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Beached in Calabria
'Belissimo' - Daily Mail 'an amusing and charming read...Ross is the champion of the impulsive adventurer...If you are interested in Italy, in travel writing and the tales of a decent raconteur then this is for you.' - Paul Burke, NB Magazine Where do you go to when you only have a pittance for a home away from home for a huge family? Ian Ross realises that his small inheritance won't get him a place in France or even Spain, so he heads for southern Italy where he remembers the Blue Guide describing long empty sandy beaches in southern Calabria. When he arrives in Southern Italy he finds the house prices are encouragingly low. Why does no one go there? It's inaccessible and it's beloved of the Mafia. Not to be put off Ross stumes on the perfect beach on a crystal-clear bay in the deeply southern province of Reggio Calabria, an area he is soon advised is 'Bandit Country'. And the fact that there is a house right on the beach big enough for all the family at a price he can afford overcomes all fears and to a large extent all common sense. Buying it was only the beginning. Beached in Calabria catalogues the things that can go wrong in southern Italy for this English fish-out-of-waterman; he's out of his depth in a whirlpool of incomprehensible rules and regulations, family systems, conflicting advice and linguistic conundrums. Disaster follows disaster, but this travelogue encompasses tales of the friendships Ross makes on the way in this forgotten corner of Old Italy where the food and the 326 days of sunshine a year make for a perfect setting to a triumphant escapade.
220 pages, Paperback
Published July 11, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 18, 2019
Memoirs set in CALABRIA
Why look for a home in Calabria? You might ask! Well, the author does a fine job of searching out somewhere, truly off the beaten track, somewhere that would accommodate his 23 family members. He has, of course, been inspired by The Durrells! In the southern toe of Italy there are vast stretches of beach, uninhabited and unsullied by tourism. Where is everyone? The appeal is clear, the friendliness of the locals towards an outsider is ubiquitous. He discovers Villa La Buntessa, a derelict sprawling mass of masonry and bricks, on the Ionian side of the coast, to wit the Jasmine Coast “where time stands stubbornly still…” (and which incidentally gets 326 days of sunshine per year!). Before he knows it, he has committed to the asking price of 155,000€. At this point his wife Bunty has no knowledge of his transaction.
A deposit – a cash deposit – of 100,000€ was required and that sees him back home, sourcing the money and then crossing the Alps in January, the car packed to the gunnels and with a money belt full of dosh. This pretty much sets the tone for the caper of doing up this house in the middle of nowhere.
There is learning for him to be had along the way, a LOT of learning as he peruses structural and aesthetic conundrums, choosing Prosciutto (should it be crudo or cotto?) for his lunch. And as for owning a car, ONLY Italians may own a car in the country, so that is something he has to get around. Oh, and Gianni Versace hailed from Calabria.
This humorous memoir is written by someone who is used to projects that are off beat. He was a co-founder of Radio Caroline and opened Britain’s first automatic car wash (in Richmond, London as it happens) and he managed The Animals (remember them?).
This area of Italy, however, is bandit country, where the Mafia (the ‘Ndrangheta) holds huge sway. So when he and his wife spot a potential Mafia don or two, there is a frisson of anticipation which fortunately comes to nothing; they are about 60km South of Locri where politicians get murdered at the drop of a hat. They do however get into trouble with the casa de legno which they have constructed, maybe legally, maybe not, and papers with criminale all over them are served. Rather unnerving for the incomers.
The narrative is speckled with Italian which adds authenticity (although it’s an idiosyncratic Italian for which the author gives an Apologia Italiano before he kicks off the story). An English voice is not to be heard far and wide… And clearly he has to ramp down the frantic lifestyle of Northern Europe in order to assimilate into the languorous lifestyle of the South…
Now, not many people are headed to this part of the world to find their home, so there will be few who can identify with the account of one family’s adventures in Calabria. Might you be tempted to follow suit? A pleasant read and it will transport you to this warm an idyllic (mostly…) part of the world!
Why look for a home in Calabria? You might ask! Well, the author does a fine job of searching out somewhere, truly off the beaten track, somewhere that would accommodate his 23 family members. He has, of course, been inspired by The Durrells! In the southern toe of Italy there are vast stretches of beach, uninhabited and unsullied by tourism. Where is everyone? The appeal is clear, the friendliness of the locals towards an outsider is ubiquitous. He discovers Villa La Buntessa, a derelict sprawling mass of masonry and bricks, on the Ionian side of the coast, to wit the Jasmine Coast “where time stands stubbornly still…” (and which incidentally gets 326 days of sunshine per year!). Before he knows it, he has committed to the asking price of 155,000€. At this point his wife Bunty has no knowledge of his transaction.
A deposit – a cash deposit – of 100,000€ was required and that sees him back home, sourcing the money and then crossing the Alps in January, the car packed to the gunnels and with a money belt full of dosh. This pretty much sets the tone for the caper of doing up this house in the middle of nowhere.
There is learning for him to be had along the way, a LOT of learning as he peruses structural and aesthetic conundrums, choosing Prosciutto (should it be crudo or cotto?) for his lunch. And as for owning a car, ONLY Italians may own a car in the country, so that is something he has to get around. Oh, and Gianni Versace hailed from Calabria.
This humorous memoir is written by someone who is used to projects that are off beat. He was a co-founder of Radio Caroline and opened Britain’s first automatic car wash (in Richmond, London as it happens) and he managed The Animals (remember them?).
This area of Italy, however, is bandit country, where the Mafia (the ‘Ndrangheta) holds huge sway. So when he and his wife spot a potential Mafia don or two, there is a frisson of anticipation which fortunately comes to nothing; they are about 60km South of Locri where politicians get murdered at the drop of a hat. They do however get into trouble with the casa de legno which they have constructed, maybe legally, maybe not, and papers with criminale all over them are served. Rather unnerving for the incomers.
The narrative is speckled with Italian which adds authenticity (although it’s an idiosyncratic Italian for which the author gives an Apologia Italiano before he kicks off the story). An English voice is not to be heard far and wide… And clearly he has to ramp down the frantic lifestyle of Northern Europe in order to assimilate into the languorous lifestyle of the South…
Now, not many people are headed to this part of the world to find their home, so there will be few who can identify with the account of one family’s adventures in Calabria. Might you be tempted to follow suit? A pleasant read and it will transport you to this warm an idyllic (mostly…) part of the world!
October 19, 2023
Have lived on and off in Calabria now for five years and can relate to everything that happens in this amusing book. We have the Italian friend who if we need anything done he has a wealth cousins who can help. We also have the rather splendid sofa that l believe is abigtory in Colabria although ours is bright red. A must read if you are thinking of staying here for a while . Reminded me a bit like life with the Larkin's.
May 29, 2020
Entertaining and fun expose of the general personality of Italy...lots of positives and some negatives which are now changing in Italy, thankfully. It was a light, fast read, with some dated attitudes.
April 6, 2025
I had heard about Ian Ross’ book about Calabria. I have now read it twice and feel immersed deep within that magical mountainous and seaside paradise. Ross is an amazingly talented writer. He makes it all so alive, the colours vivid and the people glorious! I want to be part of that place, mafia and all. And Ian Ross achieves an impossible task… he makes us part of his family!
November 15, 2022
Abandoned.
Got about half way through and although there were some colourful characters and interesting situations, I realised I hadn't really taken to the narrator who came across (to me) as quite unctuous and condescending. Decided my time was better spent on something I would enjoy more fulsomely.
Got about half way through and although there were some colourful characters and interesting situations, I realised I hadn't really taken to the narrator who came across (to me) as quite unctuous and condescending. Decided my time was better spent on something I would enjoy more fulsomely.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews