The vast majority of people want to help.

I firmly believe that both those statements are true and are even more valid in a foreign country.

My most recent experience of this involved an insect bite that wasn’t an insect bite, a pharmacist whose wife drove me to a doctor’s surgery, a doctor who didn’t change for the consult and finally that same pharmacist staying open after hours to give me the medicine I needed.

I suppose sometime I was going to encounter the need for a doctor in Abruzzo. I’ve spent a lot of time here and up until last week apart from zanzare bites I haven’t had to deal with much of a medical nature.

Last week I got a series of bites and thought nothing of them. Most disappeared after going through the itchy stage but one in particular stayed around. Not only did it stay around but it got more red and swollen daily. Coming back from a walking trip in the Majella Mountains I finally realised that maybe this red, raw, swollen area wasn’t a bite after all.

Now the location of the red, raw, swollen area was not one I wanted to shout about. It’s silly really but there are still bodily areas that I prefer not to talk about and this painful area was too close to one of them.

The people I was with realised there was something wrong though, as I was not my usual gazelle-like self bounding up the final ascent (I’m not sure when I’ve ever been “my usual gazelle-like self” but you get the picture).

So pushing embarrassment aside I explained the problem and said that I don’t know if I need a doctor or not. D, who was travelling in the car with us, told us about a pharmacist who goes well beyond the usual pill dispensing duties and has seen so many ailments he can usually tell if a doctor is needed or not. The great thing about this guy was he was nearby and open.

I arrived hoping he would understand my attempt at Italian ER-speak, recognise the problem right away, know the species of nasty insect that did this to me, and give me a miracle cure that would allow me to be fully functional the next morning.

It didn’t quite work like that. I had a discreet conversation with him (my Italian worked well) and he said he’d have to see the problem before commenting. That made perfect sense so we went into a side office and after he took a peek he said I needed a doctor and it would be best to go soon as possible as it could get worse.

I’d no idea where to find a doctor at close to 8 pm on a Friday evening and the idea of my problem getting worse didn’t really appeal so I naturally I asked where I’d find one. I wasn’t expecting much but before I knew it he’d organised his wife to bring me to a surgery that opened at 8 pm about 1 km away. He also looked serious and said “this doctor is good”; music to my ears.

We’re getting close to the end of the story at this stage. I visited the doctor, again my Italian held up (sort-of) and he prescribed antibiotics and pain killers. He said he was back there on Sunday night (yes I said Sunday night) if I needed him again but he expected I’d notice some improvement before then. As for a charge he said niente. I can’t imagine getting out of a doctor’s surgery in Ireland for less than €50.

Back to the now closed pharmacy and the pharmacist who was so helpful earlier very kindly fulfilled the prescription and sent me on my way.

The whole process took less than an hour and not only that I was told it was OK to drink a little Montepulciano d’Abruzzo while I was recovering.

I believe I have just been part of a minor medical miracle.

Post from: About Abruzzo

A Medical Drama in Abruzzo

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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.

Post from: About Abruzzo

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

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Simple advice that’s not always easy to follow.

Most of the time I take my Canon 400D wherever I go. I don’t always use it; in fact there are many days that it seems like no more than unnecessary weight.

But if I’m in the right place at the right time to take a great shot or a great series of photographs that capture the scene or special moment then I feel it’s worth it.

But I do head out without my camera and I often see something that makes me regret not bringing it.

This happens more often in Abruzzo than any other place I know.

Abruzzo is a photographer’s paradise.

Around every corner there’s photo opportunity better than the last. It could be a village scene, a stunning view or a local festival that catches my eye.

Immediately on seeing it I want to capture it.

That’s a good thing right? After all I write this blog and it has a strong photo element, so my having a desire to capture each significant moment makes sense.

The problem is that I can easily spend so much time trying to capture the moment that I don’t experience it fully. Sure I can look back at the photos and relive what happened but the experience itself is more than the image.

The image can be the key that stirs memories and feelings but for that to occur I must have experienced moment, not just captured it.

Where am I going with this?

Well here’s a short list, in no particular order, of memorable events that I experienced while I was in Abruzzo recently. In all cases I either didn’t have my camera or I felt that a picture wouldn’t have added to the experience.

The events are fresh in my mind and I can still feel the joy I felt when they occurred. Some are spectacular, and some are just part of day to day living, but they were all wonderful. Here we go:

• Watching a hawk glide majestically through olive trees
• Torrential rain making rivers of village streets
• The taste of Valentini olive oil
• The fireworks finale at the festival of San Zopito
• The fun of crossing Italy in an ice-blue Cinquecento
• The taste of freshly sliced porchetta
• Thunder and lightning that lasted for hours
• Jumping with fright as black snake slithered across my path*
• Picking ripe cherries on the roadside
• Driving very carefully through mist in the Gran Sasso
• Sharing a bottle of Don Bosco Montepulciano d’Abruzzo with friends
• Sitting on a terrace watching acrobatic swifts swoop again and again
• Clothes drying in less than an hour on a sunny balcony
• A chilled bottle of prosecco being popped
• Slowing down as a lone sheep farmer guided his herd to better grazing
• Devouring peas and beans straight from their pods

Writing this list has brought a smile to my face. There are many more items I could’ve added but I think you get the picture!

I’ll always try to take my camera with me as much as I can but getting the balance right, and ensuring that I’m part of the experience instead of just recording the event, is crucial.

That said, you can expect a few photos in future posts!

* I’ve since discovered that the black snakes of Abruzzo are harmless grass snakes that are far more interested in rodents than scary humans. It shouldn’t be confused with Abruzzo’s viper (green, brown or orange) which should be avoided. Harmless or not I’m happy to let snakes be.

Post from: About Abruzzo

The photographs that got away and the memories that didn’t

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He isn’t anyone’s pet or working dog.

He lives in Loreto Aprutino and is a regular sight walking along Piazza Garibaldi, Via Vittorio Veneto and Via Dei Normanni.

• Some say he can smell freshly cooked arrosticini from 5 km.
• Some say he can bark in 5 languages.
• Some say he saved 5 worn-out travellers stranded in a well-stocked bar.

The Loretese just know him as Cinque.

As he walks along his turf his eyes are pealed. He’s on the lookout for another victim, another mark.

The first time I met Cinque I was sitting outside Bar Centrale. He crept up silently to where I was sitting and before I knew what had happened I’d fed him all the food from my plate.

Once I’d run out of tasty snacks he moved on and found another customer, another sucker powerless to resist his charms!

Cinque has several techniques to gain your sympathy, to ensure your attention and to liberate your food:

• Looking at you with big sad eyes
• Placing a paw on your leg
• Resting his head on your thigh
• Gently stroking your arm
• Any combination of the above

In a moment of inspired genius I once saw him rest his head on one target’s lap, while gently pawing the arm of another.

He has an uncanny ability to recognise strangers, animal lovers and most importantly, Cinque lovers.

There are other town dogs, and they have their favourite patches and plays, but none come close to Cinque’s skill at working a target.

All these town dogs are cared for. They all have a designated human minder who checks in on them and makes sure they’re OK. Placid and lumbering, they all play the sad-eyed sympathy card with greater or lesser success.

But none are as successful as Cinque.

The locals both love him and are wary of him. They know that if they let their guard down he’ll happily relieve them of their hard earned porchetta.

Now and then they’ll shoo him away. But they know in their hearts he’ll be back.

They know in the long run there’ll be only one winner.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Meet Cinque: Citizen of Loreto Aprutino and One Smooth Operator

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It was a Saturday. Saturday 20th March to be exact. We knew it was market day and we made the assumption that finding parking was going to be difficult.

We’ve visited a few Abruzzo towns on their market day before and finding parking has proved painful. Penne and Atri on two occasions have caused us headaches. To be fair once you get used to a town’s parking system and you find the car parks that often exist outside the walls, any parking difficulties usually fade away.

But we didn’t want to take any chances with Sulmona. We’d heard that its market was pretty big and was bound to attract large crowds. And large crowds mean a lot of cars.

So off we went, not quite awake yet, on a lovely sunny morning. It took us about an hour and a half to reach the outskirts of the town and following the signs we found a car park on Via Iapasseri. Asking a fellow parker we confirmed that the parking was free and the town centre was a short walk away.

He was right. From the car park, via a series of steps it was a 10 minute walk to the market on Piazza Garibaldi. We just walked across Via Filippo Turati, along Via Alessandro Volta, across the park to Viale Roosevelt and then we followed Corso Ovidio.

But there was a surprise in store when we arrived. Plenty of people had gathered near Piazzale Tresca, with tractors and balloons. We saw the traffic police was keeping an eye on things and it took us a few minutes to realise what was going on. We saw banners with Si alla Green Economy; No alle Industrie Insalubri and No al metanodotto e alla centrale SNAM. The protest appeared to be against the laying of a gas pipeline and environmentally destructive policies. After a few minute they made their way down Corso Ovidio. This was a peaceful protest. How could it be anything else with all those balloons?

Moving on to Piazza XX Settembre we saw the Birthday Boy! Standing on the top of his pedestal was Publius Ovidius Naso and 20 March is his birthday. Known as Ovid in the English-speaking world Publius Ovidius Naso (20 March 43 BCE – 17 or 18 CE) was a Roman poet from Sulmona whose works focused on ancient myths and every poet’s favourite subject, love.

I’ve not read anything by Ovid. I think I had to study a few paragraphs of his writings in school before I dropped Latin but I could be wrong. His works have influenced many writers including Dante Alighieri, Geoffrey Chaucer, John Milton, William Shakespeare and Percy Bysshe Shelley.

In 8 AD Ovid was exiled by Emperor Augustus to Tomis on the Black Sea (now Constanţa, Romania), where he died. I read an excellent fictional account of Ovid’s exile. In An Imaginary Life by David Malouf, Ovid grapples with coming to terms with his new non-Roman existence. The rituals, language and culture that is now part of his everyday life are completely alien to the great man of Roman letters. I really enjoyed the book and have gone on to read other books by Malouf.

After wishing Ovid “tanti auguri” on his birthday we moved on to Piazza Garibaldi and the market. But yet again we stopped to take in the ancient aqueduct opposite Chiesa di San Francesco della Scarpa. The aqueduct is about 100m long with impressive arches through which we could see the market stalls filling Piazza Garibaldi. It was built by Manfedi of Svevia in 1256 to bring water to the city for irrigation, domestic and industrial use.

Finally, after taking at least an hour for a ten minute walk we entered piazza Garibaldi and attempted to take in the array of stalls selling practically everything anyone might need. The market in Sulmona is big, very big. We walked up and down the aisles and soaked in the atmosphere. It was really impressive. Although it was big (did I mention that before?) and full of people there was plenty of space to wander around. No feeling of claustrophobia here. The cafés and bars along the side of the piazza are the perfect place to sit, observe and enjoy market day in Sulmona.

We didn’t buy anything except for the coffee. P almost bought a shirt and a dress but it didn’t work out.

Exploring more of Sulmona we tried to get into every church we found. But many were closed. (This is becoming a habit as it happened to us in Spoltore also.) We did visit Chiesa di San Francesco della Scarpa and Santa Maria della Tomba before admiring Porta Napoli.

So we wandered around, enjoying a gorgeous morning, stopping for coffee and nibbles until it was time to head back. We came across the football stadium and I thought that it must be very special to play football on a pitch surrounded by snow-capped mountains.

We left with a few bags of confetti (sugar coated almonds) and some confetti flowers. You just have to buy confetti if you visit Sulmona. There was plenty to choose from, all very colourful and bright. They make lovely gifts.

I really enjoyed seeing Sulmona and I have no doubt I’ll visit again. The next time I think I’ll make sure it isn’t market day as I’d really like to see Piazza Garibaldi and its surrounding mountains without the presence of all the stalls. I don’t know if much traffic is allowed in the piazza on normal days but I hope not. Perhaps someone reading this post knows and can let me know.

Post from: About Abruzzo

A Special Birthday In Sulmona (AQ), Abruzzo

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We were definitely the only tourists in Les Arcs. In fact most of its clients that day appeared to be construction workers having their well earned lunch. We went for the ravioli with ricotta and waited patiently. There were a few orders ahead of us, but when it arrived it was very tasty. For €6 each we were suitably fortified and ready to go exploring.

Spoltore is about 8 km from Pescara, located between the rivers Tavo and Pescara.

There are five important historical buildings there:

• The ruins of the castle in the highest part of the old centre
• The parish church of S. Panfilo, with a fine portal and stuccos by Alessandro Terzani, canvases by Giuseppangelo Ronzi and a 16th century statue of the Madonna col Bambino.
• The church of Madonna della Porta, with a wooden statue of the Virgin (10th century)
• The convent of San Francesco d’Assisi (15th century), with a brick facade and a fresco cycle telling the life of the saint
• The church of San Francesco d’Assisi, attached to the convent, mostly Baroque in style

Unfortunately all the churches were closed while I was there. But that was fine as what I really wanted to do was walk up to the highest point of the old town, beside the castle ruins, and take in the Majella (south), the Gran Sasso (west) and the Adriatic (east).

The pictures below give a flavour of what Spoltore has to offer.

When we reached the highest point we found an abandoned 5l bottle of wine. I could easily see friends relaxing and chatting, sipping a glass of wine, watching the sun go down. Then, when it gets dark, looking at the stars, constellation spotting or maybe turning their attention to the bright lights of Pescara.

Although it was a bit hazy, we stayed quite a while looking out at the wonderful views.

On the way back down we met Alberto, who was stripping the paint off some wooden shutters. We stopped, said hello, and he kindly allowed me to take his picture. Stripping the paint of wooden shutters looked to me like a long and painstaking task but Alberto seemed to be enjoying himself in the afternoon sun. We actually had a brief conversation about Dante Alighieri, Verdi and the relative merits of the English and Italian languages. I was well out of my depth! 

I’ll be visiting Spoltore again. I’ve three good reasons for doing so:

• see the inside of the churches that unfortunately were closed
• see the fantastic views on a day that isn’t so hazy
• pop in to Almond 22 and pick up a couple of bottles of really good beer

Post from: About Abruzzo

Spoltore (PE) Abruzzo: Saint Patrick’s Day (afternoon)

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I was delighted to get the images as I wasn’t able to stay in Abruzzo this Easter and see the event this year.

If you are in Abruzzo for Easter and you’d like to sample the atmosphere of local events there is still time to catch some on Easter Sunday.

Perhaps the most famous event is in Sulmona (AQ).

At about 11:30 in Piazza Garibaldi, Sulmona there is a reconstruction of the apparition of the Resurrected Christ to the Virgin Mary.

Knocking on the door of the church of St. Filippo, St. John tries to tell her of the resurrection, but she does not believe him. Then St. Peter tries, and again she doesn’t believe.

St. John tries a second time. This time the door opens and the Virgin Mary comes out, slowly at first, disbelievingly. Then on seeing the risen Christ, she believes, her dark mantel falls away revealing a bright green dress and a red rose. Doves are released and she runs to meet the risen Christ.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Via Crucis, Loreto Aprutino (PE) and La Madonna che Scappa, Sulmona (AQ), Abruzzo

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