Your Calabrian Villa for Less Than $170,000

So it’s goodbye President Chirac, a constant presence in French politics for 40 years, and hello President Sarkozy. Although a relatively youthful figure in Chirac’s government at 52, the new president is a veteran of the political scene and was elected mayor of the smart Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine at the tender age of 28.

Sarkozy’s known to be driven and impatient but has made a great effort to appear open in his choice of cabinet members. One of the most egalitarian cabinets ever, this new government has seven women in top ministerial positions out of 15, including the young Rachida Dati as minister of justice. The popular socialist doctor-without-frontiers Bernard Kouchner has been named foreign minister, and a new ministry of immigration and national identity has been created.

But this week we concentrate on more material matters, such as an undiscovered corner of Italy, and where to kit out your home in Valencia.

Enjoy,

Leigh Fergus
Editor, The European

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Your villa in the mezzogiorno for $164,000

by Stefania Russo

Dreaming of a villa in southern Italy for under $200,000? Try Calabria, often called the toe of Italy. Without the culture of Florence or the fashion of Milan, this unspoiled, less wealthy corner of Italy lies in the heart of the country's mezzogiorno region. Encircled by clear, silver-blue sea on three sides, it’s one of its warmest and sunniest too. Even in mid-October, temperatures remain in the upper 70s.

Rugged Beauty
Calabria is a part of Italy like no other—its rustic, friendly charm unchanged for centuries. The hinterland owes its rugged beauty to three mountain ranges: Pollino in the north; Sila, with its lakes and forests, a hiker’s paradise; and Aspromonte, with lush groves and vineyards. The province of Cosenza attracts a large part of the region's still developing tourism trade. The old town of the same name is worth exploring, especially for its stunning cathedral, Norman castle, and Rendano Theater.

Bordered by the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west and the Ionian Sea to the east, the 490-mile shore (one-fifth of Italy’s total) goes from spectacular rocky cliffs to wide, sandy beaches. Take Tropea, for instance, reckoned by the London-based Sunday Times newspaper to have Europe's finest beach. Little surprise that 19th-century poet Gabriele D'Annunzio was moved to describe a section in Reggio Calabria as "the most beautiful kilometer in Italy."

Property prices in Calabria are lower than in the rest of Italy, possibly because much of this rural area was abandoned in an exodus of almost one million people last century seeking their fortune elsewhere, though many are now returning.

A home in the sun here is more than affordable. A one-bedroom apartment or villa in a residential complex can be found from 50,000 euro ($68,000). For a two-bedroom apartment, prices start at 80,000 euro ($109,000) …And you can have your own villa, in the lively town of Castrovillari for example, from 120,000 euro ($164,000).

[ Editor’s note: Stefania Russo works for The Property Organiser Ltd., an independent agency run by Italian professionals that finds property in Italy for buyers free of charge. You can contact her by e-mail at stefania.russo@propertyorganiser.co.uk.

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Sorrento in a nutshell

by David Block

Visitors have been flocking to Sorrento since the rule of Imperial Rome when it was
a noted vacation resort for the wealthy. Here’s our own mini-guide.

Where to shop
A regiment of shops ranges along Corso Italia and Via S.Cesareo, including haute couture boutiques and emporia that stock vacation must-haves such as cameos, tapestries, leather goods, and linens. As in all resorts, watch out for the usual tatty suspects: I saw one rack touting “Italian Silk Scarves” that turned out to be acetate strips made in India.

Right off the main square, Piazza Tasso, sits the 142-year-old A.Gargiulo & Jannuzi store, with three floors of inlaid wood, embroideries, lace, pottery, breakfast sets, table clothes, jewelry, musical boxes, dolls, and ceramics. You can even watch craftworkers creating some of them behind the scenes.

There's no shortage of shops selling olive oil, Parmesan cheese, cured ham, and Limonoro, the local lemon liquor, but more interesting and less expensive examples of the same are to be had away from the town's tourist tracks where the locals do their daily shopping. Follow them to the Tuesday market for a colorful and characterful alternative.

Where to eat
Every inch of the walls inside Il Ristorante Caruso ( Via Casarlano 8, tel: +39 (0)81 807-2959) bears testament to the owner's passion for the great singer. This unique restaurant is decorated throughout with Enrico Caruso memorabilia. And to accompany the historic pictures is a background recording of some of his most famous performances. Offering classic Italian fare and set menus from 70 euro ($95), the restaurant’s specialty is pezzogna acqua pazza, a local bream-type fish for 25 euro ($34). The menu is lavishly garnished with pictures of Il gran tenore, of course.

The Iaccarino family has been in the hotel business since 1890. The fourth generation: Alfonso and Livia, opened Don Alfonso to offer the authentic flavors of their native countryside, Campania. Fifteen years ago they went one step further and bought a farm on which to grow organic produce for the restaurant. Now they've come full circle and have attached five luxurious hotel suites for guests to enjoy before and after they've consumed an incomparable meal, stylishly presented.

La Sorgente ( tel:+39 (0)81 807 2618) is a working farm just outside town on the Via Antigliana. Here you can see how Mozzarella cheese and olive oil are made, then taste them on bread, accompanied by huge, sweet slices of tomato and hearty wines. Ambrosial.

Where to swim
Sea swimming isn't why people come to Sorrento, but if you want a dip, try to stay in one of the seafront hotels that compensate for the gritty shoreline by providing pools of neo-Olympian dimensions. Otherwise, many of these hotels will let non-guests use the pool for a small fee. The centrally located Europa Palace, for example, ( Via Correale 34/36, 80067 Sorrento (NA); tel. +39 (0)81-807-3432) provides a beach towel, and even parasol and deck chair if available, for 20 euro per person per day.

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Where to find a Spanish masterpiece for $15

by Regina Galasso

A stop at El Rastro, in Valencia, Spain, is part of the Sunday routine for many locals, from university students, serious antique collectors, to the occasional interior designer. The city’s open-air antique and flea market has everything from furniture, kitchen supplies, lamps, and linens to pictures, clothing, jewelry, stamps, coins, and books.

Rumor has it that someone even unknowingly bought a Sorolla painting here over 10 years ago for $15. You may not be quite so lucky, but El Rastro is a good place to find unique pieces as well as the basics for your apartment or to pick up an unusual souvenir and people-watch.

Vendors from outside the city arrive in their trucks as early as 6 a.m., staying until just before 2 p.m., when they practically give their goods away—to avoid loading their trucks again. A red velvet couch, for example, could cost about $1,000 at 8 a.m. and as little as $400 at 2 p.m. Some Valencianos spend hours searching for a treasure, breaking off occasionally to sit on the curb to eat a homemade sandwich. Food is not normally available at El Rastro, so if you plan on having a snack, make sure to grab an empanadilla at a bakery before you get here.

Save money at the Mercado
If you’re looking for some basic kitchen items and aren’t impressed by the selection of used pans and silverware at El Rastro, don’t rush to the department store to purchase them; instead, try the kitchen supply stand in the Mercado Central. At the department store you will probably pay about $15 dollars for four glass tumblers while at the Mercado Central you will most likely pay no more than $8. The little stand has everything from coffee pots and glasses to paella pans and salt and pepper shakers. Additionally, the Mercado Central offers the freshest fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meat, and fish. The building itself is worth checking out, a fine example of Mediterranean art nouveau style or modernismo.

Finally, once El Rastro ends for the day, if you didn’t pick up anything that will be cumbersome to carry around—such as that 19th-century chandelier or a box of ceramic bowls—take the metro to La Malvarossa beach and treat yourself to paella at La Pepica restaurant.

El Rastro is in the parking lot of the Mestalla Soccer Stadium off Avenida Blasco Ibañéz, easily accessible by metro.

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Eating your way through…Brussels

by Leigh Fergus

Home to the European parliament, the dreadful Manneken Pis, and some of Europe’s best examples of art nouveau and art deco architecture, Brussels is also making a name for itself with fine dining options other than the national dish of mussels and fries. On a trip earlier this year, I found plenty of ways to eat my way ’round the city without breaking the bank.

Breakfast for champions
The best place for breakfast has to be at Le Pain Quotidien. This Belgian franchise originated in Brussels offering fresh baked organic bread. They now also serve the butteriest croissants, stickiest pains aux raisins, and most apple-y tartlets with great coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. The city has at least 10 outlets—my favorite is the 11 rue des Sablons location.

Alternatively, why not breakfast on a traditional waffle? Mobile waffle stands can be found on most street corners and if you can find a bench to sit on, get yourself a hot “chocolixir” from Godiva, located nearby on the Grand Place du Sablon, and start off the day on a sweet high.

Nouveau beer
Once you’ve walked around the château and park, and seen the art nouveau classic Maison Horta in the Saint Gilles district with its exquisitely renovated interior, it’ll be time for lunch. One option is to head for the little church square on rue Africaine close by, where several brightly decorated cafés jostle with alternative designer boutiques for your custom.

Or try The Ultimate Hallucination on rue Royale 316, a total art nouveau dream with a generous selection of Belgian beers—be sure to eat in the brasserie rather than the restaurant as you’ll get better value for your money (dishes such as the shrimp and potato salad are 15 euro ($20) and the midday set menu is 16 euro). By the way, if you’re tempted anywhere in the city by the menu item filet américain, be aware that this is steak tartare: raw, freshly ground beefsteak.

Something fishy
For dinner, steer away from the tourist traps on and immediately around the Gran’ Place and the Manneken Pis and make for the Sainte Catherine Quarter, the city’s former port and fish market. A number of restaurants offer set menus here from around 20 euro ($27) for three courses.

Rugbymen No.2., Quai des Briques 12 is a good bet, with tables on three floors, a friendly atmosphere, air-conditioning, and efficient service where you can enjoy a full-blown fish supper of fish soup or crab terrine, sea bass with a lightly spiced sauce or half a lobster, and the three-chocolate mousse for dessert for 31 euro ($42).

[ Editor’s note: Thorough research on Brussels’ chocolate options has been carried out on your behalf—read our findings in a future issue of The European.]