Adventures and Other Happenings

Pescocostanzo (pes-co-co-stanz-o) is a mountain town located in the Apennine Mountains of Abruzzo. The Apennines stretch the entire length of the Italian peninsula. Pescocostanzo is located at the southern tip of the central region, due east of Rome and due west of Casalbordino. When you travel by bus from Rome to Pescara or Vasto (west coast to east coast), you get a glimpse of the mountains and the little towns that dot them. Some are perched precariously on rocky cliffs and mountainsides, others are nestled comfortably in the lush valleys, where farmers raise their stock and seed. These are significant mountains, just under the highest altitude of the Rockies, just to give you context. Nicola and Maria DiRisio offered to take us on a drive into the hills one afternoon. As I understand it, he hikes these mountains frequently, solo and in company, and knows them well. I was so pleased when he offered to take us, because I had planned to drive my father there (somewhat aimlessly...

Perhaps my favorite experience on my second visit to Italy was being a witness to the winemaking ritual. Small batch, local grapes grown on my family's vineyard. The evening prior to this act of divine agricultural magic, I was conversing with my cousin, Nicola, whose English is no better than my Italian. He told me of his plans to make wine the next morning, and I think was surprised that I asked to participate. Perhaps to an Italian native, this is no special occasion, because in Abruzzo, it appears, everyone makes their own wine. If you're American however, you can understand why I was so intrigued and eager to break out the camera. On winemaking day, it was a gorgeous sunny morning on the coast of the Adriatic, where my DiRisio family's B&B is located. Il Tremolar della Marina (translation = The Trembling of the Navy) sits up on a hill facing the sea, and behind it an ascending maze of grapes of many varieties. Nicola and his two friends would be making white w...