I’ve visited Abruzzo twice in January. Once I was there to ring in the New Year and the other occasion I had a last minute chance opportunity to visit, so I took it. What else could I do?

When I was there the first time in January the snow was heavy on the mountains, the sunrises and sunsets where wonderful and the night sky was simply spectacular. I expect looking SW around 22:00 tonight Orion, Gemini and Canis Major will be in full view. I admit I’ve sipped Liquore di Genziana while boring anybody who’d listen about how to find other stars by looking at Orion. Don’t get me started!

That’s certainly one of the things I love about the smaller towns in Abruzzo. After the sun goes down you can find spots away from the houses and street lights and stare at the heavens. Inspiring! Of course there’s no shortage of places in the world where you can contemplate the stars, but you won’t be sipping Genziana while you do it.

When I think of Abruzzo in January it isn’t the clear skies that I think of first, it isn’t the winter sun that can cast long shadows and offer great photo opportunities, and it isn’t the almost imperceptible feeling that there’s a bit of a stretch in the evenings. (The days are getting longer, honest.)

No, when I think of Abruzzo in January I think of wandering around villages catching the smell of wood smoke gently spilling out from chimneys.

I love that smell. I’d wrap up warm, with a coat, scarf, gloves and probably a very silly looking hat and walk around the old town taking in the scent of smoke from warming fires. It’s uplifting. I think the smell is more intense on calm January days because the wind doesn’t grab it and take it away.  On calm days the air seems to hang heavy and the wood smoke seems to pour down the tiled rooftops like treacle. I bet today is one of those days.

Bare trees, heavy jackets, bright winter sun, crystal clear skies all spell winter. Sometimes those clear skies and the low winter sun can be replaced by grey clouds with rolling fog or mist – grey, on grey, on grey. The damp and the cold together, making it very tempting to stay indoors and forget about the outside world.   But with all of this there is also that smell, that fragrance, that sweet odour that seems to wrap you and the old town up in a warm blanket. That January feeling – hard to capture in a photograph.

Post from: About Abruzzo

That January Feeling in Abruzzo

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The start of a new year often invites change. There’s a feeling of out with the old and in with the new. Resolutions compete with each other and fight for survival during the first few weeks of January and a resolution that lives on to February is a rare thing indeed.

I took the photo above in a bar in Campli (TE). I was trying to capture the subdued yet cosy nature of the interior while also showing the “ghosts” that regularly visit for refreshment and conversation.

I took the original with my Canon 400D, f/8 and an exposure time of 3.2 seconds.

This image is likely to be the last photo I’ll take in Abruzzo with that camera.

It’s the end of an era.

I’ve had it for 5 years but in a fit of enthusiasm and an eye for a bargain I’ve bought myself a newer model, a Canon 600D (or Rebel T3i if you’re US based). The new kid on the block has bells, whistles and no shortage of thingamajigs to assist me in taking the photo I can see with my eyes and hope to faithfully reproduce in a photograph.

There’ll be a period of transition of course. A time when the 600D will cause frustration and I’ll rue the day I made the switch; but I’m confident I’ll get to grips with it and before long it will become a good friend.

This blog has around 1,200 photos scattered through it and at least 90% of them were taken with the 400D. That’s only a drop in the ocean of all the images it’s helped me create, some of which have won prizes!

To pay appropriate homage I’ve modified the first verse of My Beloved Monster, a song by Eels, to give you this

My beloved camera and me
We went everywhere together
Capturing Abruzzo’s mountains and seas
As we embraced all kinds of weather

A bit silly I know but if you want to hear the original by Mark Everett (Eels) play the clip below.

Sometime in February I’m going to put my trusty Canon 400D up for sale. The package will include the camera along with quite a few extra goodies I’ve picked up that are not compatible with the new model. If you are interest drop me a note (I won’t publish as a comment) and when I’m ready I’ll let you know what the entire package contains and what I’m looking for. It’s a great camera and would suit anybody wanting to exercise their creativity. I won’t be selling it directly though this site.

That’s it, out with the old and in with the new!

Enjoy the song. I do like Eels.

Post from: About Abruzzo

The Last Picture Show

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LACERBA publishes 8 editions a year and covers all things political, cultural and sport related in the Vestina area of Abruzzo. Vestina (the lands of the ancient Vestini tribe) takes in Penne, Loreto Aprutino, Pianella, Collecorvino and Civitella Casanova.

If you’re interested in reading the article you can find it on page 14 of edition number 7, 2011 entitled C’E UNA LORETO ANCHE A DUBLINO.

So how did this happen?

Earlier this year, Gianfranco Bucella of LACERBA asked me if I would be interested in writing something for their magazine. I was delighted to have been asked and immediately said yes. He said he was hoping that I could give an outsiders view on Abruzzo and Loreto Aprutino perhaps covering what I liked, what drew us to the region and also covering the differences between life in Ireland and life in Abruzzo. He was particularly clear that he also wanted me to highlight the things I don’t like about Abruzzo and would love to see change.

This seemed like a lot of writing and considering the article was going to be no more than 1,000 words I figured I couldn’t possibly cover everything asked for.

And did I mention it had to be in Italian!

I’ve been working on my Italian informally for a few years now and this year I realised that I had to go back to school. This has proved to be a great decision and I’ve noticed my ability to understand and be understood has become a lot better. But to write 1,000 words in Italian that is going to be read by other Italians – that was a bit scary.

I needed a plan, not much of a plan, but a plan all the same.

I decided I’d write an article about what attracted us to Abruzzo and the advice I’d give to somebody who wanted to fit in and become part of the community. My approach was influenced by the thought that I’d probably have better chance of being asked to write more pieces if I leave any strong criticisms out of my first effort.

The next thing I did was a bit of a cheat. I used Google Translate to help with the Italian. I know Google Translate doesn’t give perfect translations but I found that with my knowledge of Italian, however limited, and some restructuring of the original English (making sure I didn’t drop any use of the word “that” and using unambiguous word ordering) I had a piece that captured the sense of what I wanted to say.

Finally a translator from LACERBA stepped in and tidied up my Italian based on the Italian and English I provided.

It was a good bit of work for 1,000 words but it was worth it.

To appear in print, to write in Italian – and today I received an email asking for more articles!

I’m thrilled to bits.

Below is the English version (without the restructuring) of the piece I wrote. I hope you like it.

If you fancy seeing how good and how not so good Google Translate is, copy the Italian version from LACERBA and see the result. I think he overall theme holds up but some of the detail is lost.

How would I describe Loreto Aprutino?

What would I say to somebody who arrives for the first time?

I started thinking about these questions a few days ago because I received a surprise telephone call from Loreto. It was from John (English), who like us (Irish), tries to spend as much time as possible in Abruzzo. He said that he had met a couple (American) who have bought a house in Loreto Aprutino and that they were readers of my blog About Abruzzo (http://aboutabruzzo.com/).

I was delighted to hear from John and also to learn that not only has somebody new been reading what I write about Abruzzo but also that they liked what they read so much they decided to explore the region in more detail and decided to buy a place in Loreto Aprutino.

Then I started to think about what brought Paula and me to Loreto, how thrilled we are every time we return, how wonderful it is to be able to walk to Piazza Garibaldi and on the way meet friends who seem pleased to see us back and greet us with a kiss, a hug and all the latest news.

Abruzzo has a lot to offer so it’s difficult to pick one thing above another. I could talk about the mountains, the sea, the food, and the weather – all important ingredients that make Abruzzo wonderful.  But if I had to select the best thing about Abruzzo and Loreto Aprutino in particular then I’d have to choose the people. I like to think in some small way my attitude to life has been influenced by the Loretese for the better. That’s something precious I try not to lose during the months I’m away.

So the best advice I could give to anybody arriving in Loreto is that they get to know the people who live here. Without connecting with the Loretese you will never be able to experience the best facet of the town.

You don’t have to do much to make this happen. You have the advantage of being in Loreto Aprutino, a town where people’s natural openness and curiosity will ensure that if you are willing to make a small effort, you’ll receive a warm welcome.

But you do have to make a little effort.

First learn some Italian. Being fluent would be fantastic but if you are like me you’ll always be struggling trying to improve your command of the language. That’s OK. The most important thing is to try it, work at it a little; there are plenty of extra teachers available to you in the bars, the shops and the square – all free of charge and all willing to help!

When we first arrived in Loreto we didn’t really know anybody. Soon we recognised a few faces and we said “hello” but we didn’t have many meaningful conversations. Once we could put together a few sentences and lost some of our inhibitions a strange thing happened – we started talking in Italian. Once we could have good dialogues we found we were getting to know people better. People were patient and helped us when we had difficulties saying what we wanted to say. They started telling us about places to visit, festivals to look out for, wine to try, food to eat… the list is endless. Yes we certainly made an effort, but it couldn’t possibly have worked out as well as it did if the Loretese were not patient and encouraging.

The second piece of advice I’d give is simple, be open. You’re in a town where everybody (certainly everybody I’ve met) is friendly and curious and if you are willing to invest the time telling people who you are, where you’re from and why you’re in Loreto, before you know it you’ll be sharing jokes and coffee with new friends.

It wasn’t very long after I first arrived in Loreto that I quickly made friends with people who have an interest in photography like I do.  Soon after that I was invited by Lino to a beautiful small church that was being restored and I had the opportunity to take some great photographs there. A few days later Rita kindly gave Paula a lesson in how to make really good pasta. And just a few months ago as I was getting ready to head back to Dublin I was spotted in the square by Gianfranco and brought to a spectacular field of sunflowers and a chance to take some more super photographs. These opportunities only came our way because of the generosity of friends who had become aware of our interests.

The third piece of advice is you should learn the language of food. I think almost half of the conversations I’ve had in Loreto have been about food. In Ireland we talk about the weather quite a lot but I don’t think I’ve ever been to a town where lunch and dinner were such a major event. What are you having for lunch? Have you tried bread, with oil and salt? Oil from Loreto of course! You must try arrosticini? Do you like pasta – have you had chitarra, mugnaia? You must try bucatini alla trescatora.

If you can speak a little Italian, if you are ready to make friends and if you embrace the passion for food, I think you’ll be much closer to connecting with the people of Loreto.

Sometimes when I’m sitting outside a bar having a coffee I just listen to the voices around me. Usually I hear Italian, maybe a little French, now and then some English and perhaps some German. Loreto attracts people from all over Europe, The United States, Canada and as far away as Australia. It’s a true cosmopolitan town. It acts like a magnet pulling people towards it and giving them the chance to experience something special.

For those stranieri willing to make an effort, Loreto is very special indeed.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Stop The Press – I’ve Been Published in Italian!

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Perhaps I was waiting until I had the perfect post title.

It’s just a little over an hour from my Loreto Aprutino base using the motorway, not much more than an hour and a half if I take the SS16 Adriatica, and if I want to make it nice relaxing multi-stop journey I can visit Pineto, Roseto degli Abruzzi and/or Giulianova en-route.

How long did the journey to Teramo take me? Well there’s an argument that the trip took 4 years!

After I found Abruzzo, or Abruzzo found me, I visited Pescara, Chieti and L’Aquila pretty promptly. Pescara was easy. In fact I explored Pescara before I even saw Loreto Aprutino. Chieti was the next obvious choice, less than an hour away and rich with history. Then came L’Aquila. We stayed a night in there in 2008 and loved every minute– what a beautiful city, what a tragedy it’s had to endure.

But Teramo escaped. So many other Abruzzo destinations received our attention but not the last of the four provincial capitals.

So let me get one thing clear – Teramo is stunning and I can’t wait to visit again.

For some reason I had the impression it was very industrial. Maybe there’s more industry there than anywhere else in Abruzzo but the city itself is beautiful. I really can’t explain why I had such a strong impression that has absolutely no foundation.

Teramo, I apologise for thinking badly of you!

We arrived on a late October day and the sun greeted us warmly. Its presence was a bit of a surprise as for most of that week Abruzzo was covered in a thick grey blanket of mist and cloud. But almost as if Teramo was welcoming us blue started appearing in the sky and then the sun arrived.

The history of Teramo and its ancient Praetutii population stretches back quite a few centuries. Close to 300BC the Praetutii and several other nearby tribes where in bloody disagreement with the Romans and gave rise to the Third Samnite War (298 to 290 BC). The remains of a Roman Amphitheatre and Theatre, though not from 300BC, bring your imagination back to that ancient period.

Other sights include the Cathedral of San Berardo, the church of Madonna delle Grazie located outside the walls, a tonne of other churches (I’m not joking Teramo is filled with them), and my personal favourite, the wide open space of Piazza Martiri della Libertà.

So what did we get up to? Well as you can see from the photos we wandered around the city, visited a few churches (had to be done), saw the old walls and ancient Roman monuments and sat and watched the world go by while sipping a prosecco in Piazza Martiri della Libertà.

It was an absolute joy to be sitting in a piazza that was big, open, populated by pedestrians and cyclists and full of interesting buildings. Throw in the sun and a blue sky and it felt like paradise.

Teramo is a city I’d like to get to know better. I hope to get the opportunity to spend the night there, explore the city in greater depth and sample the night life. Maybe find the perfect restaurant and splash out on a really good bottle of wine from the nearby hills. I can’t wait.

I asked P how she felt about Teramo and she immediately described an encounter she had with woman on steps of Il Duomo di San Berardo (Cathedral of San Berardo). P asked for directions and after giving them enthusiastically the woman welcomed P to Teramo and spent time chatting away, talking about the city and asking all about us, our backgrounds and where we were from. She had a natural openness and curiosity that I associate with Abruzzo in general and I now associate with Teramo specifically.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Two Tardy Travellers Take a Trip to Teramo

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I was thrilled.

Life In Abruzzo is excellent and I’ve been following it for years. Many of the places I’ve visited have been as a result of articles by Sammy.

They started the “A Few of My Favourite Things” series off with A Few of My Favourite Abruzzo Things – Sergio Pomante and it was great for me to read about the experiences of Sergio, who lives in an area of Abruzzo I’m yet familiar with.

Sammy sent me the questions and I started writing, and writing, and writing.

To say P was a great help is an understatement – she ensured I stayed on track and didn’t waffle too much.

You can read an extract below, and the full article with pictures on Life in Abruzzo here -  A Few of My Favourite Abruzzo Things – Noel McCarthy.

What’s your association with Abruzzo? i.e. where do you live and why? Where did your family come from and when/ where did they emigrate to?

I’m Irish, from Dublin and I’ve no family at all in Abruzzo or indeed Italy. For me, up until a few years ago, the only knowledge I had about Abruzzo was due to reading The Miracle of Castel di Sangro by Joe McGinniss and honestly, I was paying more attention to the football story than the location. But whilst the Celtic Tiger roared, Ireland started to attract people from many countries, including Italy, and in the last couple of years I’ve met many people from Abruzzo who are living and working in Dublin.

After a walking trip in the Dolomites we decided to see if there was a possibility of a place for us in Italy. My wife did the research and suggested Abruzzo. It was an excellent suggestion. We haven’t looked back since we first visited in August 2007. Since then we’ve been going back as often as we possibly can. One of the best things we did was live there for 3 months which gave us the chance to make really good friends and helped ensure that we’ve  got strong ties to the local community.

What’s the best thing about Abruzzo?

I could talk about the people, the landscape, the food, and the weather – all important ingredients that make Abruzzo wonderful.  If you put me on the spot to select one ‘best thing about Abruzzo’ then I’d have to choose the people. They have and continue to be very welcoming. Their openness has been a great help and also an inspiration. I like to think in some small way they have influenced my attitudes for the better.

These are only the first two of about 20 questions Sammy asked me. Read the full interview, A Few of My Favourite Abruzzo Things – Noel McCarthy, on Life in Abruzzo.

Post from: About Abruzzo

A Couple of My Favourite Abruzzo Things…

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Want to see? Just follow this link.

Right now I’ve seven different T-shirt styles for sale. It’s been that way for a few months. I don’t consider 7 to be a magic number so I plan to add more over the next few weeks.

I also sell photographs.

Nora, a happy and very satisfied customer wrote of the Dancing Olive Trees

“The breathtakingly beautiful enlarged image of your olive trees arrived this morning! Photobox have a fast delivery service – just 2 working days. I was impressed with the excellent quality of the photo, the amazing detail it contains and the wonderful mix of light and shade. Thank you again for sharing your stunning pictures!”

then followed up with

“I’m extremely happy with the print and can’t wait to get it framed and see it hanging in the living-room. The picture is so sharp and clear, the colours are beautiful; you can almost feel the warmth of the sunlight coming through the branches.”

It’s a great feeling when something you’ve created brings joy to others.

With all of these little projects going on along with the day job and home life, I need a place to jot down ideas. I’m no Luddite – I have a smartphone and I also use Evernote, but nothing beats pen and paper for scribbles.

So I’ve created this – an Abruzzo themed 80 page notebook that will (along with my camera) be my constant companion.

Abruzzo Notes by aboutabruzzo.com | Make Your Own Book

If the notebook doesn’t display just follow this link to see it.

What do you think?

It may not have been used by the big names that have poured their thoughts into a Moleskine (Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway and Bruce Chatwin) but I bet they’d have considered an Abruzzo notebook if it was available!

I’m sure it’s only a short time before I read something like “My first book of poetry – what inspired me? That’s easy, travelling around Abruzzo during the onset of autumn with my trusty aboutabruzzo.com notebook.”

I can dream. Why not?

The 80 page notebook has 13 pages of photographs to remind you of Abruzzo and hopefully inspire you. My friends don’t know it yet but I think I’ve indentified a cool gift idea!

The field of sunflowers on the front and back covers is a personal favourite of mine and it was taken not far from Loreto Aprutino.

If you’d like one (or two or three…) they are available on Blurb. I’m taking the same approach as I do with the T-shirts (Zazzle) and the photographs (Photobox) by using a company that will handle all the ordering,payment and shipping and produces excellent quality products. They’re based in the US and my order of a few notebooks took a little over a week to get to me in Ireland. Not bad going.

I plan to make a few more and I’d really love your help. I’ve been writing this blog for nearly 3 years and I’ve great fun doing it. Writing about Abruzzo, discovering new places and reacquainting myself with the familiar has been and still is an inspiring experience. During that time I’ve posted many photographs of my travels. If you see a photo I’ve taken on any post, or in the Photo Album, that you think should be available as a print, as a page on a notebook or displayed proudly on a T-shirt, please let me know.

I’d love to hear what your favourites are.

Post from: About Abruzzo

An Abruzzo Notebook – Perfect For All Your Thoughts and Inspirations.

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How I learned to turn the other cheek

Abscess makes the heart grow fonder

If you spend a lot of time in another country it’s not unusual to find you have to visit a doctor and/or a hospital.

Since I spend a lot of time in Abruzzo (I’d really love to spend more) I wasn’t surprised when in July I found that I had to make a trip to the local GP.

In the spirit of full disclosure, and to make sense of the alternative post titles, I was suffering from an abscess on my bum.

It was a bit hard to see, but it was tender, inflamed and sore. Sitting down was a problem, but an under-inflated (a bit softer that way) rubber ring became my new best friend.

It came on quickly and thinking that I was going to the doctor in good time I hoped antibiotics would be my saviour.

But the doctor, very sympathetically, told me he could do nothing and I’d have to have it lanced at a hospital.

Now this is where I draw the line at full disclosure. I’m not going into too many gory details about injections, lancing and dressing. I’m just going to give you the bottom line!

Abscesses are painful. Well I found this one painful. I had a week left in Abruzzo on this particular trip and I had to cancel a couple of arrangements (sorry J & K) because I just didn’t feel up to it. I know we’re not talking about a life threatening condition here, but I wasn’t firing on all cylinders.

What was my experience and opinion of the Italian medical system?

I have absolutely no complaints. OK let’s put that another way – I thought I was treated far better than I might have expected from a country that isn’t the richest (monetarily) in Europe.

I had to wait a bit to see the local doctor who had a ticketed queuing system in place that worked. Once I saw him he was very patient as I attempted to repeat back to him his assessment in my best Italian. Being able to speak some Italian was a great help and it ensured I was clear on my next step.

For hospitals I had a choice between Penne and Pescara. Pescara is bigger and I believe more modern but I decided on Penne and that worked out well.

Within two hours of having left Loreto Aprutino I was back again. In that time I’d been assessed in A&E, brought to a surgical wing, had the abscess dealt with (no details needed) and was back home.

If you are not familiar with abscesses (and I hope you never are) they often require regular dressing to keep them clean as they heal from the inside out.

That meant that I had to make two more trips to Penne Hospital for fresh dressing and while there I discovered the hospital building has great views of the Penne countryside and the Gran Sasso.

With a trip to the doctor, three trips to Penne Hospital and a little lancing I was surprised to find the only thing I had to pay for was my prescriptions at the pharmacy. At the doctors and the hospital I presented my European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and although notes and ID numbers were jotted down, it seemed as though they were going through the motions and made it clear that there would no charge.

When I got home I had to continue visits to my local (Dublin) GP and they were certainly not free.

I’m back on my feet now, everything’s cleared up – a tale with a happy end, perhaps?!

Post from: About Abruzzo

Medical Matters – They’ll Get You in the End!

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I’m certainly no fan of zanzare (mosquitoes) although it appears they are a fan of me. But while travelling companions are off looking at castles and churches in the Abruzzo countryside I’ve been known to stay outside and see if I can capture an insect or two.

I don’t really have the camera equipment to do it properly. I’d love to capture them in flight and still their beating wings in an image but not having the skill I wait until they are resting or moving slowly on a wild flower.

Abruzzo is full of stunning scenery, magnificent churches and fantastic castles – not to mention the beautiful towns and villages, but it is also teeming with life.

I often feel that you just have to drop a seed anywhere in Abruzzo and it will grow. You can hardly go down a country lane without seeing tomatoes, olives and vines. Throw in vegetables and fruit trees just waiting to be picked and you get the feeling that a small plot is all a family needs to provide for a year.

And with this magnificent growth come insects. All shapes, all colours, all types. I recognise a few that are similar to what we have in Ireland but most are bigger, more colourful and perhaps a little scarier.

While walking around the paths near Roccascalegna (CH) I took these photos.

They may not win any prizes for insect photography but they give you an idea of what you might find if you step a little off the well trodden path.

Wasps, butterflies, beetles and a whole host of buzzing things that I couldn’t possibly name were practically posing for me of the top of wild flowers. Just as well, as otherwise I’d have had a lot more blurry shots.

Behind one of the wasp photos (the third photo) is a grey, almost regular shaped structure, taking up most of the background – that’s the castle at Roccascalegna. I’ll focus in on that on another day.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Abruzzo’s Smaller Majority

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We’d been in Abruzzo for three weeks and we had just had had coffee with some dear friends at the local bar.

It wasn’t rushed. Five of us, sitting at a table, each having a single cup of coffee, comfortable in each other’s company, chatting about this and that, for over an hour. I almost felt Italian.

It was our last full day.

We had many adventures in Abruzzo this time, some unexpected, but all pretty good in hindsight.

I thought we were about to go back to start cleaning up, before going out to dinner that evening – we never like to cook on our last night.

On our way back from the bank we met Gianfranco. He’d come into town on his motorbike and on seeing us said that he’d seen a field of sunflowers and thought of me and my camera. After a quick chat I went to get my camera and he went to get his car to give us a lift to a field in the Contrada da Fiorano, a district of Loreto Aprutino, not far from the restaurant Il Casolare (a favourite of mine).

When we got there, I looked down the hill and I saw a field that looked as though it was full of rapeseed. I’d passed this way many times over the last few weeks and each time I admired the distant vibrant colour but didn’t realise what was causing it.

We headed down the hill to Residenza di Campagna Fiorano, and Barbara and Alfredo very kindly allowed me to take photos of the sunflowers (girasoli) from the grounds of their guest house.

Apart from pictures in books I had never seen so many sunflowers in one place. Harvested for seeds and oil, they looked like a golden sea shimmering in the sun.

I know he wrote about daffodils, but I was immediately reminded of a poem I learned in school by Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

After taking all the photos I wanted we got chatting to Barbara and Alfredo. Over a much appreciated beer (it was a hot day) they told us that the guest house, complete with swimming pool has been open for about a year.

Barbara speaks really good English, and although Alfredo was more comfortable speaking Italian it was clear they both have a passion for helping others enjoy the best of Abruzzo.

They gave us a tour and were happy to allow us to relax in the grounds until it was time for us to go.

(Somewhere in the back of our minds the word “cleaning” was trying to get our attention.)

With a swimming pool, a tennis court and the possibility of trekking by foot or on horseback I think the Residenza di Campagna Fiorano is well worth considering if you want to stay near, but away, from the towns of Loreto Aprutino and Penne. That pool looked really inviting on this hot June day.

Everything comes to an end and after we said our goodbyes Gianfranco brought us back to Loreto so we could have lunch and then start the process of getting ready to travel home.

The next day, as we were travelling by train to Fiumicino from Roma Tiburtina, along the stretch between Ponte Galeria – Fiera Di Roma- Parco Leonardo (I can’t remember exactly where) we saw even bigger fields of sunflowers. No pictures this time. My camera was packed away and it would have been hard to get a good shot though the smudged window of a moving train.

But for those of you who don’t make it to Abruzzo, as you’re making your final trip before flying out of Italy, look out for the sunflowers, probably the happiest flower you can find.

Post from: About Abruzzo

A Perfect Getaway in a Sea of Sunflowers

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Perhaps you don’t do any of that. Maybe you never plan. I’m envious, but I don’t think I could live that way.

I’m a planner who tries to be open to plans changing. P tends to go with the flow. It’s a good mix.

At some point in a day we usually ask ourselves what has to happen tomorrow and what we’d like to see happening. The “what has to happen” part of the list is often there to facilitate me as P is more likely to “play it by ear”.

Yesterday we got an invitation to travel to Bominaco and although we’d both love to have gone there was just some stuff that had to happen. We’ve got visitors coming and the place could do with a bit of a cleaning.

We’ve been to Bominaco before and would have loved to have made the trip again but we felt we just couldn’t do it yesterday.

It’s funny how I didn’t see all the areas that needed attention until P, very patiently, pointed them out to me. Filtered vision on my part I guess.

As it turned out yesterday was a bit of a mad day. It started off with a visit to the local market, buying some plants, a mop and a bucket, with a view to making the house a bit more homely and maybe washing some parts I hadn’t reached before.

People in the town were in good form, many admiring a quad that is first prize in a raffle to be held this Monday as part of the San Zopito festival weekend. I’ve my eye on the netbook as the 42 inch TV and the kick-ass iron don’t really do it for me.

My contribution to the cleaning involved a lot of ironing and vacuuming. I hate ironing, but find vacuuming can be an almost Zen-like activity.

However, we have the loudest vacuum cleaner in the universe which is the only reason I can think of that explains why I didn’t hear the rain starting and the thunder rumbling overhead. P got me to stop sucking up spiders and watch the bucket loads of rain fall.

This is June, this is Italy, and this is rain.

First it was heavy rain, then it was hail. Big thumb-size hailstones started hammering against tress, walls and pavements. The narrow streets became torrents. This is June, well into summer, and winter popped over for a brief visit!

A quick change of plan, hoover unplugged, camera at the ready – this had to be recorded.

Within the space of an hour streets that had been swept clean the day before in preparation for the upcoming Festa, were covered in leaves and branches that had fallen from the battered trees.

A blanket of white, six months out of synch, covered the ground.

Another hour and it was all gone. The hail melted, the temperature started to climb back up, and the bars were ready for the sun.

I put my camera away and got on with the cleaning.

You gotta go with the flow.

Post from: About Abruzzo

All Hail Domestic Bliss or Going with the Flow

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