J - 6 : A Reason for Being Idle

The Ferrovia Tirrenia on the Coast of Calabria during bad Weather near Lamezia Terme

When doing the contingency planing for sailing this summer, the.title of the book"The Importance of Being Idle" came to my mind. I read it a good 30 years ago. These days, most people are in a rush and always on the go. Stephen Robins, the book's author, makes the case that being idle allows you to contemplate everything a bit longer and focus on the essential. For him, being idle is a tool to avoid being driven by artificial, hectic activities.

Poster Advertising the Beauty of Calabria to Italians

What will we do in our second week of sailing if weather turns foul? Most people get sea sick in rocky waters. Not a good idea. The Calabrian coast from Tropea to Agropoli has few bays only. None of them provide shelter against stormy west winds. There are a few new leisure ports but sitting out a storm in a port is boring. How could we best use a week of forced idleness? Luckily, Ferrovia Italiana, the Italian Railways, comes to the rescue. We could send the boat with the crew ahead to the Gulf of Naples, take a train, enjoy the beauty the Calabrian coast and join them a few days later once waters have calmed down.

Italy's Ferrovie Network around 1945 - the Line Salerno to Reggio was still mostly single track

The idillic route from Reggio di Calabria to Naples was a late comer in Italy's rail network. For decades, nobody could make a commercial case for a line following the Tyrrhenian coast. The geography was hilly, deep ravines cut into the mountains, the coastal strips were so narrow they could barely accommodate the villages. A railway line would need expensive tunnels and viaducts. Though, in 1893 the line was completed - the Italian Government paid the bill. As Italy's big towns grew larger due to industrialisation, the demand for agricultural products soared. Sicily found a new market. Thanks to Ferrovia Tirrenica, perishable goods like vegetables and fruirts could now be shipped to domestic consumers further north.

The Train Station of San Nicola Arcela shows the challenge of Building the new Railway Line

It took more than a decade to build the line. Engineers used advanced technology to cut through the rocks and build sky high bridges. The line was as demanding to build as the Cinque Terre Railway from Genoa to La Spezia. Construction began in 1883. Completed in 1895, the 393 km single track line had more than 20 long tunnels and viaducts. It quickly became a commercial success. Travelling time from Salerno to Reggio di Calabria was reduced from two days to 5 1/2 hours. Considerably faster than the steam boats which served the coast. It also allowed Sicily to become Europe's main supplier of citrus fruits (lemons, oranges) and supported the nascent tourism industry that started to emerge just before the First World War.

How it must have looked like before 1914. This photo though is from Sardinia

131 years later, the train from Salerno to Reggio still takes 5 1/2 hours when you take the old coast line. Part of the single track was upgraded to double track and since 1939 the line is fully electrified. But the turns are still the same. Breath taking views from high viaducts constantly change with black tunnels. It is a wonderful journey for any railway enthusiast. One of the Tyrrhenian line's biggest advantages are its frequent stops. There are many railway stations in locations which never made it to the bucket list of modern tourism but invite you to contemplate the times before the ever demanding here and now.

The old Train Station at Monteleone or Vibo Marina - the Building is still the same!

One of them is Vibo Marina which was called Monteleone in previous centuries. The coastal town is modern - the true treasure is up the hill in Vibo Valentia. You first spot the Norman castle which reminds us of the times when Norman Knights expelled the Arabs from Italy. They were violent and ruthless warriors - but also the reason why Islam never won a foothold in Europe. They were also the Pope's most loyal supporters and the reason why he could oppose the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Of course - always handsomely rewarded.

The Norman Castle towers high above the Coastal Plain and now houses the National Archeologic Museum of Vibo with its beautiful ancient Greek artefacts

At a few minutes distance, we find the remains of the 7km long, ancient Greek walls which once protected Hipponion. The settlement was established by the Greek diaspora from Locris, a town we sailed by in 2021 on our way from Bosa to Crotone. Hipponion's walls enclosed the town of Vibo Valentia and the port area. The town must have been really prosperous to be able to afford such impressive walls. Besieged in 388 BC by the rulers of Syracuse, its population was deported for ten years until Carthage, Syracuse's eternal enemy, let them return. When the Romans conquered Hipponion during the Punic Wars, they made it a colony and renamed it Vibo Valentia (194 BC). The town prospered during Roman times but was abandoned with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD.

The Foundations of Hipponion's massive Greek Town Walls are mostly intact and visible

Vibo Valentina is a quiet place today with not too many visitors. The National Archeologic Museum in the Norman castle is worth a visit though. It is full of items and objects from the people who brought wine and olives to Europe, gave us the alphabet and mathematics, introduced us to rational thinking and modern medicine, comedy and poetry, international trade and - last but definitely not least - to democracy. We tend to believe that we achieve everything our selves - but stand actually on the sholders of these settlers who made this part of Calabria their home 2'800 years ago. At times, a little idleness, be it from bad weather or other circumstances, has its benefits and allows us to see the bigger picture.

An Italian High Speed Train on the Way to Roma Termini in Lamezia Terme

Future travellors along the Tyrrhenian Coast may not have the pleasure of idleness anymore. In 2025, the construction of a new line from Salerno to Reggio di Calabria was launched. The new track will be mostly inland, costs around EUR 23 bn and will be completed in 2030 - am willing to wage a bet that this date will be missed. It is Italy. The new line is part of the EU project to create a High Speed Rail Corridor from Scandinavia to Sicily. It also includs the Messina bridge and a new High Speed Line from Palermo to Messina via Catania.

EU's North - South Corridor Project leads to major Railway Investments in Southern Italy

Whilst the new High Speed Line will be able to transport people in a bit more than 3 hours from Reggio to Rome, I wonder whether it will not further increase our tendency to neglect "pass through" or "fly over" regions. Our metropolitan clusters are important achievements of our civilisation. But they are not everything. Water, food, energy, raw materials ... and new ideas all come from the outside. I hope the Italian Railway will not close the old line with its idyllic scenery and stops at places that nobody knows. Calabria is more than a pass through region. It is the place where Hellenistic civilisation took root in Western Europe and formed the western culture we enjoy today.

Construction of the new High Speed Line between Salerno and Bari