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MOUNTAINS The sea and the mountain dominate the horizon. Abruzzo was once, recently denominated “the Greenest Region in Europe”. Hence, it offers large areas of forest, national parks and breathtaking scenery. There are bears, wolves, eagles, wild boars and mountain goats still living wild in the mountains – don’t worry it is very safe!
Borrello has one of many spectacular waterfalls to visit. Located in Fara San Martino there are natural springs and canals, rushing down the mountain and feeding into the pasta factories further down the hill. Casoli and Bomba lakes provide warming scenery as well as various water sports and picnic areas. From Pretoro you get to view the rolling Abruzzi hills descending down towards the beach. In winter from la Maielletta, almost 2000 meters high, you can witness a white sea of virgin snow reaching to the horizon. In Palena the mountain creates a never ending vertical wall of solid rock offering either adventurous rock climbing and hiking or for the less adventurous a chair lift into the famous grottos. At Passo Lanciano ski resort, with the sun setting behind the mountain, a spectacle to be witnessed is darkness on the Adriatic side of Abruzzo and light on the top of the mountain and light on the Mediterranean side. Breathtaking.
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Abruzzo has more European blue flags for beach quality than anywhere else in Italy. Along the coast near Lanciano are protected “Trabocchi” wooden fishing huts which stand in the sea like piers. Even though our area is rich it has maintained clean water and respect for the coast line. Building is very restricted along the coast so big hotels are nowhere to be seen. Many areas are natural reserves.
There are organised “Lidos” (open from June to the end of August) with all the facilities to hire umbrellas or deck chairs, have a warm shower or eat something quick. If on the other hand you prefer something quieter there are secret coves. The beaches are both sandy and stony.
San Vito is Lanciano’s nearest beach. There is a “Traboccho” on a pier you can walk along, a sandy beach, facilities open all year round (like pizzeria, ice-cream – one of the best, local fish fry-up along the road, very high quality fish restaurants – L’Angolino). At high season, there is usually free aqua-gym in the sea, equipment and water sports for hire. In the evening there is often live music of all tastes, three times a year they do fireworks on the sea and there is a festival at the end of August to buy cooked fresh fish on the beach.
Out of season the weather can still be warm so buying and ice-cream and walking along the sea front is equally pleasurable. To promenade, the sea front at Fossacesia is longer. It is the next beach south from San Vito. It has a mix of sandy and pebbly beaches. In the summer there are usually lines of stalls selling all kids of gifts in the evening. |
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Wine Producing your own wine is very fulfilling. You need expert help of course – any local man over the age of 60 will have gallons of advice. If you don’t have a vineyard and antique wooden tools available to you then you could always take a trip to a local winery. To witness the wine making process you need to travel to Lanciano from the end of September to the end of October – just after the Lanciano festival. Day and night tractors full of local grapes driven by exhausted and thirsty farmers flow into the building. The new wine comes on to the market on the 11th November (famous date for Italians) where men get together for a night of “wine tasting” and merriment. Wines from Abruzzo are no longer secret tips but internationally respected brands. That is enough talk, come and see for yourself, and “Salute”.
Oil The population disappears in November. The streets are empty. While growing grapes is becoming less popular growing olives seems to be everybody’s pass time in Abruzzo. If people are not at work, they are in the fields picking olives in November. On a warm Autumn’s day, it is great fun and I recommend it. Having your own oil makes any local family proud. Oil tasting is also an important skill. You can visit farm houses and taste various flavours of oil.
Passata Passata is the famous tomato sauce used for pasta and pizza. A tradition that continues today in Abruzzo is making your own sauce. In August, when you usually have more time on your hands, families choose a day when they get up at sun rise and spend half to the whole day bottling home grown tomatoes to have a years supply of passata.
Other local specialties Apart from great pizza, pasta, meat, fish and vegetables, Abruzzo produces some unique and fantastic liquors. The king is Limoncello – a lemon based liquor. Each family has the best limoncello and a secret recipe that dates back generations. In Abruzzo you make liquors out of anything you grow in the garden. If you like spicy food, try pickled, stuffed chilly peppers. There are other less dangerous pickles that are equally tasty of course and less extreme. Strangely, honey is also a local specialty. Even stranger, so are sugared almonds and truffles. I have a favourite restaurant for all occasions and all types of food – you just need to ask.
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