MIA FAMIGLIA RANUIO - THE SHARED DNA

Saturday March 31- Monday April 2, 2012

It's goodbye Sicily, back on the ferry and off to Calabria and visiting with our cousins, La Famiglia RANUIO.  The ferry is a bit daunting, trying to navigate a series of twisty, unmarked ramps and turns to gain access to a sharp 90 degree turn on to the ferry. We're sent up one ramp, and over and across the the other side of the loading ramps, only to find another car coming head on to us, up the ramp. That car had to back up all the way down the ramps. But eventually, as is the Italian way, "tutti va bene" and we're off.

Our ferry awaits, not exactly the Spirit of Vancouver

Now to find the right ramp

Passengers and cars exit on the same narrow ramp

It's only supposed to be a 3 hour drive to the hill towns in Calabria, but even with 3 navigators in the car we still get lost. Just by chance and "buona fortuna", we exit the auto-strada very close to the town we actually hoped to find, San Sosti. Now we are convinced that we need to believe in "the Italian way".

We're in San Sosti to visit our 3rd cousin, Francesca Ranuio La Cavour. Francesca's father Federico Ranuio (1926-2008), and our Dad, Dominic Benedict Raino (1902-1965) were 2cd cousins. Our family name, Raino, was changed from Ranuio, by bureaucrats when our grandfather landed in Canda, to make it "more english".
Francesca, and her daughter, Maria and family are so welcoming. Maria's husband, Nikola Esposito fills us in on the economic problems the south is experiencing during these hard years, since I saw them last with Liam in 2008. Nikola explains that only 1 in 3 young people can find work. Prospects look bleak and there is concern for the future.
But the economy is put aside, as we enjoy exploring our common ancestry, and Francesca, her husband, Ciriaco,  Maria, Nikola and the family treat us to Calabrian hospitality.

San Sosti nestled in the Calabrian hills

Maria, Nikola, Gabriel and Francesca

We go on a "passagiata" through the old part of San Sosti, and Maria and Francesca point out to us the collection of very old homes where our grandfather, and Francesca's grandfather and father all lived.  They describe a peasant, farming life of our grandparents, who would have worked the family farm, 2-3 km out of town, walking there and back, twice a day. These old homes would have been very simple, and life would have been hard.
Years ago, our father told a similar story to Angela, in which he described his mother telling him that their old home in San Sosti had dirt floors, and the chickens lived under the house. We find our grandfather's home, and there under it, is the hole for the chickens to get in and out. It's sobering to realize that our grandfather set out on his own to make a new life in Canada.

The Ranuio grandfathers' homes

The chicken hole

Our passagiata ends at Ciriaco La Cava's taverna, an old cellar, where he makes the wine for the family, and visits with his friends of an evening. The family wine is tasted, and then Francesca's and Maria's delicious pork salame.
Buon Apetito!

Ciriaco La Cava (r) with old friend

Francesca's father Federico Ranuio, Dad's 2cd cousin

A big treat for us is when Maria and Nikola take us out of town to the Ranuio farm. This is the land our grandfathers would have worked. It was passed down to Francesca's father, and is now worked by Francesca's husband, Ciriaco, with their son Michael and Nikola's help. Here the grapes for wine, fruit and nut trees, pigs, vegetables, and olive trees are tended, to feed and support the family.
After this, it's back to the house for Il Pranzo, the large noon-day meal that Maria and Francesca have made. Course after course of delicious dishes keep appearing. Grazie per tutti!

Ranuio farm

Grazie Francesca!

We are stuffed, as we pack in the car and head to the next town, Ste Agathe, to visit our other Ranuio cousins. This is the other arm of the small, Ranuio clan. There are not many Ranuios in Calabria, and as our cousins here say "Quanti anni fa", a long time ago, they were all related.

Cousin Vittorio runs Bar Esaro, where we stop to have "un abbraccio caloroso", and meet up with Vittorio's brother Bruno. The Ste Agathe Ranuios are a big group, and we make the rounds to say hello to as many as we can. Ciao Paola, Sergio, Teresa, Antonio, Nina!
Our visit has come to an end. We have to make the long drive back to Reggio, then fly to Rome. We're happy to see everyone again. Until "la prossima volta".

Nono Antonio & Nona Nina's door

I fratelli, Bruno e Vittorio

Vittorio's spinning top trick

The Shared DNA