We all know about the best-laid plans: they don’t always work, right? So that’s how this Christmas was. But what an adventure it was!
Photos are: HERE
Mike and I were so excited when our daughter Kate Milde told us that she and hubby Lane and son Frank were coming to Italy for Christmas. How cool is that?
So, what did they want to do while here? The boys like to ride mountain bikes, and Kate said she was just happy to spend time with us and to get to know our new home and neighborhood. Since biking is big around here, there are tons of bike paths. Some are flat and paved, others not so much. Lane Googled bike trails around Citta’ Sant’Angelo, and was assured they could find some fun trails.
Then I got the idea that it would be fun to spend the holiday in the mountains where there are some challenging bike and walking paths. The boys could bike, and the rest of us could walk. Since last winter was mild – no snow – it was likely that we would be fine. And staying at an agriturismo guarantees good food. Plans began to take shape.
Our friend Leonardo recommended an agriturismo, al Peschio Pizzuto, in Scanno, a small hill town by a lake that’s shaped like a heart and has paths surrounding it. Since it’s been on our go-see list, I booked Christmas eve and Christmas night there.
The Mildes spent three days in Rome, then rented a car and drove to Pescara. We spent their arrival day (Saturday) in Pescara. We had a nice lunch, and walked around the town for a bit, then headed to our home in Citta’ Sant’Angelo. Things were starting off well. Fingers crossed.
In the meantime, we were invited to join an expat group for lunch on Sunday at an agriturismo in Citta’ Sant’Angelo. Everyone thought that was a great idea. So we signed up for it. The boys had found a bike path near Atri, a nearby hill town, that they wanted to ride.
So they took off Sunday morning in our car with the bikes, agreeing to meet us for lunch. It was a beautiful day – sun shining, and not too chilly. Their ride was a bit challenging, and one of the bikes got a flat tire. They said it didn’t matter, because by then, the hill on the path was so steep that they would have had to walk the bikes anyway. You need to see the photos, because the views are amazing.
Lunch was also amazing. We ate and drank for over three hours. The food was so good! And we got to meet some new friends and to introduce the Mildes to some of current expat friends. We cancelled our dinner reservation for dinner that night because we were all so full.
We had opened the sofa bed for Frank, and decided to just leave it open, which was comfortable for family. Probably wouldn’t do that for other guests, but it worked out fine for us. Very cozy. That evening, we just relaxed and watched TV.
Then the rain came. So Monday was an indoor day. I made an Italian lunch for everyone – my favorite recipe for penne with vodka sauce. Kate had found a restaurant in Pescara that interested her, so we had dinner reservations there. Lane wanted to buy an Italian suit to wear at a presentation he is scheduled make at a big techy conference. So we shopped a bit at the mall, but didn’t find anything suitable (pun intended).
There are several nice men’s shops in Pescara, so before dinner, with umbrellas in hand, we ducked into one of the better ones (Leonardo had recommended it, by the way.) The salesman was extremely helpful. He pulled a couple of jackets off a rack, then decided to show Lane the best. Oh my goodness. The jacket fit perfectly, as if tailor-made for him. So on went the pants and the vest. He walked out with a three-piece suit, and I think he is very pleased.
Dinner was at a restaurant called Quebracho, and it did not disappoint. The presentation, the food, the service were all top-notch. I will never forget the complimentary drink with a bubble that burst into foam when we toasted each other. So cool!
Tuesday we checked the weather. It was better here, but storm warnings were out for the Scanno area. I called the hotel, and they said that the roads were clear. Still, we opted to not take the bikes, since it was very likely that they would not be able to ride. Maybe we could hike/walk the trails…. Maybe.
So we headed out for our unexpected adventure. The roads weren’t bad until we got about 400 meters up the mountain. Then the snow came. Our car, Trooper, has good winter tires, but the Milde’s rental car didn’t. So when we came upon a pull-over area with other cars stopped to put chains on the tires, we followed suit. The challenge then was to figure out how to put them on. Thank goodness for YouTube! And thank goodness we still had cell coverage. Lane was able to get one chain on and we figured that that should be sufficient.
What a white-knuckle drive: narrow road, winding and snow-covered, with heavy snowfall often blocking our view. We were only within 300 meters from the agriturismo when both cars got stuck. The road up the hill from the main road to the agriturismo was covered with snow and had not been plowed or traveled. I called Leonardo to ask if he could call the folks at the agriturismo to come help. Unfortunately, no one came.
At the corner of the turn to go up the hill was a big statue of a pope. I can’t remember his name. I was just hoping that he would protect us. Eventually, we got our car moved to the side of the road, across from the pope. And then we got the rental car unstuck. We put all of the luggage into the rental car. I drove while the others pushed, leaving our car at the junction and hoping that a snow plow wouldn’t bury it.
Once I got the rental car started moving I didn’t stop. I made it all the way up to the parking area by agriturismo. I held my breath practically the whole way, because there was a very steep drop off the side, and no guard rail. I did feel a bit guilty about making the others walk up the 300 meters of the steep hill. But, hey, once I got that car moving, I wasn’t going to stop!
Finally at the parking area, I got out to make sure the car was secure. Then I turned to see if the others were coming. With the heavy snowfall, I couldn’t see anything. Then, slowly, I saw four figures plodding their way up the hill. It reminded me of a movie I saw once, where a pilot had been stranded in a snowstorm and the local Eskimos saw him emerge from the blizzard. I was just hoping the others weren’t mad at me for leaving them behind. But, when they got to me, they all cheered: “Yay for Mom! You got the car up the hill!”
Then we checked into our “home” for the next two days. The food was great, the wine flowed, and it was warm. We took a couple of short walks outside, but it was still too cold and snowing. Christmas lunch was food, food, and more food. Traditional Abruzzese pastas and meats. We were stuffed!
We had breakfast on Thursday then loaded up the rental with the luggage and Lane drove it down the hill while the rest of us walked. It was easier now that the snow had been packed down a bit. We were able to get our car unstuck (thank you pope, for watching over it).
The Mildes planned to drive to Rome, drop off their luggage at the hotel by the airport, then drive into the city to return the car and spend the rest of the day in Rome.
So, we all hugged and slowly made our way to the autostrada, where we waved Goodbye!
Hopefully, their next visit will be more relaxing and enjoyable, but, certainly, this was an adventure to remember.
Photos are: HERE
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