from Dublin to........Mirissa, Sri Lanka: Sleeping with a Nun, Tropea, Italy

What a mission it was to get here from Martina Franca. Come down the west coast instead and save yourself a lot of hassle. You can easily see the town on approach….an old city precariously perched on top of a vertical cliff face, marina at the bottom to one side and sandy beaches to the other. Heavenly and picturesque.

I’m here during the off-season so the weather is only low 20’s and inclement, but perfect when the sun is out. Most of the cafes/restaurants along the main stretch of beach are closed, umbrellas folded away, not to be opened until May next year. Bit frustrating but the price you pay for going out of season. There are some tourists here (mainly German, English and Swedes) still which is a nice change from Martina (which definitely is not on the tourist map) so you don’t feel like the only idiot who didn’t realise the place was going to be all but locked up for the winter. The trickle of tourists keeps enough places open that you still have a choice of pizza restaurant, including one which boasts 500 different types on its menu – stupid (no Mexicana with pineapple that I could find Fabry).

The cheapest place to stay in town has arguably the best view. Domenique’s nunnery. A lovely little nun who lives in the nunnery (obviously) perched on the edge of the cliff at the end of Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. Look for the big green door and the black and white outfit. €20/n. It’s basic though but the best location in town. The near life-size statues of Mary and Jesus in the hallway scare you when you get up in the middle of the night for a pee….or come home after a few vinos. Domineque asked me if I was two metres tall…..clearly she doesn’t get too many normally sized people through. I’d be almost double her height if I was 2m. People here are generally short.

Pizza Non-stop da Jmmy – Egyptian guy who emigrated to Italy, via London I think. Has a small hole in the wall pizzeria along Via Liberta. Lovely guy. Stop for a slice and a chat. Abuse him about his pizza with chips on it. I told him it was wrong. “No, no, have you tried it?….it’s the best!” He clearly disagrees. I ain’t trying it. Pizzas on offer are whatever he feels like making at the time. €1.00-1.50/slice.

A bit further up the road, next to the petrol station, is a pub that claims to be a gelateria, a whiskeria, a rummeria, amongst other things. It seemed to be one of the relatively popular places with locals. Cheap too. Heaps of complimentary snacks with your drinks too.

Salumeria – Capocollo Panini - just get one. Addicted. You won’t be disappointed. €1.50-2.00.

Tartufo al Pistacchio (comes in other flavours – not a restaurant but a dessert found in this region. A massive ball of gelati covered in pistachios with a vanilla gelati centre filled with a chocolate/truffle centre. Delish.

The great thing about ordering a drink in Tropea (and it may happen further south as well) is that you get some small snacks with it. Ranges from a bowl of pretzels, to olives and gerkins, to a smorgasbord of olives, gerkings, chips and mini bruschettes, enough to well and truly spoil your dinner appetite….and it's gratis. I like this concept.

Trattoria-Pizzeria L’Arca (just up from the main piazza off the Corso) - Had a very nice spaghetti alle vongole and a quart of vino bianco. Lots of olive oil, garlic and a little parsley and something else to give it an orangey colour. The senora who works here (family business) is lovely…..so is the grand-daughter!

Ristorante-Pizzeria La Forgia – Only a few of us there but that isn’t a reflection on the quality of the food. Had a local speciality, spaghetti alla Tropea (tomatoes and red onions). Red (or Spanish) onions are grown everywhere here. For such a simple dish, it was very good. They are so obsessed with onions they even make a gelati flavoured with it – I must try this. I had a complimentary slice of pizza which was excellent. This place seems to be renowned for its pizza.

Sunset – Perch yourself at the top of the stairs next to the Convento. Great view of the town, Scoglio San Leonardo and the Aeolian Islands. You can see Stromboli in the distance oozing steam, sulphur and other gases. It erupts (minor) on average every 20 minutes. Brilliant sunsets. Amazing colours. I’ll be doing an evening tour of Stromboli in a few weeks. You can actually do it from Tropea if you don’t intend on visiting Sicily for a suprisingly affordable priced (€35.00).