It took us a few days to recover from our trip to Bologna. It was a long, hot long ride home. Then one day, in talking with Maria, we decided host a July 4 picnic. Well, it’ll be July 3 because July 4 is not a holiday in Italy. We’ve invited our neighbors and some of our new expat friends. We’ll have to clean out the garage and see if the refrigerator that’s been stored there for years even works. More on this later.
On Friday, our foraging friends returned to help finish cleaning up the yard around House 1 and to mow. The grass/weeds had really gotten tall from the rain we’ve had. It certainly needed a trim. Marta and Rafael arrived about 7 and left about 10:30. Mike stayed with them to “help” and answer questions.
Maria had to go to the ASL (health office) in Vasto to check on something and offered to let me ride along and translate for me when I asked about getting a Tessera card (Italian health card). Both efforts were a bust. She didn’t get a straight answer to her question, and I was told that since I never paid into the health system, I would have to pay an annual fee. You pay one fee based on your income level for the whole year, so if you pay in June, it’s the same as if you pay in January. For Mike and me, the fee is about 2,700 euros. Considering that covers all costs, with the exception of nominal charges for a few tests, that’s pretty reasonable. We will wait until January, though, since we have private health insurance now that will cover us.
When we returned home, Mike and the crew had finished up. I was ready for our weekend trip, and Mike took a quick shower, we had a light lunch, and took off for Sulmona. We were really looking forward to this trip. Sulmona has a lot of history, and it’s where “confetti” originated. Confetti is candy-coated almonds. They come in various colors and flavors. I remember my grandparents throwing them at a bride and groom as they left the church after their wedding. It’s a big tradition here, throwing these hard candies for good luck. Well, it’s Italy.
There is a large square in the center of the town of Sulmona and along one side is the remains of a large medieval acqueduct. It’s pretty impressive. You’ll also see in the photos a statue of Ovid, the Roman poet who wrote about love. He was originally from Sulmona.
We had signed up for an historic train ride through the Majella mountain range to a town called Carovilli. The train was scheduled to leave the station at 8:30 a.m., and return at 7:30 p.m. The trip included a hotel and dinner that evening. But, since it was an hour and a half drive from home to Sulmona, we arranged to stay the night before the tour, too. And this was a good decision. Our hotel, Villa Giovina, was about a 10-minute drive from Sulmona, quiet and secluded. There was a lovely swimming pool and terrace with a picturesque view of the mountains. Our meals, two dinners and two breakfasts, were delightful.
At dinner on our first evening we noticed a small light way, way up on the mountainside. We asked our waiter what it was, and he shrugged his shoulders. It’s a hermitage (“eremo” in Italian). It dates back to the 14th century. It’s famous habitant was Pietro da Morrone who, unknown to him, was elected to the papal throne with the name of Celestino V. He quit after 4 months and was imprisoned by the succeeding pope. I love finding these little bits of history.
The train was a well-restored antique pulled by a diesel engine. A lively group of musicians entertained us during both legs of the trip. I took a video of them for you to see. The scenery was, again, breathtaking. Carovilli was a charming town. You will see a photo of me next to the statue of Bacchus, the Greek god of wine and ecstasy.
Our second meal at the hotel was, again, delightful. Never before have we stayed at a hotel that included primo piatto, secondo piatto, verdure, insalata, dolce, AND a full bottle of wine. Did I mention the magnificent view?
On Sunday we packed up and returned to Sulmona to visit the historical museum and perhaps the confetti museum. Many of the shops and museums were closed. And it was way to hot to hang around. So we had a light lunch and returned home.
Now we prepare for our first festa!
See our photos here.
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