ADVENTURES IN ABRUZZO, 2018
Ah, the wonders of Italy: delicious food, unique wines and spirits, incomparable culture, breathtaking natural beauty, a lovely climate, and the warm citizenry. This past summer, Joe and I took a trip to Italy that allowed us to experience these wonders in abundance. The highlight of our vacation was a reunion with our daughters and their families in Joe’s hometown, Montazzoli, Provincia di Chieti, Abruzzo. Before and after this special time, though, we visited a number of other places around the boot, many of which we had never traveled to before: Chioggia, the “little Venice;” Trieste, where coffee is king; Ferrara, with the impressive Este Castle; Ravenna and its sparkling mosaics; the newly opened FICO Eataly theme park in Bologna; Gubbio, truly “la citta del silenzio;” Assisi, home to Saint Francis and pilgrimage destination to countless faithful; Spoleto, the current setting of the RAI TV series “Don Matteo” (formerly filmed in Gubbio) and seat of the arts Festival dei Due Mondi which began shortly after our departure; Belluno, gateway to the Dolomites; Lucca, the walled Tuscan city that gave the composer Puccini to the world. We flew round trip to and from Venice, so that we could spend time with my Zia Emma, my mother’s older sister, soon to turn 8 99! She lives with her daughter, my cousin Anna, in Spinea, just outside Venice. While we visited, we were fortunate to celebrate the completion of one month in the life of Samuele, Anna’s first grandchild, and Zia Emma’s first great grandchild.
Of course, because we were so close, we had to make a quick visit to La Serenissima and to the island of Murano to see a glass blowing demonstration and for Joe to purchase another glass piece for his collection.
As we enjoyed these other places, Abruzzo called to us, especially to Joe, who was anxious to get to his home territory, where he felt most relaxed and familiar. There were many places (and there still are so many more) that we had never explored, so we took the time to do so. A few days in the city of Sulmona, birthplace of the poet Ovid and famed for its production of confetti, was a must for us. It is always amazing to me that these smaller, more remote cities, towns, and villages have incredible sites and precious works of art, so wonderfully preserved, especially in the churches. And they are virtually undiscovered by tourism, another plus. Sulmona has the Corso Ovidio for a leisurely stroll from our bed and breakfast, La Magnolia (thanks to AMHS members Amy and Matt DiFiore for this recommendation), through parks, past monuments, churches, and confetti filled shops, leading to the medieval aqueduct and the large Piazza Garibaldi. At the recommendation of our hosts, Salvatore and Giovanna, who treated us like family by meeting special breakfast requests and calling us back to pick up forgotten items, we ended the first day with dinner at I Biffi, a typical local restaurant featuring grilled meats and vegetables. We also made sure to pay a visit to the Pelino Confetti Factory and Museum before leaving the next morning to head into the Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo.
Our first stop there was at the Lago di Scanno, where, before going up the hill to the old town of Scanno, we witnessed boaters enjoying the beautiful lake. We wandered through the narrow, picturesque streets, where we came upon a young lady in a shop being fitted for the local traditional dress (which we had just seen memorialized in a statue in the piazza), most likely for some upcoming town festival. As so typical of the people we met, she kindly consented to having her picture taken. Shortly thereafter, Joe struck up a conversation with some friendly gentlemen sitting on a bench along one of the streets. They were happy to share their views on life and the world situation! We visited several churches and found in one an unexpected delight: a stunning mechanical presepio, or nativity scene, complete with running water, depicting the village of Scanno and its villagers, wearing the traditional dress, engaged in daily functions, such as weaving, carpentry, and cooking.
We went on to Lago di Barrea, a lake created by the damming of the Sangro River, having a unique aspect of the smaller and shallower section of the lake appearing green and the larger and deeper looking green. Much to our good fortune, we found lodging in the family run Hotel Lago Verde, right on the edge of the lake and at the foot of the town. We were just in time for pranzo in the hotel’s restaurant, where over the course of the next few days, we enjoyed a number of local, home cooked specialties, including the pasta fusillone and scamorza al forno (baked cheese) and homemade breakfast treats. Our hosts Confetti display in Sulmona 9 Carmelo, his wife, Wilma, their daughter, Adele, and son, Antonio could not have been nicer or more helpful. They recommended a hike around part of the lake, where the wildflowers were in abundance and where we met Wilma and Adele taking their own advice. Joe also encountered another local, also named Giuseppe, with whom Joe shared his appreciation of the beauty of the lake and surroundings. As promised, there was a little snack bar half way through our trek where we ordered a drink and pizza, and the hostess kindly treated us to homemade, still warm pastry tarts. We climbed the steep hill to the charming town, topped by the castello with spectacular views, and meandered through the crooked streets, stopping to appreciate and photograph some of the lovely spots. In fact, we found out later that we took a picture of the flower festooned house right next door to the home of AMHS member Stephen DiGirolamo! Before leaving the area, we explored another interesting town in the area, Rivisondoli, best known as a ski resort but also a pleasant place to visit in the summer, with views of the mountains and a number of pretty churches. By this time in the trip, my motto had become, “There’s always another church to see and admire!” Closer to familiar ground, we checked into the Castel di Septe Hotel, a restored castle surrounded by the countryside of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo vineyards and olive groves, just outside the town of Mozzagrogna. Close to Lanciano, this fairy tale like refuge, with lovely gardens complete with swans gliding in a pond, served as a good base from which to visit that city. In walking around the area near the castello, Joe stopped to chat with some local farmers, who had something to say about the restoration of the castle. Apparently, the owner added a prohibited third floor to the building; despite this violation, he suffered no consequences and was allowed to continue construction! In typical Italian fashion, he took a chance and got away with it, much to the disgust of the locals. They were also unhappy with the increased traffic and the loud music that came from various festivities held at the site. On the other hand, the hotel and conference space provided space for local businesses and industries, many of which have international connections, to host expos and meetings for clients and colleagues. During our stay, the Castel di Septe was the setting for a wedding reception and for a First Communion party, and we witnessed the wedding photographer taking pictures of the newlyweds with a drone as they kissed atop one of the turrets. The hotel restaurant was being utilized for the receptions, so we went into Mozzagrogna for pranzo that day. We enjoyed another typical local meal, this time including raffiche, a pasta similar to cavatelli, but without the ridges. There were few others in the restaurant; several tables were watching the World Cup soccer game, and another was commemorating the birthday of the family matriarch. As Joe and I finished our meal, the tifosi had left; only we and the celebrating family remained. When the waiter arrived to serve birthday cake and spumante, he led a rousing rendition of “Tanti Auguri!” Of course, we joined in. I witnessed a woman, most likely the daughter of the birthday celebrant, whisper something to the waiter. He then served us cake and bubbly, as well, and the family came to our table to talk to us! Where else but in Italy— or, more specifically, in Abruzzo--would this happen? The people truly live up to their motto, “forte e gentile.” The next day, we toured Lanciano, another marvel of wellpreserved churches and old buildings, including the Basilica della Madonna del Ponte and the pilgrimage Church of the Eucharistic Miracle. As we walked through the streets, some of which followed the cammino of the Apostle Thomas, we could smell the tantalizing aromas of the mid-day dinner being prepared in the kitchens of Lanciano. That made us very hungry, but where to eat? Asking hoteliers, merchants or citizens encountered on the street for their advice about places to dine served us well throughout the trip. In fact, the recommendation by a local of Ai Vecchi Sapori (“old flavors”), a restaurant known for its “cucina tipica,” was a great one. Pranzo was one of the highlights of our day: the food was fantastic, from the cannolo con asparagi to the coniglio in umido to the maiale in crosta con frutta di bosco. The meal was unhurried and relaxing, served in a cool, outdoor space, a treat after a long morning of sightseeing. My mouth waters now just thinking about it!
Next on our itinerary, which we were pretty much improvising as we went along, was a visit with Joe’s cousin, Don Domenico Scotti, the retired bishop of Trivento, a small diocese in Molise. He now lives in the family homestead in Villa Alfonsina, close to the coast. He and his sister, Malvina, who over the years worked with him as perpetua, or housekeeper, took us to pranzo at L’Aragosta in the beach resort of Casalbordino, where we feasted on seafood, some fried and some roasted, all delicious. We especially enjoyed rospo, a white fish which is a local specialty. Because our attempt to find a hotel in Casalbordino was unsuccessful, from there we decided to drive to Montazzoli, a day ahead of schedule. This was the only time during the entire month that we were unable to find a hotel at the last minute, but beach stays are in high demand in the summer months, so we shouldn’t have been surprised. Montazzoli was one of the few places where we made an advanced reservation because the hotel there, La Collinetta, is very small and we wanted to be sure of a roof over our heads. Joe always joked that we could stay in the garage that he inherited from his parents, but, with 10 its dirt floor and who knows what inhabitants, it was not a true option! To reach our destination, we traveled over some rather harrowing roads, both steep and poorly maintained. And we had thought the autostrada was tough! The GPS mistakenly led us down a country road with blackberry brambles that covered over the car. When the dirt road abruptly ended, we knew that we had made a mistake. I had to get out of the car and direct Joe to back down the hill so that we could locate the right route. But that experience made our arrival in Montazzoli all the more welcome to us. (The adventures will be continued in the next issue, with highlights of our visit to Montazzoli and to Pescara.)