata" was cured.As it is a leggend, then there stay more stories than just one. Another story tells, that this unordinary rythm and dance was used as a cure for a women who were frustrated and stressed for subordinate lifestyle, falling into some kind of a trance. It lasted about three days. In these three days "tarantata" was in extra care. More attention. Which should have helped them cure from their depression and frustration.

Once tarantella was sounded and danced during every festival. For example harvesting or festa. It was danced on the squares of the villages, at homes, on the streets... Nowadays it is one dissappearing cultural phenomen. It's popularity was vanishing already in 1900.

Though it is represented in cultural festivals  as it is "Kaulonia Tarantella Festival".

How do dance tarantella? 

Dance form in every region, city and as well in village are different. One way is when dance two men and acting to have a fight between them. Legs move fast. Attack! Defense! Attack! 

Anothers stay in circle around them, clapping the hands for the rythm and doing a sound as one of them are hurted or blocked attack. 

In some villages they dance just in pairs. In another villages they acted a fight for a woman. 

In this case was represented too "mastru i ballu" dance master, who chose from the persons, who standed as a circle, the participants.

The phases of this dance are:
1)  People around make one circle around "mastru i ballu"

2) "Mastru i ballu" salutes musicians, do some dance steps

3) He chooses one participant and dances with him/her little bit time

4) "Mastru i ballu" chooses another person to dance, letting them to dance a little bit time,   staying inside the circle and continuing the steps.

5)  "Fora i primu," says him, if he wants that male participant goes.

 "Grazie signora (signorina)," if he wants female to leave.

6) Next he chooses another participant ... and so on...

Would you like to try to "abballari" tarantella? Some fascinating examples for you to watch.

Tarantella calabrese music you can listen as well on my list that is represented on the right side. 

Abballamu a tarantella!! Lets dance tarantella! Some videos for you to enjoy :

Trekking to cascades

Calabria is not only sea and sea ... And again sea. During the summer you have more activities than just lay down on a beautiful beach and enjoy the sea. You can as well go to a "walk" in mountains. 
 One day I was told, that was possible to visit cascades, though not so big and famous as thouse in America, but still beautiful. I took a chance to do something different, go to visit different type of place. Cascades what we were about to vist are called "mundu" about 50 meters and "galasia" about 35 meters long.
Our trip started afternoon. From Taurianova. We left our car to the beginning point of our trekking trip called "Grancu".
We were in eight. As I have already been in mountains, though knowing how hard is the road, I put shoes, what I had bought the day before, ugly as hell, but in mountains I was most happy to wear them. Road was slippery and uncomfortable, but with my boots I survived good.

Some of us had put type of sneakers. Ok, I must admit, was little bit funny to watch, but too scary. Some places were little dangerous if you should slip and fall ... 
As I went the first time to Monte Rosa in Lombardia with sneakers, I knew perfectly how hard it was for him, though he did not complain at all. Instead...Made jokes! 
So if you are about to start for one trekking trip in mountains, use correct shoes, for comfort and aswell for your own safety. 
Our trip lasted about three-four hours. In fresh air. Arriving to our destination point, "galasia" , some of us decided to go to take a refreshing bath. Water was cold as smelting snow! So I was the one who didn't enter, but enjoyed the surroundings. 
About half hour we stayed there. As it was starting to be dark, we had to go back and leave another waterfall to our next time trip. In the end we were little bit lost.
Guess what helped us out in middle of nowhere???
SMARTPHONE with google map!! 

Dialect molisano

Molise with about 320 000 inhabitants is most little region in Italy after Valle d'Aosta. Situated in center of Italy, next to Adriatic sea. Molise has detached from another region, Abruzzo, in year of 1968, becoming the 20th region in Italy.

The dialect of molise is one definition of verniculars talked in this region, is a part of napoletano, which is recognized by UNESCO as one of the official languages, and by dialects spoken in Campania. Some areas are influenced by albanian and croatian languages, some isolated communities with few external relations represent more conservative characteristics . Zone near to Abbruzzo, have similarities to abbruzzese.

Compared to napoletano, molisano has some words that they pronounce and write similar to spanish, though the origin may be another language.

Some proverbs as an example : 

Attach u ciucc dov dic u padron.

Lega l'asino dove dice il padrone. 

Attach the donkey, where tell the lord.

U ciucc za port e ciucc za magn.

L'asino la porta, l'asino la mangia.

Brought by donkey, ate by donkey. (If the person take something only for himself) 

Chi sa filà fil pur cu cipp

Chi è bravo a fare qualcosa, lo sa fare in ogni caso.

Who are good in doing something, know to do it in every situation.

Chi al poc val.

Chi sbadiglia sempre, non vale niente.

Person who yawn all the time, has no value.

Mazze e panelle fanno i figli belli.

Botte e pane fanno i figli belli.

Bread and slaps, offspring grow well.

Cas d mugliera, cas d galera.

La casa dove comanda la moglie è come una galera.

House where comands a woman, is like a jail.

Natal cu sol e pasqu cu tzzon. 

Natale col sole,pasqua col fuoco acceso.

Christmas with sun, easter near to fireplace. (When during the christmas is warm, is cold during the easter. )

Larine è nu fuosse chi c've's' embosse chi s' ne va è nu fess.

Larino è un fosso chi viene s'infossa, chi se ne và... sbaglia.

Larino is one ditch, who comes sinks, who goes... do a mistake. 

Né u spiziale né u dottore po' guarì u mal'd'amore.

Nè il farmacista nè il dottore può guarire il male d'amore.

No pharmacist, no doctor cannot cure the broaken heart.

Pure i puc téne a tòsch.

Anche le pulci hanno la tosse.

As well the flea has the cough. (When complain someone, who has no value)

The translation may not be the best... but at least something for those who do not speak italian :) 

Thanks a lot to my source Vincenzo D'Onofrio from Larino.

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Architectural pearl

Venice is after Roma most visited city in Italy, mostly the visitors come from foreign country. City of romance and water lagoons, place what we all dream to visit.Take a ride with a gondel. Admire the masterpieces of architecture, that still despite the nature, remain there for us to enjoy. 
My trip there started early in the morning, we took the train regionale, which quality is not the best, but as the trip is not so long and price is good, it is good choice. I felt excitment to have the possibility to visit the living room of the world - the square of San Marco, and see the palaces.
The palaces where the noble one's once spent their life. The pearl of architecture, which I have read and moreover heard so much. 
"Venice is the dream city! Obligatory to visit!"
Arriving to the city center I saw how full was it of the tourists, who were wondering around, like us watching and enjoying the beauty that surrounded us. But so full, that for me was almost impossible to enjoy it all, as Venice is little, not as big as Rome. In the end I felt like I was trapped in anthill. I watched them, thinking, why they come here, only for telling I have visited Venice? Or do they really enjoy walking so close to another persons?

 I continued my walk. I saw most important touristic attractions as Grande Canale and Piazza San Marco. To visit one museum, I would have needed to stay there at least  two-three days. Stand in the line as early as possible, maybe half hour before they open the museums. Like in sovietic times in my country, if came something new on the shop you had to stand in the line two-three hours before, other wise you couldn't have the product. Here the difference is that if you go in the line midday, probably you will see only the door closing under your nose, and italian politely telling you:
"Please come back tomorrow." 

Though I had not possibility to enter in one church or take a coffe in the piazza of San Marco or had a trip with one gondola, I enjoyed this day the same.
Taking a trip with a gondola is tradition for italians, they take it after the marriage. But for us it is just only a trip thruogh the "canali", business for italians. Magic is lost of this tradition is lost in the world of money... Like say one proverb: 
"Money makes the world go."
Venice, though it is all the time full, is one place worth to visit, even just for one time in your lifetime. The architecture, the way of this city is magic, and it has bewitched us so many years, or it is just italians, who had made us love it so much?