3…2…1…Abruzzo is officially region #18. Celebration time?

While I explored Abruzzo, I stayed in a hotel in Pescara but spent two days visiting Sulmona and Ortona. When I first told people I was going to Abruzzo, I was subjected to everyone’s opinions: some good, some bad. (In case you were wondering, Italians aren’t always so great at keeping their thoughts to themselves…I wonder if thats where my bluntness comes from 🙂 ) In this post, I’m going to take some time to look at all those opinions and let you know which ones are true and which are false.

Opinion #1: “The food in Abruzzo is great. You will eat very well there.”

SO TRUE.

I went to Abruzzo having high expectations food wise. What I didn’t realize was not only was I going to eat well, I was going to eat a lot. To explain this, let me tell you the story about how I hijacked an old man eating lunch in Sulmona. True life.

As I am traveling solo, I had to fight the natural inclination to eat at a self-service restaurant or get a panini. Wanting to experience typical food from Abruzzo I went to a recommended restaurant, Il Vecchio Muro. I sit down at my table for one and I look across the room…only to make eye contact with an old man. I smile and give him a wave. Next thing I know he’s calling me over to sit with him. I gather up my stuff, happy to have a lunch companion. However, this is where things get a little dicey (aka my hijacking).

Old Man: “I’m sorry I can’t see very well so I called you over here. Where do I know you from?”

Me: “Uhhh, you don’t know me. I’m not from here.”

Old Man: “What?”

Awkward silence ensues.

Me: “So…can I sit here?”

Pulls out chair and sits down without waiting for a response.

As it happens, Lucio is a native to Sulmona, has two kids, one grandchild (although he can’t remember her name) and was a banker back in the day. Lucio also helped me pick out some great dishes to eat. We started off with red wine from Abruzzo. Then he ordered gnocchi while I ordered this really yummy pasta dish.

After stuffing my face, Lucio decides we need dessert. I have NO idea what we ate, but it was some delicious mixture of cream, pie crust (maybe not pie crust but that’s what it tasted like) and berry sauce. Heaaaaaven.

To top it all off, while I was in the bathroom Lucio paid for the whole meal. (Told you I was a meal hijacker.) In conclusion, OMIGOSH YES the food is great.

Opinion #2: “There is nothing to do in Abruzzo during this time period. People only go there during the winter.”

Just. Plain. Wrong.

There was so much to see and do in Abruzzo that I was overwhelmed. I don’t even feel like I made a dent in the region, even after being here for three days. Abruzzo has so much history (castles!!!), nature and wonderful food that it doesn’t matter what time of the year you go – there will always be something worth seeing.

Opinion #3: “If you really want to see Abruzzo, you need to go inland.”

Truth.

I made the mistake of booking a hotel in Pescara, on the coast of Abruzzo. Pescara looks like any other Italian city on the water – it has a port, beaches, shops and lots of people. What I should have done was book a hotel in the center of Abruzzo (town such as Sulmona) and travelled from there. Unfortunately, because I didn’t do this I spent a lot of wasted time on trains, transporting myself to and from.

Now….5 REALLY COOL THINGS ABOUT ABRUZZO (that I learned all on my own)

1. Cleanliness

Abruzzo is clean. Really clean. To be honest, I was quite surprised by how pristine every city that I visited looked. Even Pescara, one of the biggest (if not the biggest) city in Abruzzo was crazy nice. Snaps to you Abruzzo for staying snazzy.

2. $$$$$$

Everything in Abruzzo was so cheap! Omigosh I could barely handle it. I can get a pizza for under 4 euros, eat a meal at a restaurant with dessert for 8 euros and get into museums for free! Now that’s legit.

3. Confetti

Abruzzo, specifically the town of Sulmona, is famous for being the creater of confetti – sugar coated almonds. They are typically given in Italy during special occasions such as weddings, graduations, and baby showers, to name a few. They come in all different colors and shapes, but they are especially known for their flower designs!

I chose three flowers for the colors of Italy!

4. Sulmona is considered the Sienna of the South

My first thought after reaching the center of Sulmona and walking around was how much the town reminded me of Sienna. They are both small towns, rich with history and unique traits. They are both located in the middle of the countryside with amazing views all around.
(Don’t believe me? Check out the blog post I wrote two years ago when I first visited Sienna)

5. (and my absolute favorite) The Museum of the Battle of Ortona

I could literally write a whole blog post about this, but I don’t want to ruin all the fun in case you ever go there yourselves. 🙂

Basically, during World War II, the city of Ortona was a popular place. In 1943, right after Mussolini was arrested, it was decided that the King of Italy must secretly go to Southern Italy to escape German capture. During this t period, Puglia has already been liberated by the Allied Powers and was under their control. In order to get to Puglia, the King and the royal family rode to Ortona where they sailed on a fisherman’s boat to Brindisi ( a city in Puglia).

**Fun fact: My grandfather was part of the Italian military in Puglia that was helping the Allied Forces. I just recently learned (thanks Bruno!) that my grandfather was one of the Italian officers that helped contact the Allied Forces regarding the King’s whereabouts since he could speak english!

After the King made it safely to Puglia, Ortona became a hotspot for German Troops. The Allied Forces sent soldiers to defend against the attack…Canadian Soldiers. Maybe I am just naive – but I have never heard of Canada playing a role in WWII. I was so intrigued to learn about their impact.

Skipping a bit of the history/military battle part (Sorry Patrick…I know that’s the stuff that excites you)…basically Ortona became a huge battlefield. A huge, deadly, dangerous, battlefield. The craziest part was that it was Germans fighting Canadians on Italian land. The city of Ortona was completely destroyed. The Germans bombed EVERYTHING – including their beloved church.

Model of how the Cathedral looked after the bombing

How the Cathedral looks today after being rebuilt

They overtook houses and made tunnels between them so they could move around/transport weapons without ever having to go outside.

Unfortunately, the Canadians were not prepared for this tactic. Nor were the Italian civilians. There was a huge death toll for all three parties involved – 600 Germans, 1,315 Canadians (total of 1,600 Allied Soldiers) and 1,314 civilians. 80% of the city of Ortona was destroyed. It was a horrific event for all parties, but especially for the residents of Ortona.

Replica Model of Ortona after the bombings

It was crazy for me, an outsider, to walk through the streets on Ortona because without the museum, one would have no idea that anything had ever happened. In the end, Ortona preserved and the town is as beautiful as ever. I will keep in my heart the people that this battle so greatly affected: peace & love.

Model of the Main Street after bombings

Current day picture of the Main Street