Monday

I am writing today from Sga. Graziella's computer.  She is the owner of the hotel. The people here are at the hotel are so very hospitable.  They allow us to use the hotel computer at the desk, or since today it is busy, her personal notebook.  Francesco, the only one who really speaks English, works it seems night and day.  He does the hotel booking, waits tables and raises Cane Corso- huge dogs that we will get pictures of.  Also, Luigi and Carla her children work here. Although they serve a cold breakfast at the hotel, lunch and dinner are at the Taverna di Borboni a few paces in front of the hotel.  The Tavern has been here 25 years, the hotel only 3.  To my surprise there is not one spaghetti dish really familiar to me!  The driver who picked us up in Rome (in a Mercedes-made us feel conspicuous) said if  we were going to Calabria we should learn to say "I don't eat spagjhetti!"  Last night I ate fish, which was very good. Porcini are the BIG item.

This mornng it was 57 degrees, raining and a heavy fog. However, we persevered and walked to the Commune in Simbario.  There Mayor Andreacchi and Dominica were waiting for us.  He had received the email I sent ahead of time and said there was no family left. However, when we began going over the names, Dominica figured out that indeed, there is family (it always takes a woman). Dominica immediately got on the phone and called Nicolina Carello, daughter of Brunina Valente Carello. Brunina was my grandfather's (Nicola Valente) sister. She was blind and received a pension for that. She married Vitantonio Carello and had 2 daughters, Nicolina and Elizabetta. Nicolina came down and met us and invited us to her home. Father Stephen has said he will go with as translator but it will be Wednesday since he must go to Catanzaro tomorrow.  Once Dominica put two and two together, she said I have numerous cousins here. I guess we will meet them Wednesday. Tomorrow we will go back and try to find more on the Donato side.
Pictures posted!