Now that everything is in bloom here in Calabria, the fields and mountains are filled with wildflowers in every shade. They're also popping out of cracks in the sidewalk and along streets.
Some people call them weeds. But I say: what is a weed but a flower unknown or unloved by some?
Since I've been on my herbalism journey, I know no weeds. I've fallen in love with every plant I encounter, and I see beauty all around me.
I greet the flowers as if they're friends.
Hello calendula! Looking sharp, milk thistle!
These plants teach us that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Seeing Calabria Through a Different Lens
I've often said that Calabria is the underdog of Italy. It's not picturesque in the way foreigners expect it to be after visiting the rolling hills of Tuscany or the majestic beauty of the Dolomiti.
And while it wasn't exactly what I dreamed of (which was an ancient village with stone houses and streets...exactly what I'll have when we move to Davoli!), I still found beauty in Calabria from the start.
A fellow expat often grumbled about the graffiti that "decorated" walls throughout Soverato. Funny, I never noticed it.
I was too busy taking in the crystal clear waters. The gentle green mountains that were my backdrop any time I left Soverato. The statues of Mary in unexpected places, like the middle of a field or in an apartment building.
As I said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Calabria isn't for everyone. It's rough around the edges. Everything feels harder than it should be. Friends live in diverse towns so that coordinating a happy hour means driving half an hour (and planning who's going to be the designated driver, since they're cracking down on drivers who have been drinking). The nearest shopping center worth a look is half an hour away. The airport is 45 minutes away.
Soverato is a new city, relatively speaking. It was built in the 1970s, which means my apartment is molto vintage with its mod orange and brown curtains and screaming tile in each room.
But the beauty. Oh, the beauty here. It's the flowers that pop up mid-winter after the rains. It's the turbulent sea after a storm. It's the deep, dark night where stars don't hide because of light pollution.
It's the people. Their kind, helpful hearts. It's their devotion to their faith, which has them giving the sign of the cross whenever they pass a church and attending every religious procession held.
Calabria is like a weed, in some ways. Not everyone gets it. But for those of us who do, we cherish this wildflower and feel grateful to take in its beauty.
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