possessed some 500 goats and sheep and a few beautiful stone buildings made into an organic restaurant and inn. Everything was made by hand; the liquors, marmalades, ricotta, and scones. It was an ancient hamlet immersed into a forest of oak. They breed the animals and cultivate wheat, which explains why this region’s breads and pastas are exceptional. I was led to a small house diagonal from the restaurant which had four to five rooms with odd names like Noto and Aurora. The sound of the wind dubbed out the slightest noise; here, heaven was reigning.
It was my first time to taste Lucanian fried peppers. In the month of August and September resident’s windows and doorways are decorated with red dangling pods of peppers drying in mid-air. Plates are garnished with them after they’ve been fried for a mere few minutes, if fried a smidgeon too long; they are ruined. We ate them aside a potato specialty—fantastic. The next morning was bright and peaceful and we headed out for the day around 10 o’clock a.m.
We set out in exploration of the Vaglio area, we’d just become explorers. I was accompanied by a few local experts to a few Lucanian museums, and there I was introduced to the excavated treasures of the Lucanian people (who lived in this neck of the woods around 500 B.C.).
Helmets, spears and dolls were arranged neatly, but many of the original artifacts were placed behind glass cubicles. Greek influenced vases and jewelries—were hung or arranged accordingly and a recreated home scene was open for all to absorb and assimilate. These excavated treasures were well-preserved for 2,500 years; I’d imagined that, it was true! The one thing that impressioned me the most, was discovering this cracked