About a week ago we arrived in Pescara feeling a bit tired.
It was that mixed feeling of delight to be so close to our ultimate destination, having a moment to relax and gather ourselves after a bus journey from Fiumicino, but knowing we still had the best part of an hour to travel before we arrived in Loreto Aprutino.
Waiting time is tricky. At least it’s tricky for me. If it’s too long I sometimes feel the time is hanging heavy, if it’s too short there’s no time to truly regroup before the next stage.
If you consider that the our journey starts by leaving our house around 05:00, getting a plane at 07:00, arriving in Rome at 11:00-ish, taking a bus to Pescara at 13:00, arriving in Pescara around 16:30-ish, taking another bus at around 17:30 – it all adds up and can be a bit draining.
It’s absolutely worth it though.
Sometimes we’ve hired a car and avoided Pescara but no matter how we get there or no matter how thrilled I am to be back in Abruzzo I usually do feel a little worn out.
This time we made a little discovery. It had the effect of helping us to forget the fact that we weren’t quite there yet, and actually relax and enjoy the moment.
La Belle Epoque, about 5 minutes walk from the train/bus station at Corso Vittorio Emanuele Ii, 398 (leave the station and walk left in the direction of Montesilvano) turned out to be the perfect pit stop for this slightly weary traveller.
On entering we were immediately made welcome and after we settled and ordered two glasses of prosecco we sat back, relaxed and just chilled. Its closeness to the train and bus station, its restful decor, the damn fine prosecco and tasty snacks, all helped ensure we were in good spirits for the last leg of our journey.
Sitting there, chilling, I realised that I hadn’t written much about the city of Pescara. Abruzzo has so much to offer outside of the main cities that I tend not to be in them that much.
Pescara’s modern feel is almost the opposite of everything I think of when I’m describing Abruzzo.
To be honest I often use it as a hub to get somewhere else.
But on this trip we decided to give a little time to Pescara and for at least a day be a tourist there.
But that’s for another post.
