Reggio – Mesina – Rosolini

Hey globetrotters

After Matera, I had a 4 hours ride to Sporevato, where I should have been able to train on Monday. Sporevato was just a stop in the middle of Lecce and Reggio, because it would have been an 8 hours ride, which is too much for one day. I spoke with the owner from the gym 2 weeks ago and he confirmed me there was training on this day I arrived. But asking him again on that day if there was training, he declined and said, the professor was not in town and there won’t be any BJJ. Oh how I hate this irresponsible Crossfit guys for confirming me something that won’t happen!! Yeah well, I just chilled in my room, phoning with my parents and texting with my girlfriend.

On the next day I drove to Reggio, where a family from couchsurfing hosted me. We ate lunch together everyday and the mother, Eleonora, showed me the city on one day. Her husband was a street musician, which fascinated me a lot. He played harmonica and sometimes he tours with his son, kind of a family thing and earning in average like 100 dollars per hour!

In Reggio there was the best elected Gelateria from whole Italy, which is called Gelateria Cesare. I didn’t like it that much, cause the ice was not ice cold and more creamy and I prefer it cold as ice, but from the taste it could convince me in a positive way. The best thing about the gelateria was the service, the guy was talkative and nice, showed me which ice he preferred in which combination and even gave me a spoon of Nutella to eat my ice with. I took it the legendary way with a “brioche” (kind of sweet bread), which Italians sometimes eat even for dinner. Just Ice cream with brioche. And some Italians wonder, why they become fat, wtf…

In reggio there opened a gym 3 months ago, the first BJJ gym in Calabria and already listed on BJJ Globetrotters. The owner was a girl with his boyfriend, both really lovely and we spent so much time together outside the gym, that I was a bit unhappy to leave. I think this gym will have a bright future, since more people are going to their BJJ class than their Crossfit Class! Oss BJJ Reggio di Calabria!

On Friday I went to Messina with my vespa and I’m reaching the end of my trip: Sicily. Enrico di Luise, a fellow BJJ Globetrotter and Matsurfer awaited me there for the Friday evening training. Luckily they had a seminar on that day with the graduation and a long sparring session (in total I spent 4 hours at the gym), ending it with a nice dinner with the whole team and the professors.

After Messina I went to Rosolini, all down to the south to the family of my aunt’s husband. On Sunday the usually do horse races, but exactly on this weekend there wasn’t a race. But they took me with them for the training. We woke up at 3:50 (I never woke up so early in my life before) and the whole procedure took place till 9 o’clock in the morning. We went to sleep till the afternoon and chilled the rest of the day on the beach. Note: These horses are doped and it’s illegal, but in Sicily the do it anyway. I don’t support it, but it’s their culture and it was fascinating for me to see it.

On Sunday evening I chilled with the parents of aunt’s husband’s outside and we talked for a long time about life and it’s troubles. They are both really old, but the conversation was so nice & deep and on the next day when I left, I felt like leaving my family.

See you next week

OSS