Day 20. Grazie Silvia

Abruzzo is a region of Italy that came to our attention as a result of Silvia Collaca’s cooking show, Made in Italy, broadcast on SBS. Just a few hours drive west of Rome, Abruzzo is a popular holiday destination for Italians. It is an area of great contrasts. There is an alpine region famous for its ski slopes and hiking in the summer. To the east, on the Adriatic, there is a coastal area popular with beachgoers. We chose to stay on the slopes between the mountains and the coast in a tiny rural village called Limiti, near Palombaro, Cheiti, where the first buds of spring are evident. 

Surrounded by grapevines, olive groves and green fields, dotted with charming, crumbling, old stone villas and sitting beneath huge snowy mountains, the view from every window is amazing.

Exploring the region is a little complicated as a result of the heavy rain and snow that preceded our visit. In Australia, after rain, our country roads tend to turn into a series of potholes. In this region the roads actually subside, often closing half of the road or the whole road altogether. Driving on the wrong side of the road is made even more complicated when half the road has been washed down the slope.

 The fascinating old towns and cities tend to be perched high on top of ridges, slopes and mountains. The most unique is Pennapiedimonte. The town is built literally into the side of a huge mountain. Many of the dwellings are actually caves, which have been extended and converted into stone houses. There are quite a few for sale and apparently you can pick up a habitable two-bedroom cave/villa for as little as 17 000 Euro. The views are great but employment options, public transport and easy access to shops, schools and healthcare might be a bit of a challenge.

Breathing the clean rural air, greeting the friendly locals with our poor Italian and walking around the charming village laneways at dusk are some of the many joys of discovering Abruzzo. Grazie Silvia!