Calabria is the extreme south-western region of Italy, washed by the Tyrrhenian Sea and the lonian. It is an essentially mountainous region, with a high central Apennine ridge, which crosses it lengthwise. The mountain slopes are overgrown with thick woods. The coastlines present landscapes of wild beauty. The regional capital is Catanzaro. Reggio Calabria is the seat of the Regional Council. Cosenza, Crotone and Vibo Valentia are the other important cities. Calabria is a place for two types of people: Calabrians (and their descendants - sometimes) and adventurers. It is bewildering, even frightening to all others, but richly rewarding for those who want to go beyond the Hollywood stereotype of Italy. You will find no Florences or Venices in Calabria. You won't even find a San Gimignano or a Positano. Art treasures are often encountered in impoverished villages whose older homes have crumbling façades and newer homes have cement pylons where the second storey will someday be. When there's a spectacular seacoast, you might find hotels offering lumpy mattresses and microscopic see-through towels. Many of the architectural masterpieces have been eroded by the earthquakes that recur every hundred years or so. You will find in Calabria unforgettable vistas across rugged mountains, vast golden wheat fields and crystal clear seas. Age-old olive trees that grow as tall as eucalyptus. Ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Norman ruins, forgotten by time, which suddenly loom over the horizon, beckoning you to your own private rendezvous with history. Shy but hospitable villagers who still wear voluminous black skirts or colorful traditional costumes. Delicious fish, vegetables, cheese, sausage, salami, wild mushrooms and figs.