There was a chance we were going to make it. The 07:10 from Dublin was scheduled to arrive in Fiumicino at 11:20 and if it touched down a few minutes earlier we had a chance. Prontobus, one of several companies that provide a bus service from Rome Fiumicino/Ciampino/Tiburtina have a scheduled bus that leaves Fiumicino at 11:30 and goes to Penne via Loreto Aprutino. Getting that bus means we arrive in Loreto Aprutino around 16:00 instead of the more usual 18:30.
We touched down at 11:15 and although we still had a chance we knew we weren’t going to make it. By the time all the passengers were loaded onto the shuttle buses that took us from the plane to the terminal (yes it would be quicker, but probably not as safe to walk), by the time we got though passport control and by the time we made it to the bus terminal, it was 11:40. The only way we were going to get the Prontobus was if it had been delayed in the bad weather.
We missed the bus!
But there was another one, from a different company a little later on. We just had to wait and be patient.
Normally we wait in the terminal, have a small bite and at around 12:45 to board the 13:00 Rosato or DiCarlo bus from Fiumicino to Pescara. But Thursday 9 February felt a bit different. As we walked back towards the terminal building we realised that in our haste we neglected the clear blue sky and the sun that was hitting our faces. It felt beautiful. Cold in the shade but warm in the sun, very nice indeed.
We decided to stay outside with a sandwich and water (ideal company), sit in the full glare of the sun and wait to board. After all, this might be the last sun we see on this trip.
That may sound a bit dramatic but a few days earlier Abruzzo was hit by a significant snow fall and the weather gurus were predicting more snow was on the way. The snow had been so bad that parts of the motorways from Rome to Pescara and L’Aquila were closed. Only two days earlier Rosato, one of the bus companies we could use at 13:00, had posted a notice on their website indicating that they weren’t operating due to the weather conditions and the state of the roads.
I sent emails the day before to all bus operators to see if they felt they’d be running and they all indicated that all should be fine for us. (No pun intended.)
Thursday 9 February was looking more and more like a window of opportunity to get across Italy if the weather predictions were in anyway accurate.
So we stayed outside, like sun-worshipers, giving thanks that our plans weren’t going to be cancelled. Well not this time anyway.
All went well. We boarded a DiCarlo bus and arrived in Pescara a little before 17:00 ready for the final leg of our journey.
I don’t normally try to take photographs from a bouncing moving bus but when I saw the snow as we travelled from Lazio to Abruzzo I felt I’d give it a go.
I deleted many of the shots I took so what you see above is the best of them. I know they’re not great. Taking a photograph though a dirty window, full of reflections as you’re being bounced along a motorway isn’t easy. Well it’s not easy for me! But small hill-top towns peeping out from the snow-covered countryside looked fantastic.
The journey to Abruzzo from Lazio by bus is one of my favourite bus journeys. It’s not too long at about 3 hours and every few minutes there is something spectacular to see. Throw in bucket loads of snow and the journey became even more special. I was delighted to have the chance to see it.
The next day the snow fell again and things became even more interesting!
On the subject of buses I try to keep a collection of useful links to public transport options for getting to and around Abruzzo on my Public Transport page. In the section Getting to/from Rome (Tiburtina, Fiumicino, Ciampino) I list:
- ARPA (several options covering L’Aquila, Pescara, Teramo, Chieti Scalo, Avezzano, Scanno, Sulmona, Giulianova)
- Prontobus (Avezzano, Torre de Passeri, Chirti Scalo, Pescara, Loreto Aprutino, Penne)
- Rosato (Chieti Scalo, Pescara, Ortona, Lanciano, Castel Frentano)
- DiCarlo (Pescara, Vasto, San Salvo)
- Gaspari (L’Aquila, Teramo, Giulianova, Alba Adriatca, Martinsicuro)
- Start (Giulianova, Tortoretto, Alba Adriatica, Martinsicuro)
Note: The destinations listed are a guide, you should check the official sites for current information.
But there are others that I plan to add to the list including DiFonzo and DiFebo Capuani .
And then there’s Satem and this catch-all list from Carinci for getting to Abruzzo from other regions by bus.
