To B&B or not to B&B – that is the question…

One of the best meals I’ve had recently was a long lunch at the restored house belonging to good friends near the village of San Vincenzo (PE).

San Vincenzo isn’t very big. But it is on the edge of Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga and is a great springboard for exploring the wilder side of Abruzzo.

They suggested we make for Civitella Casanova where A would meet us and we could then follow on to their house. I’m glad he made that suggestion as although getting to San Vincenzo would have been easy enough, their house is tucked away and would have been a little tricky to find.

“Oh you’d have been alright,” they said. “They all know us around here and you’d have got directions easy enough.”

Later that day as we sat outside enjoying one of the hottest May days so far I realised how much a part of the community they’d become. Anyone who passed, and most passed on a tractor, waved and said “Ciao” and wanted a chat. That was usually followed by a tale of how their neighbour helped them clear a field, or find the right materials for some restoration or just dropped by and shared some bread and wine. I love that sense of community.

Sitting outside watching the buzzards circle and the lizards scurry we had a fantastic lunch made from the produce of their vegetable plot. There are plenty of beans in season and that suits me as I really love them straight from the pod with bread and oil. It sounds simple but it tastes fantastic. A mixed salad with juicy tomatoes was followed by one of the best frittatas I’ve ever tasted, well done S!

After an initial celebratory glass of prosecco we moved on to beer from the Almond 22 brewery in Spoltore. We went for their Irie which is a very refreshing wheat beer and when that ran out we compared it with Peroni. Sometimes life is hard.

They’ve done a superb job restoring their house and have managed to modernise it and retain its character beautifully.

As we were outside watching the world go by at an even slower pace than usual they told us that they’d toyed with the idea of running a B&B.

I thought it was a great idea.

I think their house is in a fantastic location and looks great. They have a potential guest area that is part of the main building yet naturally separate from their living space. And the views are stunning.

I could see the more adventurous Abruzzo explorer using it as a perfect base to enjoy the Gran Sasso and Majella. I could also see those looking for a quieter more secluded break being able to use it to rejuvenate a weary spirit.

They haven’t made their mind up yet. They’re not sure if running a B&B is what they want to do. Sometimes when you’re relaxed in good company you start looking at the next positive thing you want to do with your life. Starting a B&B may not be earth shattering, but it is a big step. They’d be sharing something that they’ve worked very hard to create  over the last three years.

I think it’s a great idea, but I suppose I’m not going to be doing the work so I can be romantic about it.

I’ll let you know what they decide. You never know, it could be your perfect getaway.

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