I almost backed out of trying to reach out to them. Without a professional guide, I took on the responsibility to put this all together. My mother always told me the story that he came over by himself at the age of 13, but I found out later that his entire immediate family came over with him when he was 17 years old. Thankfully just wet boots and socks, no major bumps and we climbed a short steep path to the remnants of the hermitage San Onofrio AllOrfento. Making plans is a concrete way to exhibit hope, and so I made some. As the house is about 45 years old, there was some cosmetic updating to be done along with a few major additions, such as adding a new boiler and double-glazed windows to our living space. No going back for me. It was a night training. During this time, I found out that I had cousins from my mothers family living in San Salvo. The gauge is that your pack, with all your stuff apart from food and water, should be about 10% of your body weight. We both have fully embraced our lives here. This motto will be my mantra when I hit the tougher sections, slow myself down, take smaller strides and just enjoy being out in the mountains with John and Alex. To enter this valley, you are asked to register at the park office at the edge of town. Think of the clans, groups of related people protecting and fighting for their loved ones. With fourth and final search dog, Romeo, and our house completed, I returned to K9 Alert for my final active years in SAR. I did give a huge sigh of relief when his ladder work was finished. It was wonderful to catch up with everyone and my language skills got a good workout. Until then wish us safe journey and a spirit of gratitude to enjoy this newly restored freedom. The weather, rural setting, friendly folks, and the mountains reminded us of our home in Virginia, but of course, we were in Italy. When the trail left the woods for a moment, we saw large dairy farms and some more trulli. What I truly want to share with you is how proud I am of us three and what utterly amazing experiences we had every single day. My first search dog was an adoption from a work partner; a washed-out gun dog, a sweet, somewhat confused Labrador named Buck. We also chose to stay at B&Bs and hotels instead of camping. Times and technology have given us the freedom to go light and Im loving it. Searches could be anywhere in the state of Virginia. 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. Weve compiled a list of the 12 best places to live in Italy based upon expats recommendations. We added self-checkin with a lockbox for the keys. Our first hermitage San Onofrio Al Morrone was just a short hike up the trail from the Abbey where it clings precariously to the side of the mountain over looking Badia, Sulmona and the Valle Peligna. This I wanted to replace with a deep soaking bathtub and shower combo. WebExpats In Abruzzo, Italy If you are looking to connect with expats in Italy, then this page brings together all the latest expat blogs Italy written, any interviews, articles and news All of this ties me closer to my family. 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. But first let me back up a bit and give you some history of my family. Sue moved to Le Marche in Italy from London in the UK in May 2013 after falling in love with the country during a holiday. Its important, when walking a cammino with your weeks worth of clothes, etc. I missed all the amazing stories Grandpa Carlo had to share, and now it is too late, sadly to say. Both days had perfect weather, far-reaching views to the Majella and Adriatic, and stirring remains of civilizations and inhabitants long gone. These events are for the family and we get that now. Bars and restaurants are closed, only allowing takeout (or takeaway as it is called here). Phew challenge accomplished and we continued on. The weather has been clear (thankfully) and hot so spending most of the day on a lovely and well-shaded wooded trail was a blessing and a pleasure. I went to a local training held by Dogs East SAR group in northern Virginia. WebIt is a traditional town from the mid 1600's, where the men still sit in the piazza to play cards all day and the women are cooking or taking their walks together. No, I have not forgotten my fathers side of that family. 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! It encompasses all of this, and more. Abruzzo is in the center of Italy, with its western border a mere 31 miles from Rome. Long considered part of southern Italy politically and culturally, it enjoys a central location that is bordered by the Adriatic Sea on the east, Le Marche on the north, Lazio on the west, and Molise to the south. -storage room for wine and stall area for animal such as donkey.) It does make a difference, so do not give up on your dream. We had many positive reviews and high scores with both Booking.com and Airbnb. The sad outcome of the phone call was that a meeting was not immediately arranged. We made a point to stop at a refreshing fountain in the hamlet of San Vittorino, as again, the weather we would find this week, warmer than normal. I am as ready as I can be but I know the elevation gains and descents on a few of the sections are going to be tough. We even buried a statue of St. Joseph in our front yard ;-). I take good care to have all the information and supplies we will need to make sure were safe and not lost: maps, GPS with tracks loaded , potable water locations noted, understanding daily expectations of a section (tappa) length and elevation changes, electrolytes, light source (flashlight or headlamp) etc. We had guests who came to relax and hardly leave the property. That got us thinking that we would like to live in Italy a few months out of the year after we retired. We opted to tile over the old, which is a very common method here. The fresh recognition by UNESCO of Celestinian Forgiveness as an Intangible Heritage of Humanity further increases our responsibility in worthily cultivating the memory of this great person who distinguished himself in life for difficult and often innovative choices for the dictates of the Church of the time .The Way is 90 km long. So truly our world, even right now, isnt that small, but rather large and grand. We added Self Check-in as well as got onboard with Airbnbs Enhanced Clean program. And there are millions of visitors to Tuscany every year. I think other workouts are needed to make you stronger and flexible, for sure. Just too amazing for words.We arrived at Hotel Mammarosa for a relaxing evening and more great food. Today was the longest day but beautifully set in forests. Our lovely host, Marisa, bubbles with enthusiasm for the love of local foods, the heritage of the area, and the opportunity to chat with guests. We quickly exited the lovely city of Locorotondo to the countryside into a wooded trail. Alternative might be to spend 89 days there every rolling 180 days. Mom wasnt big on us having pets, so once I got married, all bets were off. Deep ravines, canyons, tumbling waters, alpine meadows, precarious ledges were all a part of our week. Navigating Life in Abruzzo | Not Really Expats Living the Dream What ensued was me obtaining my dual citizenship and then the decision was made to retire in Italy. Being unsure of what we might accomplish, we had to try. Thankfully, with our few stumbles along the routes and a water slip, we all were able to smile and keep hiking. We realized, after the first season, we had to set a minimum of 2 nights for a booking. I did notice that the hosts were glad to see tourists returning after a long and painful year of Covid. As the tree grew in unbelievable proportions, I cut and taped until I had both De Felice lines spread out to show Michele. Once again, Oscar, our host, gave us a wonderful recommendation for dinner. After visiting a number of different villages, we kept coming back to Tufillo, a small medieval village with so much character and the nicest folks! It was a perfect match for us. Recently, his skills in painting and tiling have factored into the updating of our master bathroom, entrance hall and kitchen. Expat Forum For People Moving Overseas And Living Abroad A forum community dedicated to expatriates and enthusiasts. Our day passed through quaint hamlets of whitewashed trulli.. a very picturesque day culminating in baroque adorned Martina Franca. House is now freshly painted, flowers are happily blooming with all the recent rain and we are out hiking again. You can also find my story at this link in both Italian and English. With only 10 shy of 1000-strong inhabitants, Schiavi di Abruzzo is just the tonic for a quiet, pleasant retirement location. One final hike to share with you today and I thank you for your indulgence. Giacomo has restored the exterior stonework to its stunning original beauty, with some added modern touches. Take land navigation.. when I first was introduce to all its complexities, I was certain I was hearing a foreign language. We just miss our animals so much that its difficult to stay away for more than a week. To think of the number of sheep that passed through this area years ago, is extraordinary. But this did not dissuade me, so my husband and I made our first trip in 2011. We can dream and make plans in the hope that restrictions will eventually be lifted. Would they genuinely want to know me, to take the time even though my understanding of the Italian language is still somewhat basic? Tufillo is a lovely small village inhabited by such big hearted people with a characteristic historic center dating back to the 13th century. Just many hours on call and lots of driving ahead. It is everchanging depending on the weather and lighting and I just cant get enough. But again, 20 years ago I may have viewed these as less of a challenge. In January 2021, the project called Terra delle Radici (the Land of Roots) was presented to the public with the aim of organizing and promoting tourism in the Alto Vastese area. We are family we are blood we are Italian together. We will keep you posted as things progress with our next exciting adventure. Once the main kitchen is completed, we will turn the lower one into our dining area. , Until next time, thank you always for stopping here at my blog to catch up on our adventureshope you are having a great summer! Finishing a lavish breakfast, situated on the terrace with a stunning view of the town, we gave our appreciation to Alberto and started up the trail to Passo Leonardo. So come prepared to accept this, especially if you are choosing to live in rural Abruzzo. In fact, my mothers father, Carlo De Felice, was born in San Salvo, only 40 minutes from where I live now in Italy. Patient, understanding, meticulous artist who works his free weekends to finish this house for us, while working very hard at his full-time contractor job. I knew how to have a dog as a pet, but to train it to search and locate lost people, a new world opened up to me. We headed home by train, picked up our kitties that were sulking at the kennel and Im already planning the cammino for next year! Thats all changing now, as as I meet up with my Italian speaking friends, whether were out hiking or meeting at one of our local bars. The blog is run by Katy and Susanna, two expats residing in Sulmona. I contacted the comune office in Tufillo and was put in contact with the deputy mayor. During my adult years, a desire to visit my familys homeland grew stronger. With his support and sacrifice for so many years, I was able to commit long hours to my dogs and SAR, many of those hours away from home. We added a few more visits to other regions over the past years, but we always made time to visit a small village for a few days in Abruzzo. You may gather that I was excited when Angela set a date for coffee at her fathers house. John Mariani. But it still was another amazing hike to remember. Bursting with history and character, the As I write to you today, I am sitting in the summer kitchen of our soon-to-be new home in the medieval village of Tufillo. I am always so blown away by the land we live in. Our current favorites are Alessandro Borgheses 4 Ristoranti and Bruno Barbieris 4 hotel. During this time with NCSO, with Mike Hull, a world renowned Man Tracker and Massie Saunders, local search manager, we formed the local search group, F.I.R.S.T., Fast Initial Response Search Team. During this scorching, record-breaking, hot, dry summer, we simmered under our ceiling fans day and night. We arrived at our first days destination in the blazing afternoon sun, happy with our days accomplishment. And Giacomo has to be one of the nicest men we are blessed to call friend. Between the jungle, wildlife, and ever-changing Corozal Bay, I never tire of taking my surroundings in. Also, I truly hate hiking with a mask on, so hiking with only John was the answer. We also decided to open a doorway between our two small bedrooms in our home, creating a suite. I thought Id share some of what we have been doing to prepare for this chock full of hermitages, amazing scenery, medieval villages, deep valleys, jaw-dropping mountains and of course great food 90 km 6 day walk in the Parco Nazionale della Majella. on your back, that you keep the weight to a minimum. After lunch we headed down from the pass in the direction of Caramanico Terme (a famous town here in Abruzzo for their thermal baths). The two cabinets were spray painted a cream color very similar to the painted tile and plaster walls were painted a calming sand/mocha color. Unfortunately, another appointment in town pulled us away, as we left with promises of being reunited soon. What a wonderful discovery. The perks were many: meeting wonderful folks, promoting the area and artists, offering a relaxing and comfortable accommodation where only one B&B existed in town, and having extra income to help with our upgrades in our home. Finding this home here in the Frentani Mountains of Abruzzo, didnt actually scream downsize. I have a lot of researching to do on the Giordano family and hope to start on that soon. They said they did and that they were his daughters! If I had my way, wed hike every day! But first the signs took us through the State Agricultural Technical Institute and its large complex, which included historic gardens and the Masseria (farmhouse) Ferragnano. I shifted gears, got certified with a police dog association and became a Special K9 Officer (strictly volunteer) for the Nelson County Sheriffs Office. Also, we can happily say we can now meet again with my entire family of cousins, living 40 minutes from us. I did not know what to do next. The winter is now upon us and we are working on a few more upgrade projects in our home. And of course we have been hiking, whether a road trek, some trails around Roccaspinalveti or now back out in other areas. All three of us have embraced this great concept. I hope that some of you reading this posting will consider either doing the cammino in its entirety or parts. WebTuscany is quite popular with expats. So what else have we been doing besides hiking? We will miss the many wonderful folks of Rocca, but it is not a long drive back to visit. The list was varied with such lasting experiences they enjoyed as well as for us, meeting and hosting them. Ancient olive groves, fields of salad and many other vegetables, grapes, trulli, wonderful lunch with Maria (Trulli alla controra)..the list is long of all the wonderful experiences today. Whether you have settled as an expat in Italy or are still living in the United States of America and planning your upcoming foreign assignment, InterNations Italy We continued our vacation to other parts of Abruzzo, Marche, and Tuscany. Ive had dogs all my adult life. Abruzzo is like that, it does have many national trains, just they go north not across the mountains to Rome. A little over three years ago, we purchased our lovely home here in Roccaspinalveti, but in actuality it took us 4 years prior to our purchase to actually find it. Also the summer temperatures ran hot and humid. WebItaly is beloved by expats, global nomads and retirees. We wanted the size to be about 1/2 of what we had in Rocca, move-in ready, a small garden would be nice, but most of all we wanted a view. 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