2 fatty boombahs in italy

Monday evening.
We’ve had a really big day.
Hired a car in Sulmona and drove to Pescara, nice little coastal town and had a little look about then decided to head home and visit some of the quaint little villages on the way. Talk about being where to real Italians Live and play.
There were snow covered peaks all around us and in the distance we could see a huge church and its little village, way up on the highest edge of a valley. We had to stop a few times for directions and it’s a hoot watching Russell (who is getting very good at Italian) asking directions while fighting a map in gusty wind.
We drove up and up until finally we pulled into the village next a to little garden bar and coffee shop. By this stage we were ready for a loo break so hustled into the bar, and sent the guys to the counter to order something to be polite. By the time we made it back out Brad and Russ were in full conversation with the owner, a guy from Box Hill in Melbourne. It’s so funny how we stumble into the right place etc.
He gave us directions to another gorgeous village and by the time we’d done that it was time to head home. Russ asked directions from a nice Americano lady who told us yes it was only 35 km back to Sulmona but it was across the mountains and we’d better get going quickly before it was dark as it was a dangerous road. We headed of quick smart and as we settled into the climb scooting around the hairpin bends I noticed the full moon rising over the mountains…just in time to pass the cemetery and all its mausoleums. I tell you I was a bit spooked. The higher we went the more desolate it became.
The road was very rough, in places it had slipped completely down side of the mountain. Brad drove like a legend and apart from being bought to a halt by a lowly cowherd and his 20 odd girls, complete with cow bells it was an uneventful trip home.
Makes me think though…this is werewolf and vampire country…this is where the folk stories originated…and last night after brad and Trish went to bed it was started to blow up windy so Russ and I put on our warm coats to go for a walk. We were out for about 15 minutes before the whole night time, gothic horror feel of the place got to us. We’re going to try to do a mini video for you one night and post it on the blog to give you a feel of the place at night. WWWWoooooooOOOOo! Scary!!!!
Talk later Russ’s turn now.
LinX


From the desk of Rosario,
What a fantastic day, I am sitting with a full tummy in front of a warm fire with a glass of “ Montelsi” Merlot, no TV no radio…just the sound of the wind on the windows
We stopped and got fruit and vegies from the roadside vendor, we had a tasty Italian lunch overlooking the snow covered mountains and a valley decorated with patches of colour from fields of grain and olive groves. Villages of different size dot the sides of the mountains each one seems older than the next.

Enough of that bull, the place is older than Jesus and looks it, petrol for the car works out to be about $2.20 a litre, other than that it’s a nice place.
Stopped on the side of the road to ask a man directions, he was selling really badly painted garden gnomes and plant pots in the shape of the virgin Mary, but he was helpful, I was navigating so of course we went the wrong way and it is no wonder as these idiots over here drive on the wrong side of the road!!! In fact even there cars are stupid, the idiot who made our car even put the steering wheel on the wrong side and the gear stick smack in the middle of the dash, no bloody wonder Brad was having trouble with his left and right turns.
The other drivers must have known we had a dodgy car as they kept signaling support to us with there horns and headlights! And when they passed us they waved really hard at us. Very friendly these Italians.

Tomorrow we are of to see some castles and museums and other old stuff, hopefully some more churches too, besides needing all the help I can get they are fantastic inside, saw one today that was hundreds of years old but the inside was indescribable, absolutely beautiful.
Until next time

Rosario.