6/22 Jim and I decided to take a drive to a little town in the mountains about thirty minutes from us in Monteferrante. It was hot out but we wanted to see the town of Agnone. We started out about 8:30am and stopped in Roio del Sangro for a coffee and brioche. The drive there was down the mountain on a rather challenging road. Lots of potholes – rather large ones – and narrowed roads where the road actually slipped down the mountain! This was not my favorite drive but Jim was very careful since neither of us wanted to slide down the side of the mountain.

We continued on down the countryside and the drive was absolutely beautiful. Took a few shots of the views and had to stop when we saw the pasture of cows just lazing in the dirt, several with their cowbells on just ringing away!

Once we go to Agnone we walked around the town and it was just adorable. Kind of reminded me of Senoia, GA. the way it was laid out. Lots of shops, bakery, bars, and it even has a Bell Museum where they have bells as large as the ones in the church steeple. Actually, that is probably because the museum is part of the Pontificia Marinelli Bell Foundry which indeed has made and does make bells for churches and government buildings. We didn’t go inside and kind of hoped we might squeeze it in before leaving Monteferrante on Friday. The largest bell on the ground and placed out front was ringing and just beautiful. It was noon so we suspect this bell serves as the town’s clock.

And we found another church. This one was amazing from outside to inside; obviously much newer than most of the churches we have visited.

And I’d say all the churches in Italy or almost all, have a statue or other image of Padre, now Saint, Pio. The towns might also have a statue of Padre Pio. Monteferrante certainly does. Padre Pio experienced a stigmata, the appearance of bodily wounds, scars and pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ, such as the hands, wrists, and feet. He wore those glove-looking things to hide the marks in his hands as he was somewhat embarrassed by them in part because of the attention they brought on him. It’s a story worth researching.

We ate lunch at a small restaurant we found on one of the side streets, La Locanda. It was amazing – love these little places we just happen to find while walking around the towns. Our lunch was delicious.

Speaking of a chittara, at one of the cute little stores we visited, we found not only several little gifts to bring home but also a true Italian chittara at one third the price of ordering one through Amazon! It left in another of our shipments home from Mail Boxes Etc. today!

It was very hot walking around so we headed back home around 2:30 and once again I missed the turn and we ended up on the worst road ever! Full of pot holes, bumps, very narrow road in fields but google said we were ok to go this way so we continued. I wasn’t sure Jim was very happy with me but being the trooper he is, we continued and eventually got to the road we were supposed to be on to get us back to Monteferrante. Never let it be said that our days are ever dull! We are turning the car in Friday and boy am I ever happy about that. And if we have not mentioned it, returning from these little trips between 2:00 PM and 4:00-4:30 PM is perfect timing. The country simply closes down for that afternoon rest period so there is no one on the road! No oncoming traffic, no slowpokes, no one on your rear bumper!

Now when we say the country sort of closes down during those afternoon hours, that does not mean that they all head to beach, as cousin Gabriella can attest. On this day, she in fact did go to the beach and as you can see from the photos, she had the beach pretty much to herself. She’s a non-working Mom/Grandmom so can afford to head to the Adriatic beaches whenever she wishes. By the way, for those of us who know and love the really white beaches of the upper Gulf Coast, check out the white stone beaches here on the Adriatic. Also, it’s really not until August and in fact, the last two weeks in August, when the true, European summer vacations fill the beaches and parks.

And then there are the goodbye’s and farewells. We began with Cugina Angela as she would be off in another city working the next few days. Next was Cugino Vincenzo because he also would be busy with work the next few days, his work carrying him to cities two and three hours away, like Rome. Cugina Silvana, who is caring for her mother Maria directly across the street, the mother also of Vincenzo, Celestina, Bruno and Angela, was part of a couple of farewells! Then Cugini Bruno, Argentina, Cristian and Greta came by for hugs and kisses. Then there was Cugina Alice who works must be seven days a week, who while we couldn’t get together, did send us her goodbye from the car! You know, for people we did not even know until eight years ago, there were an awful lot of bear hugs and tears these last two or three evenings!

So just when we thought we were finished with farewells and tears, Gabriella and Antonino invite us to stop by for one final lunch and to say goodbye. Well, on our bucket list for this trip was brodetto, a fish soup common and famous in Vasto, another city on the coast/shore. Gabriella made the effort to pull together the ingredients and served us brodetto for lunch. Antonino was pretty happy about that as well. This was absolutely marvelous fish, or fish soup, or just soup. The zuppa is essentially nothing more than fresh tomatoes, a little garlic, some olive oil and salt. The soup goes through a light boil for a bit and then the fish is thrown in the pot — not for long though. It is after all, fish and does not need hours to cook. The pot by the way is a big ceramic bowl! We simply could not believe how wonderful delightful this soup is. And when everyone has filled up on the fish, if there is any soup or sauce left over, in goes the pasta! Again, wonderful — meravigliosa!

So then, finally, it was time to say goodbye to Gabriella and Antonino. These two have hauled us all over Abruzzo, taken us out on the trabocco, helped fulfill our bucket list, made us listen to and talk in Italian, and been extremely patient the entire time. Well, actually all of our cousins here have been superb teachers for us. All those things you hear about the importance of family and the close family ties in Italy are without any reservation, true. The food is pretty darn good also!

This morning we “checked out” of the “family apartment” in Monteferrante and moved over to a hotel next to the train station here in Pescara. Nice hotel I might add. We turned in the rental car, arranged to ship a box of goodies home at Mail Boxes Etc., checked into the hotel and then launched out for another walk around Pescara. Tomorrow we take the train to Piacenza, a city between Parma (think cheese) and Milan. We had not been to Piacenza and it is a sort of halfway point between Pescara in Abruzzo and Basel up in Switzerland. We’re going to say goodbye to Abruzzo and “home” tonight and be back to you from the Emilia Romagna region at our next blog entry from Piacenza. Ciao, ciao.