lambretta in Calabria. July, Sunday 21st

i've said we could not bring our lambretta in Calabria. true. but this didn't stop us to take a lambretta ride on the calabrian streets.
we found out that near the Raganello Valley there is a quite large and lively lambretta club, it would have been a shame not to meet them!

the Lambretta Club Calabriais based in Castovillari, a town near Civita. they were so nice to come and pick us up. after a quick ride, they showed us the club HQ, so while they talked about lambretta and motors stuff, i was free to browse through the incredible amount of memorabilia they collected: posters, scarfs and above all, photos. dozen of vintage photos of couples, families, friends with their lambretta. black and white daily life scenes, documenting the italian rural life from the fifties to the seventies. all the pictures has been taken in the Cosenza province. Simone, the guy who invited us in the first place, owner of a shiny purple and white lambrettas, was so kind to send me some of them, so here they are:

{nikon f-801 + fujicolor 200}

we went canyoning, i got proof. July, Friday 19th

i don't feel comfortable in the water. when we go to the seaside (and it does not happen so often), i'm the one who keeps an eye to the clothes and bags while everyone goes swimming.
so, i wasn't excited at the idea that the major activity around the Raganello stream is canyoning {or canyoneering}. well, i was wrong.
this is the brightest memory from our days in Calabria, and i'm really glad we did it.
canyoning means to explore a canyon from the inside, to follow the waterstream walking, swimming, climbing, sliding down the smooth rocks, diving.. not to mention falling. all enriched by an amazing view. 

i did not dare bring my camera, but thanks to the bravest Flavio {thinking nomads} i can now show you some pictures. 

Civita's lower gorges are perfect for canyoning. the waters are not that cold ant you can choose your route from different levels of difficulty.
squeezed into a tiny wetsuit and wearing an helmet, we followed our guides down in the gorges for about 3 kilometers {the entire route is 7 km}, surrounded by high walls and roaring waters, to reach the devil's bridge {first picture}. bruises, scratches and goose bumps are part of the game, but also are breathtaking dive, rush of adrenaline and laughs. 

having a guide is important not just for being safe, that is clearly the priority, but also allows you to take the water path that best suits your ability. in our case, it was simple and sometimes tricky, with small waterfalls that i would have avoided if i had been alone, but turned out to be fun when approached with the proper equipment.

info & tips
to stay in Civita, take a look at the lovely b&b Il Comignolo di Sofia. Stefania, the volcanic landlady, is more that happy to give all the infos on the Pollino national park, Civita, where to hike and of course where to go cayoning.
i highly recommend Roberto De Marco as a guide, you can contact him at +39 3471776569.