From Fjords to Fiats

RB · Thursday at 10:00 AM

Around Tropea

Tropea, Calabria: Italy's Most Beautiful Village – It's Official!

Only a 1 night stay to see what the fuss is about Tropea- extremely busy but a huge supply of bars, restaurants & cafes. We happened to be within metres of Little Italy, a top rated restaurant and we certainly enjoyed our first Italian pizzas of this trip. Rest of the time was general walking above the seafront and joining the throngs for a sunset photos session. W e enjoyed the stay but we don't need to return.

Special haircut facility-beer on tap

Honouring local soldiers

Church of Saint Michael

Pasguale Galluppi prominent philosopher born in Tropea

Near the old city gate

RB · Thursday at 10:15 AM

More of Tropea

Some 'red gold" onions

Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell'Isola

Joining the masses for sunset

RB · Friday at 11:14 AM

Tropea to Scilla

After our Tropea arrival we were dreading the next train ride but we ended up with plenty of space for bags, some free seats around us & some excellent scenery on the Violet Coast. Still more petrol cars around here but more electric than last time in Italy.

B & B Sunshine Scilla

B&B Sunshine, Scilla (updated prices 2027)

A great location and we were treated very generously here. Picked up off the train and also plenty of water supplied and ingredients for breakfasts in the fridge. Plenty of stairs (they helped carry bags up) but this obviously helped enhance the views. Good working appliances, plenty of tourist info & tips, a private rooftop, comfortable bed and good wi-fi. In our experience & going by past reviews, the host was actively around the apartment (but unobtrusive so he obviously knew of any shortcomings or problems & remedied it. We are low maintenance/low touch tennants but this stay was the standout for care provided by the host.
It was a 10 min walk back to the train station when we left-noting that there seems to be no lift at the station & a heap of steps to get to the platforms. For people that have mobility challenges, Scilla has quite a few areas that would not be suitable/would be inaccessible.

A bit of funky lighting but it blended in with the overall renovation

Views from apartment.

Strait of Messina is off the Marina Grande beach Marina Grande, Scilla - Wikipedia

Looking out to the Tyrrhenian Sea-plenty of marine traffic throughout the day

RB · Friday at 4:21 PM

Scilla

Scilla, Calabria - Wikipedia

Our Guide to Scilla | Calabria's Prettiest Fishing Village — ALONG DUSTY ROADS

Located at the tip of the toe of Italy's boot, Scilla is a great spot but a bit of a challenge to get around with plenty of steps & climbing to be done. The town is named after the sea monster Scylla of Greek Mythology. It sits almost opposite Messina in Sicily and the Lipari Islands. Scilla also enjoys warmer waters than nearby sites. We thought the food was pretty good with heaps of choices and lots of coffee/cafe outlets. A lot of locals were out and about & friendly enough if you took the initiative. Plenty to see in the 3 main areas and not overcrowded. The position on the Strait of Messina meant there was plenty of marine traffic to view. The Ruffo Castle was a worthwhile visit and San Rocco square gives great views and hosted a small market while we were there. The tradition of fishing for swordfish is still alive in Scilla with plenty of buying options particularly in the Chianalia village area -plenty of cats hang around here too!

The Norwegian Gem floating past

View from Marina Grande

View to Sicily

A bronze statue depicting Scylla (Scilla), the mythical sea monster from Greek mythology and Homer’s Odyssey, who dwelt across the Strait of Messina.

Info by google-Key Features of the Fountain

- The Niche: Set within a classic arched stone architectural frame featuring side columns and a decorative upper arch.
- The Figure of Scilla: Features a sculpted bust representing the mythological sea monster Scilla surrounded by textured tufa rockwork that mimics a grotto or marine cavern.
- The Shell Basin: A large carved stone shell sits directly beneath the bust, cascading water into a lower stone trough.

Taken within Ruffo Castle

On the terrace of the Castle. Constructed in 1913 & still operated by the navy

From higher up in the castle

Inside Chiesa Matrice with the wooden truss ceiling

Part of the small market

RB · Friday at 4:39 PM

More of Scilla

I must be getting old, the Italian men hanging around talking are starting to look younger

Handy in the tight streets

The offset saucer caught my eye

A bit of history

Fishing quarter of Scilla-Chianalea, plenty of trattorie selling the local seafood

The curved covered walkway & road leading back to Marina Grande

Back at the apartment

RB · 2026-11-01T13:07:43+1100

Sciilla to Castellbuono

A couple of tight connections with this transfer but all was fine on the day. A short train ride down to Villa San Giovanni then a short fast ferry ride with Blu Jet across the Strait of Messina. The train station & boat jetty are adjoining & Blu Jet had a very comfortable waiting room. We had to clamber downstairs with the bags after boarding via a ramp. Disembarking was much simpler with a flat walk-off. A short but quick walk to the nearby Messina train station for the ride to Cefalu. The train originated here at Messina so were were able to grab seats & get our luggage out of the road. The train became very packed by Cefalu & unseasonal rain was another challenge. At Cefalu we waited for a bus right outside the train station- a longer wait then expected but then a 45 minute ride up into the hills with only 2 other passengers on board.

Don't seem to have photos of the connections other than one taken from on the bus between Cefalu & Castellbuono

RB · 2026-11-01T13:23:05+1100

Case Spazioscena Castellbuono

Case Spazioscena - Euterpe, Castelbuono (updated prices 2027)

Referred to by the owner as a tower house- basically 4 rooms over 4 levels so heaps of stairs as the downside but a very comfortable spot to stay overall-good bed, great views, central, good wi-fi, good shower, well finished and the host was very responsive.

Views from terrace

Views from terrace

Street view

RB · 2026-11-01T15:07:46+1100

Castellbuono

Castelbuono - Wikipedia

A great, friendly village. Plenty of interaction with locals who still look you in the eye & acknowledge your presence!
We were met at the bus station & driven a few minutes to our lodgings. A dreary, damp day but everything was within a 10-15 minute walk so no real inconvenience. Incredibly disciplined parking around our street, some fresh water fountains, a maze of streets and loud regular church bells remind you that you are in Italy.

We visited the Old Town highlights during our 2 night stay and it was great to view the local kids at their soccer training (all on concrete & cobblestone). Plenty of parishioners at church and then the talking & socialising in the nearby square. We are not mad food people so we gave the Michelin tables a miss & shared our custom close to home at a couple of bars/cafes/restaurants. Excellent fresh beer, cold prosecco, amazing bakery products, great pizzas, free snacks provided with drinks etc reassured us that Italian hospitality can still be found. On the Sunday we lost count of the distinctive blue packages leaving the American Bar- that night we met the owner- established almost 40yrs ago his moto of reasonable prices for quality products with great service is obviously still working.
The American Bar Castelbuono, Sicily | The Scoop

Plenty of the older generation are still getting around. We also noted there seemed to be big numbers of youngsters wearing glasses. Google doesn’t seem to provide a definite answer to eyesight correction but I found these statistics-In Italy, 51.8% of the population wears glasses, which is lower than several other European countries like Belgium (70%), Switzerland (67.7%), and Germany (63.5%), but higher than France (29.5%). Overall, Italy ranks around the middle compared to other countries in Europe. Another perspective What Percentage of People Wear Glasses? Statistics 2025
Some of the bells as heard from our apartment- the local dogs liked to join in