ensuitepilgrim's Blog

A tempting fruit display and some fungi at the market.

Barbara had got a good line in roast chicken going.

In the council offices there are two reproductions of paintings by Edward Lear, who spent time here in the 1840s.

Of particular interest to Lear was the Abruzzo, which he visited in 1843, through the Marsica (Celano, Avezzano, Alba Fucens, Trasacco) and the plateau of Cinque Miglia (Castel di Sangro and Alfedena), by an old sheep track of the shepherds. ( Wikipedia)

Coffee by the old Post House on the square, then a local bus ride,€4.00 return to Sainte Marie.

( One thing I did notice en route is that fuel prices are even higher than the UK.)

The village of Sainte Marie housed the office of the Cammino Brigante as well as the museum. The obliging lady who handed us our certificates was also our guide for the museum. Apparently, our group had attracted considerable local interest being the first English group to complete the Cammino. Yesterday evening we were stopped twice in the old town by people who had heard about us! We were asked to pose as a group,for a photo, which happened again later in the museum – going to make the papers they said,proudly.

A short stroll brought us to the Palazzo Colelli, home of the Museum Dei Brigantaggio.

Our guide pointed out many things of interest about the Brigands and quite proudly expanded on the weaponry of a well armed female Brigante- leader.

Links to Italian unification were made and the short term liaison the Brigantes had with Garibaldi on his march Northwards. Apparently, none of the promises he made to the Brigands were being honoured so they swapped sides – he reminded me of certain contemporary English politicians – empty promises of £350 000 000 for the NHS, for example. Still I digress.

There were rifles, swords, knives and cutlasses on display and in a more peaceful room, a reproduction of a typical bedroom of the time. With an extraordinary bed warmer – a bowl of hot ashes from the kitchen fire – with a wooden frame to pre vent, hopefully, singing the blankets.

Then it was back to the community centre bar for mini pizzas before awaiting the bus back to Tagliacozzo.

We had an hour back at the hotel to freshen up. Earlier Caterina had presented Paolo with a card and a whip round from us as a mark of our appreciation for his time with us – his enthusiasm for his region, the Cammino, care of the environment, not to mention his encyclopaedic knowledge of the natural world engaged us all. A lovely guy and a great European! We also thanked Caterina with some special chocolates for giving us the chance to walk and enjoy this little known, as yet, wonderful region of Abruzzo.

Our driver arrived and we exchanged final hugs and good byes with Paolo before boarding the minibus back to Rome airport. A smooth ride and then a hassle – free passage through security. Homeward bound.

I am writing this on the flight and it feels as though we had been away a lot longer than a week. On reflection,everyday brought fresh and interesting things to see and sometimes to marvel at. Some decent climbs, too, which will help me, I hope,on my Camino Primitivo, early next month.

The food we were served, especially at dinner, was the best I can ever remember eating whilst on a European holiday – it was all locally sourced using recipes from the Abruzzo.

We had the pleasure of meeting and walking with two “new” members – Helen, Judy’s daughter and Maggie, a nurse from Nottingham – they were both great fun and we enjoyed their companionship.

As for the locals and all our hosts, well we could not have received better hospitality if we had been royalty – summed up by Anna, earlier in the week as she refused my payment for a round of drinks:-

“ No John, You Are My Guests…”

We were and we have all been very fortunate for a few ” bright” days.

“‘…in those few bright (Abruzzi) days’: Edward Lear’s landscaping gaze and the discovery of Abruzzo.

Came Höme with an additional letter to my name!

Another astonishingly situated town.

This was another enjoyable saunter, mainly alongside farm lands and the inevitable hillsides.

More sightings of Griffon Vultures above us.

And the Orsini Castle on the way.

Some of the group got carried away and did a spot of tree-hugging around a seven hundred year Oak Tree.

We reached the outskirts of Tagliacozzo and a veteran cyclist stopped for a chat and some photos – he was quite taken by Judy!

We entered the town through an impressive gateway and into the Obelisk Square.

After checking in at Hotel Marina, Paolo led a group of us on a tour upto and in to the old town. Steep in places and some intriguing doorways.

We then visited the Church of St Francis where the body of Blessed Tommaso de Celano lies – he is famous for being the biographer of St Francis and responsible for nearly everything that we know about St Francis.

On leaving the church we met a nun tending the flower tubs. Paolo asked her about the sisters’ daily routine, to his astonishment she cheerfully told him it was all on YouTube!

We then returned to the hotel for another great evening meal. Judy, like most of us couldn’t cope with all the grilled meat on offer and so she wrapped up a sausage and next morning at breakfast inserted it into a croissant for later.

Hotel Marina was a comfortable stay and someone with a GSOH drew the toilet signs.

And so it was goodnight from him.

View from the bedroom window,7.30 am; Breakfast in a cave, first time ever. Then we set off out of town to the plain which up until the mid 19 th century was an enormous lake.

This was a different terrain to previous day’s but really pleasant in the sunshine. Griffon Vultures were spotted circling high overhead.

After coffee we made our way alongside a river and below the foothills covered in wild flowers, encircled by butterflies.

En route to Castle Orsini passing door ways and the many ” vendesi” signs so common in all the habitats we pass through.

Goats frolicking and then an Oak tree, dating back to the 13 th Century.

Group photo on the steps of the St. Luzia Church.

After a very steep climb followed by a slippery descent in a rain shower, we reached our accommodation for the night – beautiful house and grounds – a loom and a log fire.

It was an excellent evening – the host joined in with the cards – didn’t stop Maggie from cheating!

I w et to see if I could help out in the kitchen, but the chef had it all in hand and produced a great meal for us.

The last photo is of local cheese, roasted in parchment – then dressed with a spoonful of Truffles.

Goodbye to our wonderful hostess, Anna and her husband – more delightful people you could not wish to meet – and off on our saunter to Rosciolo. The weather as forecasted was damp and grey, but everyone was in good heart as we made a gradual one hour climb along the slopes of the twin peaks of two mountains,2.400 metres high – catching glimpses of the higher slopes through the mist and drizzle.

Summer cattle shelters and a steepish slope, through occasional rain.

At the summit, after two hours, we paused and after a break for refreshments we made our way to S. Maria in Valle Porclaneta, where Paulo had arranged for a guided tour.

This church which dates back nearly a thousand years was built on the site of a Roman Temple. A small community of Benedictine’s monks lived and were interred here. A sacred place, reflecting Byzantine, Islamic influences over the centuries, including a visit from passing Crusaders, who left their mark(s), literally.

A fascinating structure, with unique elements – and despite an earthquake that destroyed the monks’ graveyard – still standing proudly in its mountainous setting. The frescoes are a treasure in themselves.

The pulpit and carving above the entrance to the altar are irreplaceable.

As our tour ended the rain became heavier for a while as we continued towards our resting place for the night. A fond farewell to a wonderful place.

Thankfully the rain soon eased and before long we reached Rosciolo for coffee and small pizza – € 2.00!

Our accommodation was B & B La Residencia, in the old part of the village – twin rooms and WiFi at last. Lovely place. After a shower and a break, three of us took a self guided tour of this semi neglected place – a mixture of restoration and ruins, with beautiful archways thrown in. At one time over a thousand people lived here; now a hundred or so, but it still retains its charm, with small lanes and views of the mountains, captivating doorways and bijou restorations around the main square.

As we were standing just across the square, a diminutive figure in traditional black dress came by,I wished her Buona Sera and she returned my greeting and stopped to talk .

It turned out that she was the church warden and asked us if we should like to see inside the imposing structure of La Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Gracie, dating from the 11 th century. This sprightly 90 year old the retraced her steps, unlocked the doors and switched on the lights for us to view the impressive frescoes dating back over five centuries.

After visiting two such memorable monuments we could have been forgiven for thinking we were on a pilgrimage rather than a Cammino. So, we repaired to the Bar de Torre. for a beer and some welcome olives. Quickly back to La Residencia for our evening briefing and then to Risorante Locanda dell Arco, for another delicious meal based on local ingredients.

A special Brigante menu followed by a digestif which some brigands found hard to digest! I loved it. Quickly back, past mysterious steps and doorways. It seemed like we had been away for far longer than four days and we have even more to look forward to.

“Left The hospitable Casa Bella Hostel, shortly after fine breakfast. After Paulo, our guide had briefed us on the local banditry, we set off on what was promised to be a shorter, but no less beautiful walk to Cartore Casore. Like many of the remoter villages, there were a number of boarded up dwellings and some almost falling down – a good investment we were advised as you pay no tax if there is no roof.

We soon reached the Riserva Naturale Regionale Montagne Della Duchessa – one of the largest in Italy. We were anticipating Coffee at Spedino but the cafe was closed – the owner had gone shopping,apparently.

There are a lot of forests in the Abruzzo and Lazio regions and wood burning stoves and fires are the norm,however, I had never seen such pride taken in its storage, before.

The views were dramatic and after pausing to look at the difference between Roe Deer and Wild Boar prints, expertly explained by our guide,Paulo, our attention was frequently taken by rare Orchids unique to this Riserva Naturale. Thanks to Maggie one of our party for some of the photos.

Some of us then took an optional climb up through a nearby gorge, pausing to take in the mosses and trees that thrived there.

it was quite a strenuous little excursion and we enjoyed a local beer in our hostel Casalidicartore, served by our welcoming host.

Paolo and Maggie, one of our Brigantes, photo taken from the mezzanine floor.

Later we enjoyed dinner on the mezzanine floor of the restaurant, supervised by,Anna.

Assortments of grilled meat and local vegetables are a specialty.

Sunday dawned misty over the mountains with a threat of rain and overcast which meant a change of plan for the day. Paolo explained that it would be pointless to climb up to a lake as intended because the cloud levels were so low there would be no views to enjoy and also Limestone becomes a treacherous surface when wet.

Our breakfast was notable for the quality of the homemade jam and cakes made by our talented and cheerful hostess.

So we set off alongside fields to biggest village in the area Corvaro di Borgorose and after three miles or so we could see the church tower and behind it the ancient hilltop village, now largely deserted.

The bells rang summoning the faithful to 11 o clock mass. Adjacent to the church was the town square in which stood two market stalls and a van sporting local fruit and vegetables – Helen, one of our group bought some fresh apricots, which she shared out as we enjoyed a coffee opposite.

There was a very imposing war memorial dominating the square.

We then made a short walk to the Museo Archeologico Cicolano, where we enjoyed the services of a guide.

This is a well designed museum and fortunately for us, all explanations were written in English as well as Italian. Some of the most interesting displays were from nearby Necropolis that had been built 2500 years BC and used in other epochs, sometimes with centuries between.

Some of the finds were startlingly beautiful, a necklace, bronze discs and statuary in particular.

After thanking our museum guide we were shuttled in Paolo’s car to the local brewery Birra Del Borgo,which looked quite unprepossessing from the outside…the interior was something quite different. State of the Art! Over a dozen drafts available and numerous bottled brews, including BRIGANTE .

I chose Water Melon Weiss simply because I was intrigued to taste a beer infused by Water melon, which although very refreshing is not a particularly flavoursome fruit. The beer was very good with a sour edge to it which was a perfect accompaniment to my Foccacia like sandwich of local salad and cheese.

Yet another guide for our tour and he explained how the business began fourteen years previously and soon moved to these much larger premises. Their driving force was to be experimentation and innovation whilst openly acknowledging the influences of more traditional beer brewing countries like the UK,Belgium and Germany, using hops and barley from various countries.The whole brewery system and pipeworks ( 42 km total length ) was custom designed mainly by their own workforce. They now export all over the world. Maggie’s photos at the Brewery.

On our return to the bar area we were given three very different beers to sample – strengths ranging from 4.6 ABV to 10.2. The latter being a hybrid of beer and local wine for sipping not supping!

We walked off these heady brews along the Camino Brigante, thankfully rain free. A number of Brigands were in need of some siesta time by then.

Flight from East Mids was fine and although it was late in the evening we were well driven to our first stopover, in a Mercedes Minibus.

Remote it was, but the evening meal was stupendous – This was just the first course.

After that was Homemade Pasta and then plates of grilled meat 🥩! Help…..

We met Paulo on the transfer from Rome and he was to be our guide for the whole trip.

Great guy. And very knowledgeable about our Camino.

The first day’s walk was a quite challenging in places – flooded paths, some mud and a feature all the way – loose stones. All of this was irrelevant. The views were great.

They speak for themselves- this is such an undiscovered region.

The water photo is a place where wild boars indulge in rolling about in the mud when the water level drops. It is also the site of an ancient Oak Tree.

Sadly, But inevitably younger people have deserted the villages we went through to find employment and fulfilment elsewhere.

A tough walk at times, today – walking poles so essential – lots of water fountains.

Old

Old, quaint streets .And an authentic Pizza Oven.

We walked and met good wishes from everybody we met – mainly locals – From our base we walked to a great bar an enjoyed a variety of locally sourced ales.

Then,back to base for Aperitifs and a sumptuous evening meal. Va Bene

WThe Abruzzo is already proving to be both challenging and beautiful – everything is arresting and memorable.