Posts Tagged ‘ovindoli’
Weekend bliss in the mountains of Abruzzo
I always love trips out to the mountains, but this year, I was having a tough time managing a weekend mountain escape. But the first weekend of July, I did manage to hop out for a short visit in Italy’s Apennine mountains, and it was glorious. I often go out to Italy’s Abruzzo region, to…
Read MoreTaking my novel, In The Shadow of The Apennines, out to meet its setting
My newest novel, In The Shadow of The Apennines, is set in modern days – in the Abruzzo mountain town of Marsicano, and in the nearby town of Pescina at the eve of WWI. While Pescina is very real, Marsicano is an invented Italian mountain town. However, it bears a striking resemblance to the real…
Read MoreAbruzzo’s WWI Memorial soldiers in In The Shadow of The Apennines
An important symbol in my newly released novel, In The Shadow of The Apennines, is the memorial soldier statue found at the high peak of the Italian mountain town that serves as the setting of my story. My novel’s protagonist, Samantha, is an American who moves to the tiny Abruzzo mountain town of Marsicano, hoping…
Read MoreEnjoying fall foliage on an Abruzzo getaway
I was in desperate need for a weekend get-away out in the mountains, and so was my son. The weather forecasts were perfect, and we decided to take a short get-away to our favorite mountain hamlet in Abruzzo – Ovindoli. It was exactly what we needed: fresh mountain air, long walks, fall foliage, and fantastic…
Read MoreA needed breath of fresh (mountain) air in Abruzzo
In the familiar tradition of all things related with 2020, autumn sucked… Usually, I make efforts to get out to our mountain escape in Abruzzo, enjoying the autumn foliage, hiking and mountain biking with my family. But 2020 has ruined all our beloved traditions, so it’s no surprise it also hampered my mountain getaways. Nevertheless,…
Read MoreHiking the Serra di Celano, Abruzzo
Not surprisingly, after our long Corona lockdown this spring, I was chomping at the bit at the idea of being able to hike once again. Nothing like being confined to one’s city apartment to accelerate daydreams of vast mountain vistas and wide hiking trails. Luckily, my family and I escaped the moment we could to…
Read MorePost-lockdown travel
As I come to grips with our post-pandemic life and beginning my travel blog once again, I’ve written in recent weeks about pre-lockdown travel and exploring Rome under the lockdown. This leads to the moment in June that (finally!) travel restrictions ended, and we could travel once again – first in our region, and then…
Read MoreLet it snow … in Abruzzo
In mid-December, I had to run out to Abruzzo for some errands. I was out in the town of Ovindoli only for the day – and what an unseasonably warm day it was! There was at least a little bit of snow on the ground, but not that much for December. The ski slopes had…
Read MoreFrom the top of the world. The Pizzo di Ovindoli, Abruzzo
On a hot summer weekend, I took my kids out to our place in Ovindoli – in the mountains of Abruzzo, Italy. An hour and a half away in Rome, it was sweltering, but at 1400 meters/4500 feet from sea level, we could be active all day, without succumbing to heat stroke. My older son…
Read MoreCommemorating WWI soldiers in Abruzzo
On my recent ski escape, I was in Ovindoli, in Italy’s Apennine mountains of the Abruzzo region. Like most little mountain towns, Ovindoli has a memorial to the soldiers who died both in WWI and WWII. For those who know the region well, most of these towns have much longer lists for the First World…
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