I Love Touring Italy - Springtime In Basilicata
Basilicata is a little region of southern Italy with a very small coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west and a slightly larger coastline on the Gulf of Taranto to the east. You won't see too many tourists here, which may be just one more reason to visit this traditional region. Its weather may be somewhat cooler than you might expect, especially in the early spring.
One major early spring festival is the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) Pageant. A great place to experience this Festival is the small town of Barile, population about 3 thousand, with a substantial Albanian influence due to the origin of many people. As elsewhere, the Stations of the Cross represent the various episodes of the Passion of Christ. You will see authentic reconstructions of the Gospel stories, accompanied by fantasy figures expressing ancestral fears. For example, the "Negro" represents a stranger, and the "Gypsy" is a dark symbol of wealth hiding evil and danger. These are quite major figures of popular collective atonement. You will be impressed by the participants' spirit. Other localities hosting memorable Via Crucis Costumed Parades include Atella on the Thursday before Easter, and on Good Friday Maschito whose ceremony includes both Albanian and Greek aspects, and Venosa. The following day Rionero in Vulture celebrates its pageant, which also has Albanian and Greek aspects.
Presenting a dinner at the James Beard House is one of the jewels most Chefs would love to have in their resume. Chef Robert Rizzuto CEC, CCE of the New York Institutes of Technology (NYIT) de Seversky Conference Center in Old Westbury New Yorkhosted two events there in 2002. The first one was an Easter Brunch and the most recent, December 28th 2002 a "Palm Springs Christmas". 
The Center is housed in the neo-classical Georgian Gold Coast Mansion commissioned by Alfred I. Du Pont in 1916. An active Culinary Arts program under the auspices of the NYIT Culinary Arts Program at the Islip Campus is on the site, with classrooms and practical kitchens. School functions for NYIT and a from scratch Gourmet lunch buffet during the school year keep them busy. (It's open to the public but don't tell anyone, it one of the best kept secrets on Long Island. For specific information, please call 516-686-7675) The Center is noted for its very high end weddings and catered special events on the weekends. No advertising is permitted to promote catering at the Center by the local town, but the word of mouth keeps the weekends booked. The annual Gold Coast Wine Classic, Vatel Club picnics, Chaine des Rotisseurs dinners and monthly Epicurean Club Dinners are some of the other numerous culinary events that keep Chef Rizzuto and his fine staff from getting bored.