One of the most surprising things for me since moving to Calabria in 2022 is the insane Calabrian wind. Some days, especially in the winter, we have winds of 25 miles per hour! I know that's not quite hurricane-level, but when you're on the top floor of an apartment building with nothing to buffer you and your plants from the wind, it can feel like it!
And unfortunately, my windows are also giant doors made 40 years ago, so they do little to keep the wind and noise out. A windy night is one I don't sleep.
Learning to Live in Harmony with the Calabrian Wind
Haha. I jest. There is no harmony with this wind. It takes what it wants and leaves no prisoners.
I was shocked one morning to find that a felt wall planter THAT HAD BEEN NAILED TO A HEAVY PIECE OF WOOD IN FOUR PLACES had magically unhooked itself and flown away into the great unknown.
Plants have committed suicide on my balcony. I'm actually surprised at those that have remained.
Laundry, naturally, is my biggest pain. Despite me affixing everything with clothespins and then dragging a heavy box of garden supplies to weigh down my drying rack, as you can see in the picture above, it's a losing battle.
Now I take precautionary measures. I check the wind forecast to gauge the likelihood that my panties will be sacrificed to the wind gods of Calabria, and if that likelihood is high (anything over 9 mph I consider a threat), I move the drying rack indoors.
This blob of tarp and string is my bike. Francesco (because he loves me) carried it up five flights of stairs so I could keep it on the balcony to protect it from the winter rains. Except...that damn Calabrian wind! I had to buy a second tarp because the wind devoured the first one.
All this is to say...life in Calabria is not always glamorous. The wind puts me in a foul mood because it keeps me from walking comfortably along the lungomare and it howls its displeasure through every corner of the house. But I keep the faith that spring is just around the corner and the Calabrian wind will dissipate for a while...
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