Before I start the daily updates, I should explain a little more about this trip. Thirteen years ago I did this trip with Stephan, my late husband. It is still one of my favorite trips. Over the years I have reached out to Massimo, the owner of AbruzzoCibus to try to do this trip again but with a group of friends. Each time I was not able to get enough people to make it worthwhile. This year Robert and I decided to do the trip whether or not anyone else came along. Robert said I was crazy to think I could get enough people for a group, but I put it out to my friends and within a few weeks had seventeen people committed to making the trip. I am extremely blessed to get the chance to experience this trip again especially with the group of friends who have joined us. And so the tale begins….
Sunday, July 6
After a little concern over some delayed flights and hectic drives to the airport through flooded roads, all of our party made it to Rome. Our driver, Giovanni, picked us all up at the airport and we began the four hour drive to Carunchio.
We were given a welcome drink and appetizer then shown to our rooms to unpack and get ready for dinner, a four course feast complete with all the Montepulciano, the local red wine, we could drink.
A small snag occurred when we realized that an antique palazzo does not come with modern air conditioning. Well perhaps I should amend that to say we have no air conditioning at all!😳 Fortunately the breeze up here is good and we have an amazing group of adventurers who are all adapting quite well. We are the only ones in the palazzo so we have made ourselves at home and are sleeping with the windows open and fans blowing. Good news is that the weather is supposed to cool down tomorrow evening.
After a full day of travel and full tummies we went to bed to prepare for tomorrow’s first cooking class.
Monday, July 7
Today we cook. After a beautiful breakfast of fresh fruit, yogurt, mozzarella, salami, and the most mouthwatering chocolate croissants you have ever tasted, we began our first cooking adventure.
After a nice long siesta, which we needed to recover from our amazing meal (yes, we did amazing!) we headed to an olive grove to learn about olive oil and how it is produced. we learned a lot about the olive oil we get in the store and how we should be looking for olive oil that is produced closer to home to get the freshest product possible. (I guess I will be visiting Central Texas more often!) Then we got to taste the olive oil produced at this grove and it really is soooo much better than what we buy in the store.
We returned to the palazzo and how our second phenomenal dinner in a row. Only three courses tonight which we were all happy to see. We are going to weigh a ton when this week is over!! As before lunch and dinner included all the Montepulciano we could drink.
Tomorrow we make pasta!!
Tuesday, July 8
We were very happy to see our leftover amaretto cookies at breakfast this morning. Yummm! We also had fresh fruit, yummy cheese and ham, yogurt, and another pastry with thinly sliced apples inside. Fresh orange juice and cappuccinos and we were ready to cook our next lunch. Today is pasta! Some confusion over some lost aprons was quickly resolved and we entered the kitchen. To our delight we began with preparing our dessert – Tiramisu!!! Dino explained that unbeknownst to most of us, tiramisu was originally considered, most delicately, an aphrodisiac, or more accurately, ancient Viagra. Now, I’m not sure how effective it was in that respect, but I can say it is one of my favorite desserts.
After making our tiramisu we made our pasta sauce, Salsa Alla Boscaiola, or lumberjack sauce. It consisted of mushrooms, onions, pancetta, green peas, and fresh tomatoes.
Now it was time to make the pasta! we made gnochetti rigatte. Dino explained that we should use flour made of durum wheat and that it should not be too processed. He said the processing increases the gluten and makes it less healthy. I’m definitely going to have to check this out. If I can make pasta healthy, I’m in!! We mixed our pasta dough (semolina flour, salt, olive oil, and water), made our “snakes”, cut our “pillows” and rolled them on the boards to form the pasta and give it ridges.
After making our pasta, we were given a 30 minute break and the we were rewarded with the results of our labors! It truly was fantastic pasta!!!
This afternoon was just chilling around the palazzo. I went over to check out the spa. We have massages scheduled tomorrow afternoon. A nice rainstorm cooled everything off and then we had a wine class where we learned everything from the vine to the glass. We finished the day with another amazing three course dinner!
Tomorrow we head to Vasto, a fishing village, and a fresh seafood lunch!!!
Wednesday, July 9
Today we went to Vasto. We started the day with a guided tour by Claudio. He told us about the history of Vasto and the noble family, the D’Avalos who ruled the area. We walked some beautiful streets and saw some relics in the “big” church. Then we had about an hour on our own to walk around and enjoy the town. As is our custom, we found a cafe overlooking the sea to have a drink and people watch.
Next we boarded our bus for a short trip to a trabocco, a fishing house. Massimo explained that the fishermen invited the farmers to come down to the sea and fish but the farmers were scared of the sea. So, the fishermen built houses over the sea so the farmers could fish. There are only seventeen of them and they are all in Abruzzo. You can’t build a new one but if you have one of the originals you can renovate and repair them. We were blessed to have an amazing (I know I say that a lot but it fits) lunch of seafood caught that morning on the trabocco.
It was very cool to revisit some of the photos I took thirteen years ago compared to today.
After lunch we hopped back on our bus and back to the palazzo for a relaxing afternoon. Spa time and massages were on the schedule and were,yes I’ll say it again, amazing!!
Dinner was again three delicious courses.
Tomorrow we cook again and tomorrow afternoon – truffle hunting!!!
Thursday, July 10
I realized I haven’t shared any pics of our breakfasts which are pretty consistent with fresh fruit, yogurt, meat, cheese, and always a freshly made pastry of some kind. After breakfast we had a break and then started making our lunch. Today was peasant food consisting of cheese balls in tomato sauce, salad with Gorgonzola dressing, and biscotti. The cheese balls tasted like the best grilled cheese ever dunked in tomato soup. The Gorgonzola dressing was very mild and you would have to know there was Gorgonzola in it to have tasted it. Finally, there is nothing like freshly baked biscotti. Biscotti actually means twice cooked and we did bake it twice. It is not hard as rock and was full of ingredients that help with digestion such as cloves, anise, cinnamon, almonds, pistachios and dark chocolate. It also had some medicinal amaretto, anise liqueur, and sambuca 😉.
After a nice long siesta and a chance to pick up some souvenirs from the gift shop, it was time to hunt truffles. Only eight of us took up the challenge….
Maya and Bianca were the stars of the afternoon. They hunted the truffles, we just followed the dogs. We were allowed to bring home some of the haul to use on our pizza tomorrow night.
We got back to the palazzo just in time to wash up for dinner. Tonight mushroom risotto with Gorgonzola cream, beef with an Italian caponata and pistachio gelato with a homemade caramel sauce, chocolate sauce with Abruzzo spice, and Abruzzese rocks – caramelized hazelnuts and almonds. As always the magic carafes did not disappoint. By the end of the evening we might have been “on the wine”. IYKYK
Friday, July 11
Today we started with a tour of a cheese factory in Agnone. We learned about making mozzarella and caciocavello. Then we toured a bell foundry that makes the bells for the Vatican. They are the oldest family run business in the world and began in the 1300s. They especially like to employ autistic workers as they are great employees for the foundry. We were not allowed to take pictures inside.
After the bell foundry we took a walk through town and visited the cheese shop where we bought cheese that had been produced in the factory we visited. Then another walk through town for a great lunch of a sandwich – all locally sourced, and beer or wine. On the way home there was time for a photo op with Carunchio, our home base, in the background.
And then it was time to make pizza!!! We each got to make a pizza, stretching the dough, then topping it. We cooked them in a gorgeous pizza oven over wood coals. Then to our delight, Michael came with his accordion and the party started in earnest. Magic carafes of wine and plenty of Peroni!!
Saturday, July 12
Sadly, today we say goodbye to Abruzzo and head back to Rome. Some of our group fly out tonight, some tomorrow, and the rest of us are staying a few nights in Rome, and a small number are staying another week. Keep watching for updates over the next few days as Robert and I explore some lesser known sights in Rome.
We arrived at the airport, caught our shuttle to the guesthouse, checked in and hit the streets of Rome. First order of business was to get gelato from my favorite gelateria, Gelateria del Teatro. Robert ordered one scoop of cheese and cherries and one scoop of sage and raspberry. Sounds strange but it was strangely delicious. I ordered dark chocolate and wine and a scoop of cheese, almond, and fig. Robert thought the fig was a little too savory but the dark chocolate and wine was fantastic!!!
After gelato we walked to the Piazza Navona to see the Four Rivers Fountain (one of the major scenes in Angels and Demons). On our way to the Pantheon we found, of all things, a Mexican restaurant with one of Robert’s favorite tequilas. So, as we do everywhere, we spent some time chillin’ in Rome. There will be more photos of us as we chill around Rome. 😉Next on the agenda was the Pantheon. A quick photo stop and then to Campo de’ Fiori for Aperitivo. Cheryl and Deborah eventually met us there and we had a few drinks and some food and enjoyed the atmosphere before walking back to Piazza Navona to enjoy the nighttime vibe and have an affogato – gelato with a shot of espresso.
Sunday, July 13
We started the day with a cappuccino and croissant as one does when one is in Italy. Then we began our wandering. First stop was the Fontana Della Tartarughe, or the Fountain of the Turtles. The turtles were not original to the fountain but were added 1000 years later, supposedly by Bernini. Since Robert (and I) love turtles, this was a must see. On the way to the fountain we passed Largo de Torre Argentina. When wandering around Rome it isn’t uncommon to just come upon ruins. Pretty cool.
Next stop the Trevi Fountain. On the way we found more ruins of the Temple of the Nymphs. Robert was a little concerned by the line to get close to the fountain, but it moved quickly. Of course we threw our coins in. We love Italy and wanted to make sure we return.
The rain started on us while we were in line, but we’ve been rained on before so we decided to stick it out. We then decided to walk down the Via del Corso towards Piazza del Popolo. We were not alone. We walked down a little side area and found the Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, and Christian Louboutin stores. In the interest of frugality we decided to stop and have another cappuccino instead of a new pair of shoes.
The sky was not looking good and our stomachs were starting to rumble along with the thunder, so we started back towards the guesthouse keeping an eye out for a place to eat lunch. Apple Maps took us down some interesting streets and by a somewhat creepy Wall of Dolls. I’m going to have to research and get the story behind that one! We finally found a ristorante where we had a couple of bowls of delicious pasta and a couple drinks. Robert ordered a second beer and asked for a large. I don’t think he expected a liter of beer!! An Italian family, grandma, mom, dad, daughter, and grandson sat at the next table. Grandma told me she was 84 years old. While we were eating the rain poured out and with a bit of moving we got the baby out of the rain and all of use mostly dry. When the rain stopped, we asked for our bill and the waiter brought it to us. He told us there was no hurry we were welcome to stay as long as we wanted. However, it was siesta time and we wanted to get back before the rain started again. Fortunately we were right around the corner from our guesthouse and made it back for a nice long siesta.
Update: I looked up the Wall of Dolls and it is creepy for a reason. It is meant to bring awareness to violence against women. If you look closer at the wall, you will see pictures of women who were killed or were victims of violence. This was based on a similar wall in Milan.
Rested and hungry, it was time to venture out again for sustenance. I read a couple of articles before leaving our room looking for something local, yet not too touristy. I got antsy before deciding on any one place, so we decided to just go out and see what we could find. The weather was still not working in our favor and I couldn’t seem to put my hands on my umbrella. So, we went out knowing that we might be wet before the night was over. However, that did not detain these adventurers and we set out. A few blocks away, I saw a name from one of the articles that I recognized and so, hungry and deenergized (not really) from our search, we went in. I used my small amount of Italian to ask for a table for two and we were seated inside the Enoteca Cul de Sac. It is known for its vast wine selection, and in that area, it did not disappoint. Still full from our pasta at lunch, we decided to share one plate of cheese ravioli and a bottle of Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. I think the server was a little disappointed by our small order, but we did at least order a bottle of wine. The server may have been disappointed, but we were not!! The ravioli was delizioso. There were three enormous ravioli with a butter, citrus sauce and a very healthy amount of grated parmigiana reggiano and crushed pistachios. It is a good thing that we decided to share, because I would have eaten the whole plate by myself! The wine was also excellent and we enjoyed the bottle. The good thing about sharing an entree is that it allowed us to order two desserts. First, an almond tart with oranges and ice cream with sabayon. Unfortunately, (for you) we were enjoying our wine and when dessert came, I forgot to take a picture. During dinner, the rains came with a vengeance, however, about the same time we finished our meal, the rain let up enough that we could again venture out. Satisfied and in food afterglow, we headed back to our guesthouse to rest up for tomorrow. Tomorrow we head to St. Peter’s Basilica (we did not get to see it on our last trip) and hopefully after the Basilica we will stop by the Castel Sant’Angelo. Until tomorrow….
Monday, July 14
This morning we slept in and when we got up and moving, we started wandering toward Vatican City. We have skip-the-line tickets today to see St. Peter’s Basilica. We saw the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel last fall when we were in Rome so today it’s time to see the Basilica. We arrived in record time and stopped at St. Peter’s Cafe (lol) for a croissant and a cappuccino. You can tell we were in a touristy area since the same breakfast we had yesterday near our guesthouse for 10 euros, was 20 euros near St. Peter’s Square! After breakfast we stopped by the tour office to verify the plans and were told to return at 12:15 pm at which time they would lead us into the Basilica avoiding the crowds. We walked a couple of streets over and did a little window shopping. There are a number of places selling beautiful Italian leather goods, but they were not on my shopping list today. On Borgo Pio, we found a number of shops selling religious items as well as clergy attire. It never occurred to me that we would find these, but I guess it makes sense. I realized on the walk over the I forgot something to cover my shoulders when I enter the Basilica. I guess it’s a good thing there are so many souvenir shops. I was able to find a scarf I can drape over my shoulders and then convert into a hatband. Win-win! We had another couple of cappuccinos while we waited for 12:15 and then walked back to the tour office and were escorted into the Basilica. We entered through the Vatican grottoes, which I had missed in my original time in Rome. From the grottoes, we went up the stairs and were immersed in the beauty of the basilica. There were a number of visitors and some frustration as we maneuvered around, but all in all, the beauty of the Basilica is inspiring. We did not make it to the Castel Sant’Angelo today since everything I read said it was closed on Monday, but we did walk by it.
After visiting the Basilica we stopped on Via de Penetenzieri for a small lunch and a couple of drinks, then walked to a small place we found in Trastavere last fall that sells this wonderful street food called Trappizini and Suppli. Trappizini is kind of a pizza pocket with all the good stuff inside a piece of dough that you can carry. Suppli are rice balls with different sauces and items stuffed inside. I fell in love with the supply last fall and couldn’t wait to get back here today. We were hot and tired when we finally arrived at Trappizini, but an Aperol Spritz and a glass of white wine and we were revived enough to make the last trek (with a stop by the Patron embassy in Rome – LOL) to the guesthouse for a late siesta.
