Italy - on arrival

We arrived at Leonardo da Vinci Airport (Rome, Fiumicino) to a crisp welcome. The sun was shining but the air was fresh and very cool! We had left behind temperatures close to 30 degrees for 10-15 degrees, so we felt the chill a bit.

Our little Ford Focus was waiting to be picked up and we had our directions to follow to send us on the way to Valle San Giovanni in Abruzzi. Fortunately the owners of our little cottage were able to give directions which meant we did not have to drive through central Rome and we could skirt the city following freeways. We had decided to keep our Rome experience till the end of our holiday and head straight for Villa Casale.

Leaving Rome behind we climbed higher and higher into the Apennine chain of mountains. We were headed for the highest point – the Gran Sasso d’Italia – the Big Rock of Italy, which is the gateway to the region of Abruzzi, a mountain of rock that soars 2,912 metres above sea level. In fact we didn’t have to go over it as there was a 10 klm tunnel dug through the rock and so we actually went under the Gran Sasso, but not before getting some lovely photos of the recently fallen snow. Every turn in the highway was a new postcard picture of houses tumbling down hills, church spirals and fortress walls. All of these covered with a dusting of snow about 2-3 feet deep. With the sunshine glittering off the fall it was just picture perfect.

We travelled past L’Aquila which is the largest town in the area and headed for Teramo, the town closest to our village. On arrival at the village we met Paolo Riccioni the local grocery store owner and he showed us to our lodgings. They were charming – a lovely wood stove to keep us warm, gas central heating and more than enough of all the comforts to keep us happy. My sister, Helen, had arranged for a welcome pack of wine, cheese, prosciutto, sausages, bread and cake and so we were able to settle in to a nice warm meal and a glass of wine on arrival. And then off we went to explore where we were.

Teramo is a small regional centre but it has all you would need including a good sized shopping mall with all the modern conveniences. It is also in the area of the most ancient archaeological sites in Italy and so it is rich with culture and tradition…and no-one speaks English! This proved to be quite a challenge for us but one we enjoyed and seemed to get along well enough. We picked up a few essential phrases and managed to be served what we asked for in the restaurants and shops, even if it did take a little bit of fine negotiation.

Here are some pictures of the trip and also our little cottage in the woods! The one of us in the snow is out of focus – but I think you ‘get the picture’ despite the blur! - the focus must have been frozen!