Loads of fun and I encourage you to watch if you enjoy beautiful places to stay and food porn! We headed home by train, picked up our kitties that were sulking at the kennel and Im already planning the cammino for next year! But know this about John and I; we have a higher compass that we trust. We even buried a statue of St. Joseph in our front yard ;-). Crispiano Taranto, 24.5km/15.2m. In fact, my mothers father, Carlo De Felice, was born in San Salvo, only 40 minutes from where I live now in Italy. Once we completed that, we headed out onto the trail, skimming the edge of the valley as we worked our way down to the river. We were required to train with the group 50% per month and training was every Saturday night or Sunday day. A tribe is a group of people, or a community with similar values or interests, a group with a common ancestor, or a common leader. There is a park kiosk here where we were able to get our cammino passport stamped as well as obtain tickets for a self guided tour. Come join the discussion about During this time, I found out that I had cousins from my mothers family living in San Salvo. We planned to visit the US and family planned to come to see us but then COVID hit and plans were crushed. John opted to watch our packs, as he and I both started this cammino with compromised knees due to recent injuries. I encourage you to browse the various pages of this site to better understand the objective of the project, which involves the Alto Vastese and Valle del Trigno Study Center (altovastese.it). The gauge is that your pack, with all your stuff apart from food and water, should be about 10% of your body weight. . During my adult years, a desire to visit my familys homeland grew stronger. A note about lunches, every day we packed Il pranzo al sacco, whether a pizza, panino or some other bar type food. I encourage anyone seeking their Italian relatives to gather all information needed and not give up. Abruzzo, Italy 1 Retire in Abruzzo. With castles, fortresses, historic art-adorned cities, perfectly charming stone towns on hilltops, and more than a third of the region protected as park land, there are plenty 2 Lifestyle in Abruzzo. 3 Cost of Living in Abruzzo. 4 The Takeaway. Then there were the solid bonds built between me and the people of SAR, whether in my group or throughout the state. We did drop off our pets at the kennel, met up with Alex to ride-share from end town (Serramonacesca) and parked our car for the week. After a short visit, we returned to the valley trail then picked up a route to take us out of the valley to the hamlet of Decontra. Roccaspinalveti now has a couple more rentals and B&Bs and we are happy to see this trend in our town. I contacted the comune office in Tufillo and was put in contact with the deputy mayor. Whether its having Italian radio or TV on in the background, listening to YouTube and TedTalks, comprehension will improve. Quick note about lack of food pictures. The next step was a bit precarious and sensitive. I am still amazed that weve taken to a townhouse in the center of a small village. This I wanted to replace with a deep soaking bathtub and shower combo. And Alberto located a few of my cousins alive and well in San Salvo! Just a thought. So we moved to Abruzzo, rented a farmhouse and started to look at houses with a few realtors and ended up, happily, here in Roccaspinalveti with a house of two complete apartments! We found some great places to hike only 1/2 hr from the house; our favorite just outside of Castiglione Messer Marino in the area of Oasi Naturale Abetina di Selva Grande. He is the type of mountain guide you can trust with you life, but also a fun guy who shares his wealth of knowledge and absolute love of the mountains with you. A clan is agroupofpeopleofcommondescent;family. But whether or not you do, take it slowly, build your network of close friends both in your native language and locals, and enjoy this walk that you have begun in this amazing country. To think of the number of sheep that passed through this area years ago, is extraordinary. Roccaspinalveti has been an amazing place to live. I did not know what to do next. First couple of days, we purchased lunch at a bar before we started out. Nationality: British/Italian Ciao Mr Pete Coles is a Brit living in Italy. Italy has always been welcoming to foreigners who wish to buy property in their Storage space is at a premium in our downsized home and the need for additional storage and workshop space for John was important. Level of commitment was high. This time it was for Cantina di Biffi Vineria con Cucina just a short walk from our rooms. But let me back up a bit prior to this new lockdown. For those younger than us, we would grant the week would not have been as daunting, but as we three are all in our 60s, with me a few months from 70, it was an eye-opener. It was so heartening to see young adults getting gardening instruction as we walked past them early in the morning. Again, a lot of work with not much return when you consider that I was doing all the laundry. Weve compiled a list of the 12 best places to live in Italy based upon expats recommendations. I am sure that we will discover more once we are there full-time. Youll see in the pictures below where he added a step for us to enter the deeper style tub/shower combo. John and Giacomo are on the upper level finishing some plastering and tomorrow they will continue on the tiling. But as of June 1, it appears that COVID restrictions on inside eating will be lifted. Its situated on the spine of a ridge, and just a few minutes out of town, there are lots of hiking trails and country roads to be discovered. My last, dear Romeo, was the best of my best. They so love to work when their rewards are food, toys and praise Training with them was always the best part of SAR for me, and their devotion to me and their work unfathomable. But at our age retirementwe just didnt need the hassle. It was our first cammino and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We are happy pilgrims. This is so very different from years ago, when backpackers would go out with huge packs containing way too much heavy gear. This would be one of my favorite days as the views are long and wide and very green this time of year. It was wonderful to catch up with everyone and my language skills got a good workout. Its exact age of the structure is unknown, due to missing records, but an estimate puts it at 250-300 years old. But after the month of August, when European holidays end, it got quiet for us. Six stages that allowed us to visit 2 abbeys and 7 hermitages, retracing the steps of Petro Angeleri the hermit who was elected Pope in 1294. Now the goals for updating our home here in Rocca are a sweet response to us finding family! Recently, his skills in painting and tiling have factored into the updating of our master bathroom, entrance hall and kitchen. A day for another well-known and stunningly beautiful hermitage Eremo San Spirito A Maiella. My mom and dad were both born in Brooklyn, New York in the early 1900s. Our destination this afternoon was a bit further than expected as we had booked a B&B in the town of Roccamorice. And its important to keep your connection to friends in your original homeland. It was a grand gathering with six of my cousins! A dream realized. Weve been pushing hard on updates, as we have decided to sell our home here in Roccaspinalveti and move closer to the Adriatic Sea, in turn being closer to my San Salvo cousins. John and I divided the labor. I shifted gears, got certified with a police dog association and became a Special K9 Officer (strictly volunteer) for the Nelson County Sheriffs Office. So the packing of remaining household items continues. The desire to move closer to them naturally evolved and it has certainly intensified these past two years with COVID restrictions. It doesnt have to be a large tribe, but one that gives meaning to my day, my existence here in Italy. Moving not an easy process as many of you have experienced. Buck and I, after two years (this is about normal) became an operational team for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, as eventually my second and fourth dogs, Luce & Romeo. So to reconnect and add joy to my life, Im building a tribe of English and Italian speaking friends. What I came to realize is that I dont like being cut off from humanity, even though I do enjoy my solitary walks. As children, we were not allowed to learn or speak Italian. I was in the midst of training my third dog, Orso, a monster-sized Labrador. I choseTouring Abruzzoand with the wonderful help of Luciana and Alberto, the De Felice tree was fleshed out all the way back to the early 1800s. Views to Blockhaus, the Adriatic Sea, the Gran Sasso filled this day. As we are very avid promoters of this area, we then decided to offer the apartment on Airbnb & Booking.com. And during this search for my family, John received his Italian citizenship by being married to me (Jure Matrimonii). Once again, Oscar, our host, gave us a wonderful recommendation for dinner. We've compiled a list of the 12 best places to live in Italy based upon expats' No going back for me. Once the main kitchen is completed, we will turn the lower one into our dining area. After lunch we headed down from the pass in the direction of Caramanico Terme (a famous town here in Abruzzo for their thermal baths). This stone house belonged to his grandmother and he took ownership 10+ years ago. I did all the social media & website, handled the bookings, laundry, making up beds, restocking. John had a few projects, one being a retaining wall between us and our neighbors field. The majorities of these were never brought to our attention and only found after the guests checked out. My fathers family was from Naples (Giordano Americanized to Jordan) and my mothers family was from Abruzzo. Tufillo is a lovely small village inhabited by such big hearted people with a characteristic historic center dating back to the 13th century. the list is long. Paola located her dad, and we had a few wondrous minutes chatting away. -storage room for wine and stall area for animal such as donkey.) To enter this valley, you are asked to register at the park office at the edge of town. The sad outcome of the phone call was that a meeting was not immediately arranged. Our go-to source for tile at a reasonable price delivered was Edilizia Del Gesso srl in nearby Gissi, a great family-run builders supply company. During this scorching, record-breaking, hot, dry summer, we simmered under our ceiling fans day and night. With only 10 shy of 1000-strong inhabitants, Schiavi di Abruzzo is just the tonic for a quiet, pleasant retirement location. Bursting with history and character, the town is known for its finely crafted, uniquely decorated stone houses and for some beautiful panoramic views. The three-storey property available here is an excellent getaway. Now what should we do with the apartment below us? Now that I think about it, it was a big deal for me to hike with lady friends. After such a hot, dry summer, with treks and hikes difficult by mid-day, Im in a hiking frenzy. WebItaly is beloved by expats, global nomads and retirees. Dad must have seen something of himself in me so when I was a preteen, he took me on my first hike up a mountain. This was early May and we figured that maybe by mid July or so we would have some interest with serious buyers arriving in Abruzzo for the summer months. But not only having to say goodbye to our dear boy, but also a final goodbye to a way of life for close to 30 years. I hope for many more trails with these ladies. And I am certain we will also return to hike some of the mountain trails. Please humor me as I was in search and rescue in the USA for over 25 year. WebNationality: American Welcome to Sulmona For expats living in Abruzzo, there is no better resource than this blog, which provides information about what to get up to in the area. There was search strategy & scent theory, First Aid, dog obedience, multiple search tests for both my dog and I, radio comms, evac strategies and techniques, the list goes on and on. It will be an amazing day when we can all get back to having fun with our neighbors, friends and family! Do I enlist an Italian friend to come with me to interpret or just take the chance on my own? Having hope for better times keeps us going when were living through lockdowns. Abruzzo is also cheaper than more populous areas of the country. Our cats, Pierre and Sofie, will have few levels to run up and down as well as a new cat enclosure for the terrace. . William Russell's private medical insurance will cover you and your family wherever you may be. A few houses kept coming up on that list over time and a few I should have crossed off as way too big for just two old retired folks! Each one so different from the other, with their own talents, strengths and personalities. Casa in Avezzano on Via XX Settembre is a home furnishings and accessory retailer featuring a well-curated inventory at discount prices. But now that we are able to go out and be with friends and family, I found that I was experiencing a huge disconnect with my Italian friends with my rusty language skills. Until then have a blessed Christmas and Holiday Season! But truly the strongest and incomparable bond I had was with each of my amazing dogs. So I did my research and made a list of some village to village treks as well as some mountain trails. I got us off course a few times, nothing too drastic and we were able to jump back on after a short detour. Both John and I have lived most of our adult lives out in the countryside and certainly, whether in the US or here in Abruzzo, weve lived the past 20 years with few or no neighbors. Retire in Bari iStock.com/Jacek_Sopotnicki Still, we all gathered most weekends to enjoy the cooking competitions between the siblings. I think that the trees were talking a bit to each other. Both days had perfect weather, far-reaching views to the Majella and Adriatic, and stirring remains of civilizations and inhabitants long gone. So it is said that hiking longer hikes and more often doesnt actually get you in shape for hiking. It does make a difference, so do not give up on your dream. While they were standing there, I mustered up some nerve and asked them if they knew Michele. Here are a few pictures of the apartment and view. I do have to say our feet are a tiny bit tired. The length is good for us, just 90 km, so Romeo and Miss Kitty do not have to stay in the kennel too long. It was a very emotional day, as this helped to solidify the reality of my mothers family here in Abruzzo. John and Giacomo are working diligently to finish all the tiling so we can move in early September. So it began all about woods and dogs but it morphs into so much more! Socks that Ive found work best for my feet are Smartwool and Darn Sock. Expat Forum For People Moving Overseas And Living Abroad A forum community dedicated to expatriates and enthusiasts. The town boasts plenty of amenities; bakery, bar, pharmacy, post office, museum, grocery store, goat cheese maker, library, churches, doctors office, weekly market and travelling vendors. We added self-checkin with a lockbox for the keys. The entrance into the hermitage of San Giovanni is via a staircase and then through a narrow horizontal ledge that in the final part must be done belly on the ground. To have completed it and to have seen and experienced what we experienced, unforgettable. Four great dogs my friends, my confidants, my fuzzy children.. unforgettable. Many of the callouts for searches are at night, as usually the family looks for their missing person during the day, then when unable to locate their family member, they call the local sheriffs office by the evening. One final hike to share with you today and I thank you for your indulgence. My first search dog was an adoption from a work partner; a washed-out gun dog, a sweet, somewhat confused Labrador named Buck. Though it is not a circular route, and car transporting is necessary, its such a spectacular cammino, how could we not do it! Family was everything and my mom had 4 siblings, although my dad was an only child. Were in love with our house, with all its twist and turns from one level to the next, and as we slowly complete the interior and add our own touches, it is being transformed into our cherished home. We were excited! With only 10 shy of 1000-strong inhabitants, Schiavi di Abruzzo is just the tonic for a quiet, pleasant retirement location. If I had my way, wed hike every day! Many settle in larger cities such as Florence. Useless as far as an airport connection goes as Milan is 5 hours on the express. All three of us have embraced this great concept. I am sure all handlers feel the same about their dogs and rightly so. John and I both have strong hospitality backgrounds, with John as a professional chef and I had worked at a B&B as well as Customer Service/Tour guide at Virginia Distillery. Both outstanding. Even during COVID, we stayed open. So how did we find this gem of a house? We had space to accommodate 6 guests, but changed the setup to only allow up to 4 guests the following season. The chapter may have closed but it doesnt end my friendships and I will certainly not forget my dogs. The Italian language had not emerged nationally yet and the inhabitants of these lofty towns developed their own, as still heard today in the dialects of each individual town. I wouldnt say I got a balanced workout (even though I did try with some hand weights) but cycling definitely improved my lower body muscle strength with the added benefit of a good cardio push. We entered the church, then worked our way through the complex of rooms & staircases, climbing higher against the cliffside. And as our older cousins are unable to travel to Rocca in their advancing years, it just made good sense for us to cut the drive time so we could visit them more often. Literally we were building it with a few helpers, and it was a large home on a mountainside. The image below is one page of 4 of my spreadsheet. We didnt have much time to visit the hamlets and towns as we were averaging 11 tough miles a day with stops. All these individuals become part of your support network and many lifetime friends. Volunteer work is not for the faint of heart or for those with a family of small children. Over the past few years, we came to the realization that we were slowing downjust a little.. and to have a smaller home to care for was in our more immediate future. Expat Story #3. So truly our world, even right now, isnt that small, but rather large and grand. Apart from the stringent COVID cleaning regulations, which most days left me exhausted, there was the lack of privacy. Admittedly, we were exhausted at this point.. the 6 days rushing up to us as we toured the cathedral. And how are Pierre and Sofie now back from the kennel and acclimating to the new house? So we had three great years, with exceptional ratings by Airbnb & Booking.com. We did have some lovely guests from Belgium in October, just before we closed for the season. The hike was filled with long views, stunning fall colors, discoveries of ancient farmsteads and homes and the development of the Valle del Treste trail network. Finding this home here in the Frentani Mountains of Abruzzo, didnt actually scream downsize. Thankfully, with our few stumbles along the routes and a water slip, we all were able to smile and keep hiking. The list was varied with such lasting experiences they enjoyed as well as for us, meeting and hosting them. Well keep you posted of our next adventure here. Alex did an amazing job skimming along the narrow trail on her belly and entering the small hermitage. 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