Sunday vibes

Earlier today, I went on a walk up to the Sanctuary. It was nearly 4pm and I hadn't left my apartment other than to step outside to hang up my laundry to dry in the sunshine on this beautiful February day in Calabria.

After finishing the leftover homemade pizza topped with the special red onions from Tropea that was lovingly made by my dear friend and co-teacher, I quickly got myself ready and started my evening passeggiata.

The sunshine felt comforting, but while in the shade of the apartments in the old section of Paola, I regretted my decision to put on my lighter jacket. I decided to go to the Sanctuary because I figured there wouldn't be too many people there at this time of the evening, but I soon found out that I was certainly wrong about that. I was surprised to see cars parked in the street leading up to the beautiful and perfectly hidden Sanctuary.

I'm just realizing now that the seemingly secretive position of this Sanctuary so perfectly exemplifies the hermetic lifestyle of my beloved San Francesco di Paola. It's this gorgeous hideaway where the rest of the world seems just out of reach; a particular calm washes over you as you approach these ancient buildings nestled into the hillside.

Here, standing above the roaring water of the little river, smelling the distinctive scent of the burning candles with their soot staining the arched ceiling above, seeing the church goers shuffling to the next mass, there is a sense of turbulent tranquility. It's a tempestuous calm that allows your mind to consider what it is you're doing here.

The sound of the church organ beckoned me, and I obliged. I entered the old church, with its high vaulted ceilings and ocher walls, and I stood alongside the devout Paolani. The organ was louder than usual, and I loved it that way.

I sang along with the songs in Italian (as best I could, not knowing the lyrics) and enjoyed the feeling of musical vibrations emanating from my body. I thought of the research that claims a cat's purr has healing powers; that the vibrations are at a certain frequency range that promotes tissue regeneration. Tonight, the music seemed to have that same effect on my mental state and tired gluten-filled body.

I was reluctant to leave the church, but I knew the sun would soon be setting, so I ambled over to the cloister, then began reading the placards affixed underneath the frescoes decorating the outer walls. In my notebook, I jotted down the Italian words I didn't know in order to look them up later. I made my way down the hallway towards the Sanctuary's library all the while quietly singing Nessun Dorma under my breath; it's not easy to keep that song quiet. It wants (and merits) to be sung proudly and loudly.

Then, I made my way through the cave-like foundations of the church, made by San Francesco himself and his first followers, and soon climbed up to the Ponte del Diavolo. I love how this devilish part of the Sanctuary reminds me of Penrose stairs, in the way that it's confusedly laid out, yet you end up going exactly where you wanted to go. However, you just aren't exactly sure how you got there. Every way leads itself back to the same place, but to try to map it out in your head would look like a dizzying optical illusion.

Quietly, I peeked into the new church and then made my way back out to the entry piazza to participate in my favorite Calabrian pastime: watching the sun set. Stromboli and the Aeolian islands were pretty easy to spot on the horizon on this clear day. Far out in the distance, I also saw the outline of a ship on the horizon. I envied the seafarer's view for it must have been a spectacular sight to intimately witness the calm water set ablaze by the fiery sun. I took a seat on a bench and watched the sun go down, making the sky so very red.

It was getting pretty cold, so I made my way back to my apartment, feeling quite restored. Those vibrations definitely healed me a little bit tonight. Now, I just need to figure out what the heck I am going to do with the rest of my life. Not a small order of business, but definitely something that has been weighing heavy on my mind as of late. I think I'll need a few more song-filled pre-sunset visits to the Sanctuary...

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my piece! If you would like to read more about adventures/food in Italy, might I suggest:

This unexpected country is incredibly vegan-friendly

Looking Back: My Naivety

Exalting the Forgotten

Happy reading!