Our fabulous trip is beginning to wind down. After a month in Palermo, we returned to Monteferrante to see the family for two weeks. Rather than a day-by-day commentary, I thought it easiest to simply summarize our activities.
We thought we might grab a bite to eat on our travels from Palermo (fly to Naples, rent a car, drive to Monteferrante) but decided that would be a dumb move because we knew Gabriella would have something waiting for us. Good move on our part. We sat around the table for hours eating and telling our cousins about our trip after leaving them the end of August.
Antonino welcomes us home to Monteferrante. We had left Palermo that morning.
As the days went by we continued visiting with the family here in Abruzzo. Maria and Silvana were thrilled to have us back and we are once again catching up on stories of the family. Jim and I took quite a few walks around the town and those who live here year around were surprised but very happy to see us again.
Second night home Adolfo and Gabriella fixed us sausage cooked over the wood fire coals.
Our time here in Abruzzo reminds us of the olden days, when people had to take advantage of the season, and the produce of the season. Melagrana, or pomegranate, was one such example. It’s the season and we’ve eaten dozens it seems.
Another cousin dropped by, Edoardo, who left a few peperoncini for Adolfo, including a necklace to ward of evil spells we think. Not unlike the Mexican tradition in Southern Arizona.
Cinzia stops by on Sunday evenings since she and Carlo run their pizzeria 6 days a week. With Cinzia’s visits come the delectable pastries that I love so much. Time for that diet again once we leave here but in the meantime who cares – eat drink and be merry! Enjoy the family while we can!
Antonino and Gabriella visit on the weekends since they have the copygraphic store in Ortona to manage during the week. Gabriella comes to Monteferrante on Wednesday to check on her father Adolfo and bring some fruit and stuff so we do get to see more of her while we are here.
The weather here is not quite as warm as it was in August and Adolfo is doing his best to keep me from freezing to death. He starts the fire in the kitchen every day and we sit in front of it staying nice and toasty. The days aren’t too bad although I’m chilly but the evenings are cold and I usually have several layers on even while staying warm by the fire! I guess that Arizona weather has really thinned this kid’s blood!
We’ve had a few meals that were cooked over the fire; that’s been a treat for us. You saw the sausage above but we’ve also had chicken roasted over the fire as well as arrosticini, a local favorite. Arrosticini translates to “skewers” or kebabs except that in Abruzzo, the edibles are little cubes of lamb and no veggies or other meat.
Jim and I took Adolfo grocery shopping one day then another day we all went to Cinzia’s for pizza. Adolfo has been showing us the area since he knows it so well and seeing it through his eyes is wonderful.
Jim and I drove to Ortona to meet up with Gabriella and she showed us her home which is just beautiful with a view of the sea. Oh my, what a wonderful place to live. She gave us the tour of the town, we did a little shopping and then we picked up Antonino and went to their home for lunch. Gabriella had some tiny mushrooms that she pickled and I fell in love with them. Could have eaten the whole jar by myself that’s for sure. She made ravioli then we had a soup with green beans, potatoes and tomatoes. Yup I was totally stuffed but oh so happy.
The negozio, or store, where Adolfo and Gabriella buy their Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine. Giant vat with the wines of Abruzzo, and plastic containers.
Pranzo, or lunch, at Gabriella and Antonino’s house in Ortona.
Chestnuts prepared a little different than in New York. Laid in a bed of salt and cooked on the stove – not “chestnuts roasting over an open fire” but equally as good.
View of the coast and the Adriatic Sea from Antonino and Gabriella’s house.
This beautiful scene of the clouds rolling into the valley was a precursor to several days of clouds and rain up in Monteferrante – and cooler temps.
We were able to meet yet more of the family on this trip. Bruno and Argentina along with their two beautiful children, Christian and Greta, live on the first floor of the home that belongs to Vincenzo. They live here during the winter because of Bruno’s job in the nearby town of Villa Santa Maria. He teaches hotel and restaurant management at the equivalent of our Tech Schools. In the summer, they move up North a bit and onto the beach as Bruno works at a high class hotel/restaurant that is quite busy during the summer. We had lunch with them last weekend and their home is just beautiful with a gorgeous view of the mountains. The children go to school in the area and since returning to Monteferrante, we found they are not the only children who live around here and go to the local schools. Although there are not as many people here as there were during August, there are still enough that it is not completely deserted.
Cristian, Argentina, Greta and Bruno at their home in Monteferrante.
Pranzo at Bruno and Argentina’s home, along with Silvana, Maria, Adolfo and Luca, another cousin.
On Sunday, Jim took a morning walk or passeggiata and found La Cascata del Gufo just below Monteferrante.
While Jim was walking, Antonino was hunting, for funghi. A good day for finding another local product of the fall season.
We’ve managed to drive to other towns in the area and it truly is a beautiful place. Each town is different and all have beautiful churches and museums to visit and the folks who live in these towns are all very proud of them and what they have to offer. Much different from the larger cities and the people are all so very friendly.
We went to a town called Guardiagrele where we walked around looking for the church of St. Francis. Well we found a different church and were just looking it over when a woman started talking to us, describing and telling the history of the church. She then took us inside and gave us a guided tour explaining everything. Wow this was really wonderful. Then she took us to a bar for coffee and a pastry (cupcakes of the nuns) that is only made in this town. Turned out she was a tour guide so I had to give her a little tip! I kind of chuckled about the whole thing but the tour was well worth it. She was very nice and did a great job so I didn’t mind the tip at all. Somehow when people discover I am Italian it seems to make everything right for them and we don’t get treated like just another tourist! I think that is very cool!
Houses in Guardiagrele, another hillside town. This reminded us of Rainbow Row in Charleston, SC, with its pastel colored homes.
Belltower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore in Guardiagrele
Arches along the exterior of the Cathedral of Santa Maria
Jim and I in an alley in the town of Guardiagrele
Convent and church of San Francesco
San Francesco, my patron saint, in the church in Guardiagrele.
Gabrielle took us to Lanciano where Alice, Francesco and Achille live, (her daughter and family). It is a very large and very old city and very popular with the tourists. Part of the town is the old historic area and it is absolutely beautiful. There are many shops, churches and historical places to visit and we were fortunate enough to have Gabrielle show us the area. She lived there for 30 years so she was a wonderful guide. We met up with Alice and had more of a tour before having coffee and a little snack to tide us over until lunch at Gabriella’s! Let me tell you this woman can cook; she fixes meals that you will not find in restaurants, are very simple, extremely delicious and always different for us.
Sacristy of La Chiesa di San Biagio, oldest church in Lanciano (1059)
Chiesa di San Croce, Lanciano (1583) where in the house that stood here before the church was built, one of the two miracles to occur in Lanciano took place in 1273. In this miracle, communion wafers are reported to have bled; replicas are located in the container you see on the altar. The two miracles are part of what makes Lanciano so famous for tourists.
Chiesa di San Agostina (1266), in Lanciano. The 15th century carved stone facade is another prime attraction in this mountain town.
The Porto Santo, or Holy Door, of the Duomo in Lanciano. All Holy Doors throughout the Catholic community are normally closed but the Pope declared they should be opened during his Jubilee of the Holy Year of Mercy. An honor to be able to pass though these doors here and at the Vatican when we visited last month.
The Basilica of the Cattedrale Madonna del Ponte, Cathedral Madonna of the Bridge.
Below the Basilica. It appears there are millions of bricks to form this construction. How men of those days built this church is hard to fathom.
We saw hundreds of precepe or small models of the Christmas scene while in Naples. Here a famous artist, Paolo Spoltore, built this presepe in the museum of the Lanciano cathedral, for a major festival in Spring.
Our trip is quickly winding down and today it’s lunch at Maria’s, tomorrow a trip to Ortona to do some shopping for a few warmer clothes for both of us then lunch at Gabrielle’s again. Friday we will take Adolfo to Cinzia’s pizzeria for lunch then on Saturday we head out to Florence.
This part of the trip has been absolutely wonderful. Spending time with the family has been like being at home in NJ visiting everyone. We woke up to snow on the top of the mountain with a temperature of 42 so with that said, you all know I’m cold. Thank God we have heat in the house which is a blessing because it keeps us warm. Adolfo is even complaining about it being cold so the fire burns every day to help stay warm.
In case you wondered, our apartment is the top floor of the building in the center of the photo – the one with all of the glass just below the roof and a terrace on the left end. Adolfo lives in the level below us and the restaurant, now closed, is in the level above the garage doors, which are Adolfo’s too.
A snow-caped Mount Maielle signals the coming of winter and provides a beautiful sendoff to us.
Already the family is asking when we are returning to Monteferrante! We know we will stay connected to this family for a very long time so coming back is a definite part of our plan. Date yet to be determined!
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grapes in Gabriella’s pot being converted into marmalata or jam – marmalade if you will. Bellissimo!
Instead of Ciao this time, it’s we will see you soon – once settled in Firenze! I never say good bye – it’s always see you soon or, a presto!