packers and movers bangalore We didn't buy in Scalea though, our house, part of an historic building in its own right, is in the Pollino National Park, in the mountains. There are two national parks of outstanding beauty in Calabria, the other being the Sila National Park. It's the height of the mountains in these parks which makes ski-ing possible here; it's a short season so far south but if you live in the area you just go when it happens to be good.

Calabria was once part of Magna Graecia, that is to say greater Greece, as Greeks looked to start colonies outside Greece from about 800BC. Not that it was uninhabited before that, Palaeolithic remains have been unearthed in Scalea and elsewhere. Naturally the Romans took over from the Greeks, then the Byzantines and just about everyone else including Normans, Longobards, Angevins and Bourbons. The history is as fascinating as the scenery is beautiful.

packers and movers gurgaon Being Italy the food and the wine are all part of the appeal and the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle are often cited as a route to long life. What amazes me most though is not the quality of the food, but the low prices for really good fresh produce. Eating out is amazingly good value too. In our local pizzeria for example pizzas cost between 3 and 6 euros, but the majority, including Caprese and Vegiteriana, two of our favourites are 4 euros each. They're made with fresh dough, vegetables, tomatoes and mozzarella and prepared in a proper wood burning stove by people who really know what they're doing. Wine is just 50 cents a glass and it's very pleasant wine. So for 9 Euros, about 8 UK pounds we can enjoy a meal which would cost 25 UK pounds quite easily at home.

It's a similar story at breakfast, Maria who runs the central cafe in Piazza Navarra (the Spanish were also here in the fifteenth century and kindly built our house) will supply us with two creamy cappuccinos, two filled croissants and two glasses of water for 3 euros and forty cents, that would be about the price of just one coffee in a chain in England.

packers and movers pune From our bedroom balcony we have a view of a valley, a hill and a Longobard castle, a river flows through the town too. The local people have made us so welcome it's hard to put into words and the most common question we're asked is why did you come here? To us it's a surprising question. It's often followed by a second question. Do you have family or ancestors here?