Monthly Archive: March 2022

Interior of Chapel of San Pellegrino 0

The Sistine Chapel of Abruzzo

The Oratory of San Pellegrino at Bominaco A good rule to follow in Italy, I have found, is never judge a building by its cover. So I am not particularly put out that the Sistine Chapel of Abruzzo looks no bigger than a bungalow from the outside. Luckily there is a porch, which is where we take shelter from the August sun.  We have to wait our turn here as only a few people are allowed in with the guide at a time. While we wait, I check out our surroundings.  Opposite is a rugged hill topped by a cylindrical tower from where I assume the views over the...

Trabocco at sunset 3

Wonders of the Trabocchi Coast

My Trabocchi Coast Itinerary …in which we reflect on a dark period in Abruzzo’s history but then experience the lightness of being with a refreshing swim and lunch, restore body and soul at one of the region’s most stunning sacred sites, and end up at a nudist beach, but with our costumes and modesty intact. Here is our typical itinerary, highlighting five wonders of the Trabocchi Coast. Moro River Canadian War Cemetery Yes, I know the Canadian War Cemetery is not right on the coast. Neither is it a typical highlight on a day trip to the seaside. But our road from the north brings us here and there...

baked pasta dish 0

Mamma Ginetta’s Timballo

It is a Saturday afternoon in April and Easter Sunday lunch is looming. I am to help with the timballo. Because, says my mother-in-law, referring to her elder son, for Easter Sunday lunch that’s what he likes to eat. I mean no disrespect when I say that here she got it wrong. My husband appreciates good food but, untypically of the men of his region, he doesn’t really mind if it’s not traditional. Which, as he didn’t marry an Abruzzese, is just as well. Still, timballo seems like a good option for a festive lunch and I am here to learn. We lay everything out on the table in...

Basilica 4

San Giovanni in Venere

After swimming, seafood and too much sun in San Vito, we are in need of repose and sustenance for the soul. We head for San Giovanni in Venere. On our short drive southwards down the Trabocchi Coast we catch glimpses of the bike path just below us, and beyond, the dazzling blue Adriatic. But just prior to the turnoff to the abbey before Fossacesia, the road dips and we pass wooded land where the forest has burned on both sides of the road. There is nothing left but charred tree stumps and blackened earth. An acrid smell still hangs in the air. Such sights are sadly not uncommon in...