Our group was staying at various hotels in and around Rome. The drive from Rome to Abruzzo took us across the spine of Italy, with stunning mountain view’s.

We arrived at the Amazing Abruzzo this afternoon and received an introduction to the estate and the grounds.

We learned that the Baron’s Estate was built by a medieval baron with the concession for bricks and mortar in Abruzzo. Anyone buying or selling bricks in the area had to buy them from the baron. If you were caught selling bricks that weren’t supplied by the baron you would be killed. Different times. This is the smokestack from the original brick kiln.

After checking into our rooms, we gathered in the common areas for snacks … and drinks, of course.

After an introduction to our activities for the week it was time for dinner.

For those who want a wine upgrade, there are an impressive array of options.

The dinning room table was set up to seat the entire group of 15 people. The conversation at dinner was lively.

After a fabulous dinner we were treated to an impressive array of local liqueurs. We had fun tasting and comparing the various offerings. One digestif had 100 local herbs, but also had 70% alcohol. Lisa decided to give it a try, but wasn’t impressed.

Tomorrow’s tour is Gastronomy Abruzzese Style. Stay tuned.