3 Random Photos

zaccagnini Santo Stefano di Sessanio 9 Santo Stefano di Sessanio 14

Setting the Record Straight About Abruzzo

This isn’t the post I planned to write.

This post was born out of slowly greeting the day, reading The Irish Times, eating a fruit scone and drinking coffee in my local café.

The article I read in the paper that changed my plan described 100 Great Breaks Away divided in to ten themes.

It covered the following areas:

  • City Breaks
  • Solo Breaks
  • Walking
  • Golf
  • No Limit Budget
  • Culture
  • Kids Holidays
  • Festivals
  • Foodie Getaways
  • Retreats

That’s quite a range and although only ten suggestions appeared under each heading, quite a lot of ground was covered.

Italy appeared several times, Tuscany of course (Florence, San Gimignano, Cortona, Azzano), Liguria (Cinque Terre), Lazio (Casperia), Piedmont (Turin, Alba) and Lake Garda.

As I read the article I wondered if there’d be any mention of Abruzzo – there wasn’t. Once again this region I have grown to love has slipped under the radar of main stream travel writing. I wasn’t really surprised. In fact I was quietly pleased.

You see one of the things that initially attracted me to Abruzzo was the fact that once I mentioned the word Abruzzo to friends they would say “what, where, never heard of it”.

I have the usual dilemma of anyone who loves a place or region – I want to tell everybody about it, yet I don’t want it overrun. However since Abruzzo wasn’t mentioned once in the travel article I feel the need to redress the balance.

Let’s look at a few of the categories above and see if Abruzzo would fit the bill.

Solo breaks

Apart from just travelling and discovering new friends and new places on your own you could consider the relaxing activities offered by Italy Sweet Italy which include cooking, painting and pottery.

Are you a blogger? Would you like to contribute to good causes?  Interested in Social Media? Then how about the Hands on L’Aquila a blogging conference that covers so much more that just writing and takes place in the stunningly beautiful town of Santo Stefano di Sessanio with Campo Imperatore as its backdrop.

Walking and Adventure

For the more active among you consider walking, cycling, canoeing and rock climbing with Kokopelli Camping. You can read all about their adventures on their blog Kokopelli Abruzzo.

Absolutely Abruzzo Tours will be happy to take you walking along the ancient shepherd tracks of the traditional transhumanza.

Festivals

Abruzzo has its fair share of music festivals that range from traditional music, jazz and marching bands.

But I’m talking about local festivals whose purpose is gather the communities together in preparation and celebration. Often these festivals are associated with saints or key historical events.

A favourite of mine is the festival of San Zopito in Loreto Aprutino. But you’d do well to consider the snake charmers of Cocullo, the festival of the dolls (Palio delle Pupe) at Cappelle sul Tavo and jousting in Sulmona.

Practically every town has at least one significant festival during the summer months, you just have pick and choose.

History and Culture

With striking hill-top castles, roman artefacts, impossibly beautiful churches with mosaics and frescoes, Abruzzo is a treat for the culture vulture. Bominaco, Rocca Calascio, Capestrano are only a few of the places where you get suddenly transported back to the past. The many hermitages cut into the mountains are simply awe inspiring.

If you travel to Sulmona there’s no avoiding Ovid – yes that Ovid!

This is a land that was traversed by the Romans, by the Longobards (Lombards), the Normans, the Franks, the Swabians, the Angevins, the Aragons and of course the Vestini.

These peoples and tribes have left their imprint on a land that is rich in history.

Inspiring Scenery

For this I’ll just let you observe…

 

More…

If I went into more details that I have above I’d be writing for a week. If you want to learn more about Abruzzo then of course I encourage you to continue reading this blog’s past posts, take a look at the photographs in my Photo Album and also look at other great sources of information available from other blogs and sites.

Most of the sites I like I’ve listed on my Really Good Sites page and those infrequent articles I’ve spotted about Abruzzo that appear in print I’ve listed on my Abruzzo in the News page.

There are plenty of official tourist sites also.

On a final note, today’s edition of the Irish Times did have one reference to Abruzzo. In an article entitled From God to Mammon it lists several Italian churches that have been deconsecrated and reinvented into banks, wine shops, motor repair garages and nightclubs. The Abruzzo reference is to the 17th century San Filippo Neri church in L’Aquila which became Theatre San Filippo but has been designated unsafe to use since the earthquake of 2009.

There are many people and structures still affected by the tragedy of the 2009 earthquake. That is why I believe activities like the Hands on L’Aquila a blogging conference, which aim to work closely with local communities, are so important.

Records Broken at Ciampino Airport

It was our first time. The landing was a little rocky but ahead of schedule. The plane was due to head back to Dublin shortly so there was no unnecessary delay getting us off and on our way.

I think only 40 minutes elapsed from when we touched down to when we were on the road in our hired car. Since that includes the passing through Passport Control, Customs and having the obligatory cup of coffee I think that’s good going. Yes we only had cabin baggage and that makes a difference but 40 minutes from plane to car – that was a serious record breaker.

It was our first time using Ciampino and I can guarantee that it won’t be the last.

Travelling from Dublin we don’t have the luxury of a direct flight to Pescara. After trying Dublin – London – Pescara, Dublin – Frankfurt Hahn – Pescara and even Dublin – Bologna followed by a train to Pescara, we prefer Dublin – Rome and then a pullman or a hired car to our final destination.

Usually we use Fiumicino but this time based on a significant saving with Ryanair we picked Ciampino.

Here’s a tip when travelling with Ryanair – read the conditions, accept them and follow them. Make sure your bag dimensions and weight comply, and live with the fact that you’re not likely to be perfectly comfortable for the entire journey. Try to be Zen-like and keep your head while all around you…

Ciampino is a smaller and far more compact airport than Fiumicino. It doesn’t cater for the same number of flights, it doesn’t have as many weary travellers passing through and it doesn’t have the same facilities – but because of this after landing you get out quicker and that is usually the most important goal on arrival.

Let’s talk about my destination. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred I head east to Abruzzo. Because I start from Ciampino I’m already 30 minutes ahead than if I started from Fiumicino.

Add the two savings together and you are at least an hour ahead.

I admit that only having cabin baggage helps and if you had checked-in luggage and had to wait at the carousel these numbers would alter, but surely they’d be affected the same way no matter what airport you used.

I’m a convert to Ciampino and I think the only thing that would pull me back to Fiumicino would be a significant difference in flight coasts or availability.

I’ve talked about arriving, but what about departure?

Since we were likely to hit the Rome Grande Raccordo Anulare (GRA) traffic around 8am to 9am on a weekday we decided to give ourselves plenty of time to get to Ciampino. Once we joined the GRA I think we only had to stay on it for 12 km.  Traffic can slow up anywhere but my experience of the journey from Abruzzo to Fiumicino is that the GRA with its many entry and exit points is the main culprit. Considering you are on it for 30km going to Fiumicino and 12km to Ciampino which would you prefer?

As I wrote earlier Ciampino doesn’t have a lot of facilities. It looked to me that there was only one bar/café in the departures area (before going through security) and it was mobbed. If you have a long wait it did not seem to be a relaxing place to spend time. We went outside and sat for half an hour and then we had an inspired idea.

Your reward for reading this post almost to the end is a tip – if you have to wait a while for your flight from Ciampino walk around to the arrivals area and get your coffee there. It’s a small bar with limited options but apart from the regular wave of the newly arrived, it’s ideal.

Finally as I passed through Passport Control at the B gates I could see a monument though the lounge window. The inscription reminded me of something I had read about but had forgotten.  Ciampino and Abruzzo have an important aviation connection. In October 1930, at Ciampino Nord military airport, the D’A.T. 3 helicopter, piloted by Major Marinello Nelli, designed by Corradino D’Ascanio (Popoli, Pescara February 1, 1891 — Pisa, August 6, 1981), rose 18 metres in the air, travelling a distance of over 1 km, flying for almost 9 minutes. In its day it broke three aviation records.

Retrato de Corradino d'Ascanio

Retrato de Corradino d'Ascanio (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Corradino D’Ascanio went on to join Piaggio and designed the Vespa, how cool is that?!

Jazz on a Summer’s Day

When the music changes, so does the dance.

~ African proverb

Saturday afternoon.

The sun is a little bit blinding through the window.

The room is filled with the sound of the tenor saxophone of Joe Lovano. I’m playing his 2006 release Streams of Expression.

Right now I’m enjoying Second Nature (Pt. IV), but I know I’m going to replay his take on some Miles Davis classics from Birth of the Cool.

We’re into blue notes, improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation and swing territory. We’re into Jazz.

I like Jazz. There, I’ve said it. Not many of my friends do. I’d happily go to a concert or gig on my own – there’s comradeship in the Jazz community.

I once made a special trip from Dublin to Toronto to see Sonny Rollins play at Massey Hall. It was an opportunity not to be missed.

I love the saxophone. But I need a hook. I can appreciate the technical skill required to deliver musical pyrotechnics but if my feet don’t tap and the melody is lost then I’m lost too

I can admire it, but I can’t love it.

For me there has to be a theme. It may not be revealed until the end, it may be hinted at and then hidden, but eventually it has to arrive – it gives direction.

Joe Lovano is blowing cool with Prelude/Moon Dreams and I love it.

Bill Frisell - Joe Lovano - Paul Motian Italia...

Bill Frisell - Joe Lovano - Paul Motian Italiano: Bill Frisell - Joe Lovano - Paul Motian in concerto a Roma (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But I’ve made myself a promise and I can’t stay with Joe.

It’s time for a little piano courtesy of Tony Pancella.

I have two of his albums, Different Like Two Drops of Water and Alter Ego – both bought in Gong on Via Palermo in Pescara. Never Late – gentle, comforting, it wraps you up the just the way your mind and body needs after a tough day.

But I can’t stop there; I’m on a journey – the guitar of Al di Meola beckons. I’m transported to Spain by Mediterranean Sundance on Friday Night in San Francisco, a classic album. Three guitarists, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía, give one of the most sublime concerts ever. Released in 1981, it’s years since I played it – what have I been doing?

Can I stay here? Can I get swept away by this genius? Just wait a while and see where we go.

No. There’s a theme, I have my own melody. I’ve a promise to keep. Although I linger for longer than I planned I must be on my way.

Are you still with me? Will you travel a little longer?

Ci bum ci bum bum
Du du du du du

We are now with the distinctive voice of Paolo Conte.

Paolo Conte in Berlin

Paolo Conte in Berlin (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A few years ago I came back to the office after lunch and our receptionist/office administrator was in a foul mood, possibly close to tears. Her boss was being a bit of a pig.

I’d been listening to Paolo Conte and knew that Via Con Me is a song that would cheer anybody up. I sent her a link and sure enough her mood lifted – her boss remained a pig.

Joe Lovano, Tony Pancella, Al Di Meola and Paolo Conte – is there a theme?

Is it Jazz? Yes and No.

It’s Pescara Jazz!

All these great artists any many more including Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Roberta Gambarini and Enrico Rava gather in July and early August for the 2012 International Festival of Jazz in Pescara, Abruzzo, Italy.

This is special.

Jazz washes away the dust of every day life.
~ Art Blakey