Breakfast on a scenic Caribbean beach and lunch on a majestic Central-Asian highland, a few hours drive from each other. It is not science fiction, just a magnificent journey from Gargano peninsula in Puglia, along the Abruzzo coast an up towards the heart of “Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga”, one of the gems of Italian natural wonders.
The Italian peninsula is crossed from the Alps to Sicily by mighty Appenini mountains towering up to 3000 meters, a true joyride along scenic valleys and gorges, daring roads and ancient villages. The consequent geographic fragmentation is one more piece of the puzzle to understand the incredible variety of folk traditions, dialects, habits, look of the people and of course the bewildering array of Italian food specialities.
The Italian peninsula is crossed from the Alps to Sicily by mighty Appenini mountains towering up to 3000 meters, a true joyride along scenic valleys and gorges, daring roads and ancient villages. The consequent geographic fragmentation is one more piece of the puzzle to understand the incredible variety of folk traditions, dialects, habits, look of the people and of course the bewildering array of Italian food specialities.
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During the ascent to Gran Sasso mountain range the landscape changes slowly but continuously, from the semi-arid coastal plains cultivated with wheat fields, to the gently rolling hills covered with lush forests, up to the barren highlands starting after the village of Castel del Monte, one of the dozens of Italian locations bearing the same name.
The magnificent medieval fortress Rocca Calascio perched atop an impregnable cliff reminds us of “The name of the Rose”, and while we explore the village we come across a board covered with the posters of the many movies shot there, actually including Jean-Jacques Annaud´s masterpiece together with “Lady Hawke”, “Francesco” with Mickey Rourke, Richard Gere´s “King David”, “The American” an many more.
The magnificent medieval fortress Rocca Calascio perched atop an impregnable cliff reminds us of “The name of the Rose”, and while we explore the village we come across a board covered with the posters of the many movies shot there, actually including Jean-Jacques Annaud´s masterpiece together with “Lady Hawke”, “Francesco” with Mickey Rourke, Richard Gere´s “King David”, “The American” an many more.
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The views of the barren highlands are breath-taking, so wide open to remind Patagonia and at the same time Central Asia, even with the beautiful horses roaming around: add one of the colourful “yurta” tents which we loved in Kyrgyzstan, and a Genghis Khan movie set is ready.
The local attraction in this magnificent corner of Abruzzo aptly nicknamed “Little Tibet” is a small, low wooden building where we buy a generous batch of 14 “arrosticini”, the mini-skewers made of perfectly cubic pieces of lamb meat, a traditional food among farmers and shepherds.
What makes this small butcher shop unique, is the possibility to roast the meat yourself on the grill they prepared for us, while chatting with the owner and sipping cold beer.
The views and the emotions are hard to describe with words.
The local attraction in this magnificent corner of Abruzzo aptly nicknamed “Little Tibet” is a small, low wooden building where we buy a generous batch of 14 “arrosticini”, the mini-skewers made of perfectly cubic pieces of lamb meat, a traditional food among farmers and shepherds.
What makes this small butcher shop unique, is the possibility to roast the meat yourself on the grill they prepared for us, while chatting with the owner and sipping cold beer.
The views and the emotions are hard to describe with words.
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The ideal “base camp” up here at 2000 meters is the historic “Rifugio Campo Imperatore”, a resort whose façade saw better days when it was a premium tourist destination thanks to the funicular bringing visitors from Rome up to the ski slopes and the observatory.
It became famous in September 1943, when Benito Mussolini was kept prisoner in this building following the coup of the 25th July, when he was ousted by the Gran Consiglio of Fascismo in the dramatic days following the Allied invasion of Sicily. "Il Duce" was set free by a German paratrooper commando let by SS jackass Otto Skorzeny, which boldly landed with 4 gliders right on the hotel´s doorstep, in one of the most obscure and controversial operations of WW2.
It became famous in September 1943, when Benito Mussolini was kept prisoner in this building following the coup of the 25th July, when he was ousted by the Gran Consiglio of Fascismo in the dramatic days following the Allied invasion of Sicily. "Il Duce" was set free by a German paratrooper commando let by SS jackass Otto Skorzeny, which boldly landed with 4 gliders right on the hotel´s doorstep, in one of the most obscure and controversial operations of WW2.
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The atmosphere of the hotel is quite surreal, with Mussolini´s calendar on the wall (this location is a kind of pilgrimage site for Fascist nostalgia), Art deco´s wall paintings, a vintage grand piano which looks ready to entertain an elegant audience dressed in Charleston outfits locked in the room while a snow storm infuriate outside. And the funicular is out of order, forcing all the guests to the main hall: a perfect setting for an Agatha Christies “murder in the refuge” story. If you consider that the Italian Nuclear Physics research centre is dug right under the refuge, accessible through a 10-km long tunnel, you get an additional James Bond twist of plot.
The descent from Campo Imperatore is possibly even more scenic, we stop endless times to listen to the hypnotic carpet of sound of hundreds of bells played by the placid cows, admire rounded hills side by side to sharp triangular rocks and alpine lakes, definitely a place deserving a week of magnificent hiking, relax and more arrosticini.
The descent from Campo Imperatore is possibly even more scenic, we stop endless times to listen to the hypnotic carpet of sound of hundreds of bells played by the placid cows, admire rounded hills side by side to sharp triangular rocks and alpine lakes, definitely a place deserving a week of magnificent hiking, relax and more arrosticini.
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The small village of Isola del Gran Sasso is a good place to spend a night in the lovely agriturismo San Giovanni ad Insulam, built shoulder-to-shoulder to the homonymous 12th Romanic century church decorated with surrealistic mythological animals by the Benedictine monks of Montecassino abbey, site of a famous WW2 battle. Just a coincidence on our way to Norcia (the birthplace of San Benedetto) or another mystery?
Follow us on the next episode of Cook & Meet Italian adventures: “THE QUEST FOR THE HOLY HAM”
Follow us on the next episode of Cook & Meet Italian adventures: “THE QUEST FOR THE HOLY HAM”
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