Where in Abruzzo?
Jan 21st, 2014, 05:41 AM
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Where in Abruzzo?
For those who have visited this region of Italy and are familiar with its towns, which town would you choose for a 4 day stay around end April and why?
We like small towns (think Montalcino in Toscana, Ascoli Piceno in Le Marche, Bevagna in Umbria, etc.), beautiful scenery, good food and wine at local trattoria and not Michel-starred or fancy restaurants, interacting with people.
Thanks for any help and information asap.
We like small towns (think Montalcino in Toscana, Ascoli Piceno in Le Marche, Bevagna in Umbria, etc.), beautiful scenery, good food and wine at local trattoria and not Michel-starred or fancy restaurants, interacting with people.
Thanks for any help and information asap.
Jan 21st, 2014, 08:15 AM
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I would recommend Sulmona. It is large enough to keep you busy with restaurants and sites for several days when combined with day trips. Sulmona was the birthplace of the poet Ovid. There is a medieval aqueduct that crosses a lovely square, and just outside of town there is the hermitage of Celestine V. On the hike up to the hermitage, you can see the ruins of a temple to Hercules. Shops in town sell confetti (candy coated almonds that the town is known for),which come in a variety of colors and are sometimes shaped into flowers.
You can reach Sulmona by public transportation, either bus or train, but it is nice to have a car for day trips to nearby towns. One day, we went to Scanno (noted for the costumes of the women), driving back through the mountains. Another day, we took a trip to San Clemente a Casauria, a beautiful Romanesque abbey. From San Clemente, we went to Caramanico Terme, a spa town, and then had a lovely drive over the Majella's Leonardo Pass and into Pacentro, another beautiful hill town.
We had very nice meals at La Locanda di Gino, Ristorante Clemente, and Pizzeria Vecchia Mura. In Abruzzo, you will want to try Maccheroni alla Chitarra, arrosticini and other lamb dishes, scrippelle and the local olive oil, salami and cheeses. Very good, down to earth food.
We also did a HomeFoods dinner in Sulmona and had the most incredible evening with gracious hosts. You might also look into dinners at a local agriturismo. Some are open to people who are not guests of the farm.
The towns in Abruzzo rival those in Tuscany and Umbria for natural beauty, although there is not the tourist infrastructure. (So, sites may have more limited hours.) You will not hear much English spoken in many areas of Abruzzo, but if you try a little Italian, even what you might pick up from language tapes, it will go along way and they are very helpful.
Another town I can recommend is Lanciano, in Chieti province. It is a pilgrimage site because of a Eucharistic miracle said to have taken place there. There are many nice churches, covering a range of periods. The streets have a medieval character.
I took a day trip from Lanciano to San Giovanni in Venere, a beautiful Cistercian monastery. The setting, overlooking the Adriatic, is spectacular. I walked down to the nearby beachtown of Fossacesia Marina (so-so) and when I turned around, I noticed that the snow covered peaks of the Majella were still in view.
Here are some links:
http://www.sanclementeacasauria.beniculturali.it/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacentro
http://www.visitscanno.it/cms/en/
Here are some links:
http://www.sanclementeacasauria.beniculturali.it/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacentro
http://www.visitscanno.it/cms/en/
You can reach Sulmona by public transportation, either bus or train, but it is nice to have a car for day trips to nearby towns. One day, we went to Scanno (noted for the costumes of the women), driving back through the mountains. Another day, we took a trip to San Clemente a Casauria, a beautiful Romanesque abbey. From San Clemente, we went to Caramanico Terme, a spa town, and then had a lovely drive over the Majella's Leonardo Pass and into Pacentro, another beautiful hill town.
We had very nice meals at La Locanda di Gino, Ristorante Clemente, and Pizzeria Vecchia Mura. In Abruzzo, you will want to try Maccheroni alla Chitarra, arrosticini and other lamb dishes, scrippelle and the local olive oil, salami and cheeses. Very good, down to earth food.
We also did a HomeFoods dinner in Sulmona and had the most incredible evening with gracious hosts. You might also look into dinners at a local agriturismo. Some are open to people who are not guests of the farm.
The towns in Abruzzo rival those in Tuscany and Umbria for natural beauty, although there is not the tourist infrastructure. (So, sites may have more limited hours.) You will not hear much English spoken in many areas of Abruzzo, but if you try a little Italian, even what you might pick up from language tapes, it will go along way and they are very helpful.
Another town I can recommend is Lanciano, in Chieti province. It is a pilgrimage site because of a Eucharistic miracle said to have taken place there. There are many nice churches, covering a range of periods. The streets have a medieval character.
I took a day trip from Lanciano to San Giovanni in Venere, a beautiful Cistercian monastery. The setting, overlooking the Adriatic, is spectacular. I walked down to the nearby beachtown of Fossacesia Marina (so-so) and when I turned around, I noticed that the snow covered peaks of the Majella were still in view.
Here are some links:
http://www.sanclementeacasauria.beniculturali.it/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacentro
http://www.visitscanno.it/cms/en/
Here are some links:
http://www.sanclementeacasauria.beniculturali.it/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacentro
http://www.visitscanno.it/cms/en/
Jan 21st, 2014, 02:59 PM
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Flame,
We stayed in an apartment in a nearby hamlet because I thought we might start feeling cramped after 5 nights in a B&B and because I was concerned about parking in Sulmona and then being able to drive out each day. The parking and driving was not an issue after all, since there are lots around the historical area of Sulmona where you can park and which are easy to access. We ended up driving into Sulmona for dinner, so it would have been nice to have stayed in town.
I arrived in Sulmona a day earlier than my husband and ended up staying one night at B&B Dimora. (It was last minute.) The owner was out of town, so her mother let me in and then came back to make breakfast for me.
B&B Il Marcheses del Grillo looks especially nice, though, and the reviews sound great.
For my travels, I used the guide "Abruzzo" by Luciano Di Gregorio. The region is often passed over in the regular travel guides.
http://www.amazon.com/Abruzzo-2nd-Br.../dp/1841624462
There is a visitor center in Sulmona, too.
We stayed in an apartment in a nearby hamlet because I thought we might start feeling cramped after 5 nights in a B&B and because I was concerned about parking in Sulmona and then being able to drive out each day. The parking and driving was not an issue after all, since there are lots around the historical area of Sulmona where you can park and which are easy to access. We ended up driving into Sulmona for dinner, so it would have been nice to have stayed in town.
I arrived in Sulmona a day earlier than my husband and ended up staying one night at B&B Dimora. (It was last minute.) The owner was out of town, so her mother let me in and then came back to make breakfast for me.
B&B Il Marcheses del Grillo looks especially nice, though, and the reviews sound great.
For my travels, I used the guide "Abruzzo" by Luciano Di Gregorio. The region is often passed over in the regular travel guides.
http://www.amazon.com/Abruzzo-2nd-Br.../dp/1841624462
There is a visitor center in Sulmona, too.
Jan 22nd, 2014, 04:20 AM
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I would second all mentioned above. Marchese del Grillo is exceptionally nice. Sulmona is a real gem and a perfect base from which to explore. You could also check out this page: www.facebook.com/welcometosulmona You don't need to have a FB account to view all of the info. (Mama_mia - I'd be interested in learning more about your 'HomeFoods' dinner).
Jan 22nd, 2014, 06:31 AM
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Re our Home Foods dinner
We did two dinners: one in Sulmona and the other in Rome, so I will comment on both to give you an idea of the experience.
The two cooks who prepared the dinner in Sulmona were friends. They spoke almost no English, but the other guests included an Australian couple who were learning Italian and a Sulmona native who spoke good English and knew both parties. With the varying levels of Italian/English we were able to keep the conversation going. The apartment where the dinner was held was lovely and the table exquisitely set. My grandparents are from Abruzzo and it was a special evening for me because I "recognized" the food and just the whole approach to the meal (e.g., at the end of the meal, we enjoyed various homemade liqueors).
In Rome, our hostess was younger (30s?) and we were joined by several of her friends, who were all young professionals. This was our hostess's first HomeFoods gig. She did a great job with the meal, but it did not leave her much time to sit down and talk (and she said one of the reasons for hosting was to practice her English). It was interesting for me to see first hand what the lifestyle for young professionals in Rome might be like (small apartment with nice furnishings and these crazy crooked glasses).
If you are interested in HomeFoods, I would recommend the following:
1. Check to see if your hosts speak English. For me, it was a great opportunity to practice my Italian, but if you cannot communicate, it could be mighty awkward.
2. Look over the menu. The cooks offer an experience in the regional cuisine, so you might see something unfamiliar on the menu, like baccala. We are pretty adventurous eaters so we were okay with anything that would likely appear on an Italian menu.
3. Make sure you have good directions. We took a cab to the Rome destination, which was outside the historic center. The guests there said we could take a train back, but after walking to the station, we saw there were no ticket kiosks, it was a Sunday afternoon, and we had no idea where we might pick up a ticket.
4. Go in with a spirit of adventure. I thought it was a great opportunity to learn about Italian life.
We did two dinners: one in Sulmona and the other in Rome, so I will comment on both to give you an idea of the experience.
The two cooks who prepared the dinner in Sulmona were friends. They spoke almost no English, but the other guests included an Australian couple who were learning Italian and a Sulmona native who spoke good English and knew both parties. With the varying levels of Italian/English we were able to keep the conversation going. The apartment where the dinner was held was lovely and the table exquisitely set. My grandparents are from Abruzzo and it was a special evening for me because I "recognized" the food and just the whole approach to the meal (e.g., at the end of the meal, we enjoyed various homemade liqueors).
In Rome, our hostess was younger (30s?) and we were joined by several of her friends, who were all young professionals. This was our hostess's first HomeFoods gig. She did a great job with the meal, but it did not leave her much time to sit down and talk (and she said one of the reasons for hosting was to practice her English). It was interesting for me to see first hand what the lifestyle for young professionals in Rome might be like (small apartment with nice furnishings and these crazy crooked glasses).
If you are interested in HomeFoods, I would recommend the following:
1. Check to see if your hosts speak English. For me, it was a great opportunity to practice my Italian, but if you cannot communicate, it could be mighty awkward.
2. Look over the menu. The cooks offer an experience in the regional cuisine, so you might see something unfamiliar on the menu, like baccala. We are pretty adventurous eaters so we were okay with anything that would likely appear on an Italian menu.
3. Make sure you have good directions. We took a cab to the Rome destination, which was outside the historic center. The guests there said we could take a train back, but after walking to the station, we saw there were no ticket kiosks, it was a Sunday afternoon, and we had no idea where we might pick up a ticket.
4. Go in with a spirit of adventure. I thought it was a great opportunity to learn about Italian life.
Jan 25th, 2014, 03:39 AM
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@Flame123 - I haven't stayed at the Marchese dell Grillo, but I have been inside and know a couple of people who have stayed. It seems to have that magic combination of something a little bit different and quirky whilst being bang up to date on comfort and services. Let us know if you choose Sulmona.
Jan 28th, 2014, 10:46 AM
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sorry to jump on your thread OP but im wondering if anyone has stayed in the village of Chieti? my husband's anscestors are originally from there and that is where we are looking to visit when we go to abruzzo. If anyone has stayed there could you recommend anywhere nice to stay or places to eat.
Thanks
Thanks
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