6/11 – Saturday we spent the day with Gabriella and Antonino. We drove to their house, met Gabriella and then we went into town to meet Antonino at his copy store. First however, we diverted to Gabriella’s favorite getaway spot. It’s like a little cove, created by overhanging trees, that looks out across the hills, fields and the Adriatic Sea. Beautiful, tranquil – a perfect spot to simply take a break.

Gabriella took us for a quick walk around town to check out a couple of the stores then as we were walking back to the copy shop, I yelled to Gabriella to stop! I smell bread! She said ok, turn around lets go and we walked right down the block to the panificio. As heaven would have it, my nose was spot on and boy did it ever smell good in there. Didn’t buy bread but we walked out eating tiny pizza treats and a bag of cookies like my grandma used to make. I really was in heaven for sure! We will go back there during the week for some nice hot, freshly-baked bread!!!

Now it was time for Antonino to close up shop so we could all go to a trabocco for our fabulous seafood lunch. On the way back to his shop though, we stopped in two other shops we had visited last time here in Ortona six years ago. The first stop was where we used to get wine but is now a gift/curio shop that does wedding planning, to include all the decorations and gifts. The second however is our favorite pastificio where we can buy great egg pasta. The ladies in the store are the same ones we met back in 2016, including the owner. Amazing.

Trabocchi go back in time to when the Germans first came here and they built these wood piers with the fishing areas at the end of the pier. They knew nothing about fishing (according to the locals) but as you would expect, could build stuff! Today, the trabocchi are all little restaurants that sit high up above the water on stilts. The fish are caught daily from the piers and that is what is cooked for your lunch.

They set the menu based on what they catch that day and it is more than enough food to fill your tummy. Our meal was so delicious and it seemed to be never ending from cold appetizers, hot appetizers, pasta with mussels platter, fried fish platter – totally amazing and so much fun.

I was full way before the meal was over but just kept eating. When you know you are not going to have meals like this very often, you forget about being full and you just keep eating.

Time to head back to our apartment in Chieti where we made the decision to leave and return to Monteferrante until the 24th when we head over to Piacenza for a couple of days before taking the train up to Basel, Switzerland, for a few days before we leave on our Rhine River Cruise. To say our time in Italy is flying would be an understatement but it sure has been one heck of a trip so far.

Stay tuned for more adventures from Fran and Jim! Ciao for now!