Joanne Simon Verster
When we told people we were moving to Abruzzo, Italy, six years ago, the general reply was "Where's that?"
Abruzzo is the greenest region in the whole of Europe thanks to its extensive national park. It
is situated on the east coast opposite Rome, on the map.
Fly to Rome and drive here (approximately 3 hours of scenic countryside) or fly from London Stansted to Pescara which is an hour from the villa.
This slow paced and under populated region is a dream destination for the traveller who
enjoys being immersed in nature, hikes, photography, village hopping and superb cuisine.
Our villa rental www.villadistelle.com or https://www.facebook.com/villadistelle/ is located in Casoli between the mountains and the warm Adriatic Sea.
The views from the villa are panoramic and spectacular and when taking a break from
sightseeing, it offers a private and totally tranquil haven, far from the chaos in the world.
There are unlimited day trips one could make, as within an hour radius of the villa there are
literally hundreds of towns and villages to visit, each with their own unique story.
We always recommend a trip to Fara San Martino, a twenty minute drive from the villa.
This village sits below the Maiella mountains where natural waterfalls cascade down the crevices forming crystal clear aquamarine pools. .This water is used in the production of Di Cecco pasta. The factory located in Fara is the second largest pasta seller in the world. The factory shop is usually open so you can stock up.
On weekends there is a cafe in the picnic area beside the water serving arrosticini ( tiny
skewers of mutton, a speciality here) and other snacks.
Take a walk through the gorge which will take you to the ruins of an ancient monastery.
If you would prefer to have a bigger meal there is a restaurant close by with an excellent choice of pasta, steak and of course Montepulciano wine which is specific to Abruzzo.
A meal will cost between €15 /20 pp with wine.
Dining out is extremely reasonable here and in many restaurants you will pay €25 pp for a
veritable banquet of 3/6 courses.
From Fara, make your way back via Guardiagrele (approximately 20 minutes). Guardiagrele was named as the terrace of Abruzzo by the poet Gabriel d’Annunzio,and is known as one of the most beautiful ‘borghi’ in Italy. There is a superb gothic church with a fresco dating back to 1473. There are several other museums worth visiting too. The vibe there is a trendy mix of ancient buildings and modern boutique style shops. There are excellent eateries in the vicinity including a Michelin starred restaurant.
It is a twenty minute drive back from there to the villa, where you can then lie back and watch
the sunset from the pool area or the roof terrace. Don't forget to have the wine on hand and a camera too. This is a photographers dream.
For people interested in buying in this area, our website is www.abruzzosmartbuy.com.
If you love the idea of exploring natural beauty and not being surrounded by hoards of
people and traffic, you will be mesmerised by Abruzzo.
Hope to meet you soon.
Joanne