‘Family’ (la famiglia) must be one of the very first words an Italian (any Italian, whether native born or not) learns. It may even be a genetic thing… 😉 So when I heard that my daughter, Brooke and our son-in-law Ryan, were planning a visit in our direction, this mom was a very happy person.

As Ryan is a teacher in Santiago, Chile,  their month-long winter break falls in the middle of our summer. So, by coming to visit us, not only do they get to see family, but family in a very warm, sunny location.. Abruzzo, Italy. Their trip would begin with 10 days with us, then on to a few days in Turin before time in the French Alps. John and I make a list… favorites of Abruzzo that we had seen and a few on our must-see list. Also Ryan is a serious hiker and even though we could not hike at his level, we added a few family-friendly hikes into the mix.

Of course, the top of our list was to show off our new home and soon-to-be hometown, Roccaspinalveti. Gladly, Brooke and Ryan were eager to see the house, even with their serious jet lag. As we had friends planning to pick up some furniture from us, we set off on the first full day of vacation to Rocca.  Our day in Rocca was filled with lots of laughs with new friends, DJ & Shawn and four of their nine children! , moving some furniture,  lunch at a favorite bar in town, and finishing up with a fantastic hike to the town’s ancient ruins and wind farm.

And to fortify all of us, as the vacation evolved , were some exquisite meals, courtesy of John or local restaurants. Food was obviously a big focal point of the vacation.  Most evenings, when fixing at home, I could hear either Brooke or Ryan getting some pointers as they assisted John in the kitchen. Every meal was a feast for the eyes and the taste buds.  Here are some of the mouthwatering dishes we indulged in….yummy factor high. 😉

And the sightseeing continued…

Local cities on our to-see list were Atri & Citta Sant’Angelo, both about a 15 minute drive from our farmhouse in Valle Piomba. Atri is our comune and the hill town where we do the most business, such as bank, cellphones and wifi, Italian lessons, produce market and so on. It’s a perfect town to relax and people-watch from a bar on the main piazza. We did tour an interesting museum and cloisters attached to the main Duomo – Museo Capitolare di Atri. We were taken by surprise, as the collection is extensive and interesting. The cloisters were peaceful, but cisterns under the church were closed at this time. The Duomo is going through a restoration due to damage from an earthquake a few years ago, and this may be the reason for the closure. There is an impressive chapel attached to the Duomo that is open for prayer and viewing.

Citta Sant’Angelo, another hill town, has been sadly ignored by us and we just came to that realization on our visit with Brooke & Ryan. It was a Sunday morning and the town was bright and colorful with flowers adorning residences and businesses alike. Two weddings were just about to begin, monopolizing two separate churches. Honking Fiat 500s careened up into town, carrying exquisite brides in their stunning dresses. They posed for their ‘before’ pictures, then gathered up their wedding party members and satiny trains to enter the cool stone vestibules.

Our group walked the old town through some narrow passageways and eventually ended up at a gelateria. Well, it was a very hot steamy day and refreshments were needed. As we enjoyed our melting heavenly concoctions, both weddings were exiting their respective churches.  We had the pleasant surprise to see one of the wedding couples greeting well wishers and toasting champagne in front of their church … mainstreet Italy! It made me smile to see their joy…center stage in their hometown among their friends and family. We ended our visit at a belvedere with a playground. Aren’t we all still children in some way or another?

Scanno, being one of our favorite stops in Abruzzo, was on the list. Ryan added Sulmona just up the road and that rounded out another day of amazing sights. I’ve recently shared my thoughts on that town in my posting Scanno..where it all began.. for us. Sulmona had been a quick stop for us a few years back to talk to a realtor, so this was the ‘first’ visit for us. Unfortunately, due to the afternoon heat, we once again did a cursory tour. Sulmona deserves much more from us. We will make it happen in cooler weather.

And the vacation continues….  An easy circuit hike took us from Santo Stefano di Sessanio to the well-known Rocca Calascio and back. The fortress is truly awe-inspiring in its structure and location, and the chapel graces the landscape. This is a favorite sight for many to visit. There is a quick climb from below for those not wishing to do the longer circuit hike. And yes, I am a huge fan of the campy movie, Ladyhawke…it’s all part of the mystique and draw for many folks. But I hope my husband’s photography says more than images of Michelle Pfieffer and Rutger Hauer. 😉

We then continued on to Campo Imperatore… no words for this amazing, spectacular place on the planet…It is known as “Little Tibet” and rightly so. We will definitely return for some trekking and just being in the moment..

There were other places and sights, but truly the best part of the vacation with Brooke and Ryan was the downtime at the farm. Whether we were in our separate places..reading, napping, playing with the dogs, bike riding, or together time – preparing and eating meals, walks around the vineyards and olive groves…it was all about connecting and family. Our lives move too fast unless we consciously choose to slow them down. And too quickly time with family races by. I will treasure every moment and keep this special time with family close to my heart.

Next time they visit, we’ll be doing southern Abruzzo and Molise… Stay tuned and ciao for now…