If It Was Today...

Why Not

Posted on October 27, 2025 by If It Was Today

We planned our trip to Naples some time ago, and Ian decided to join us for a visit. And then Jan’s brother Pete made a last minute decision to come as well. It’s turned into a bit of a family reunion, which is nice. We had a busy time last week, and Pete was recovering from jet lag, so we didn’t really have much of an agenda for the day. Pete suggested the journey should be the destination and that seemed fine to us. So we set out to explore the old city, starting with the Spanish quarter.

Take a closer look at the previous picture. At the end of the street you can see the corner of a castle, high on the hill. Pete thought the view would be great from up there and suggested we should try to find a path up. Jan looked up, and said “why not”?

You will not be surprised to hear that our search quickly led us to stairs. Many more stairs and steep paths followed this, but it didn’t take long before we had an unobstructed view of Mt Vesuvius.

But there was still a long way to go to the top.

Along the path we saw a number of fruit trees, growing in random bits of soil and patios.

At some point we started wondering if this hadn’t been such a good idea, but we kept climbing. There was still a long way to go.

But as hoped, the view kept getting better. We stopped to enjoy it, and to take more pictures.

And then, finally, we were at the top. We briefly considered going into the castle, but there was a fee, and we’ve already seen so many castles and churches. Besides, it was getting close to lunch. We decided to walk down the other side of the hill. Of course, the meant more stairs. So many more… Fortunately, they were mostly going downhill now.

This next picture is interesting because you can see how the soft stone is eroding faster than the mortar between the stones.

And along the way, more fruit trees.

At some point we ended up off the Google-approved path but the road was going down, so we pressed on. After all, the point of the day was to explore. At one point, we found ourselves on a very narrow street with a series of seven or eight tight switchbacks taking us down the side of the hill. Several had houses built into the hill, and cars parked along the road. We watched a car navigate the road, having to make a “five-point-turn” to get around the bend, rather than the more typical “three-point-turn” we think of. And that was with a small car.

I have no idea what this building is, but I liked the look of it so I took a picture. I know that will surprise those of you who know me…

When we got to the bottom, we looked up and realized we had essentially been walking down the outside of a massive retaining wall. Then we walked around the corner and discovered there was an elevator we could have taken down to the bottom. Suddenly we realized why we had ended up off the google-approved path.

Here’s another view showing you where we had just been.

By now we were getting hungry so we grabbed lunch at an outdoor cafe and then took a walk along the sea. You might think we’d had enough walking by this time, but I guess you would be wrong.

Then it was back to our hotel for a rest, but of course, that involved more walking, and more old buildings.

After a shower and a short rest, we headed for dinner at a lovely vegan restaurant near our hotel. But, by “near” I mean almost two kilometers. We walked, of course.

The day involved more walking than half of us are used to, and far more hills than we ever see at home. But everyone was in good humor for the day. As Jan pointed out, I also could have titled this post “whine not”.

Posted in Travel | Tagged Italy, Mt Vesuvius, Naples, Photography, Travel | 4 Comments

Absolutely Amazing Abruzzo

Posted on October 25, 2025 by If It Was Today

Our last full day in Abruzzo started with an exciting drive up a mountain gorge to the picturesque town of Scanno, encircled by the Magella mountains. The road up the gorge is narrow and winding. The trip is made even more exciting because of some of the other traffic on the road. This bit of the road is straighter and wider than most of it.

Scanno is known as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, something that we can all attest to.

It was a clear day, with a bit of a chill in the air. Scanno is at an elevation of over 1000 meters, which probably contributed to the stunning blue sky that day.

Scanno is one of the growing number of villages in Abruzzo that are trying to preserve their unique heritage. We were given a tour of one of the oldest jewelers in the area. In this next picture, our guide Vincenzo tells us about the traditional costumes worn by the local women.

Inside the shop, Philippe provided translation and explained how a certain aspect of the women’s dresses was referred to as “the sideboard”. Perhaps for another day…

The detailed filigree work in the local jewelry was absolutely amazing.

After the jewelry shop, Vincenzo gave us a tour through the town sharing his wealth of knowledge. All the while, some of the local “citizens” were keeping an eye on us.

The air was crisp and we took every opportunity to sit in the warm sun.

While walking around the village, we saw a man coming up the street wearing a “Canada” hoodie, so we had to say hi. He didn’t speak English, but with help from Vincenzo, we learned that he had visited Winnipeg seven times in the past few years for radiology treatment. Barry and Gloria are from Winnipeg, very near the hospital he visited, so we had to take a picture.

We also visited a tiny shop on a side street making the most amazing biscotti. The wonderful smell filled the surrounding street.

It’s interesting to see how every bit of space is put to good use. This was a tiny fresh fruit set up on a stand and on a stairway.

After our tour, we drove down the gorge to have a picnic lunch prepared by Angela. The lunch was fabulous, as always with Angela.

We were overwhelmed by the selection of food on the table. And when we sat down, even more food appeared. This is Angela’s famous lasagna. It is made with homemade lasagna noodles, which are thinner than commercial noodles, which makes it possible to have nine layers in the lasagna. It is unlike anything you have ever tasted.

On warm days, the picnic is outdoors, but today it was hosted inside in a building that had been the local school. Just behind the school, these steps had been carved into the rock. Once again, I’m sure there is a story here.

There are several small lakes in the gorge, and the colours of the water are amazing.

We took another group photo near one of the lakes. Phillipe photo-bombed the shot.

Near the bottom of the gorge was another amazing hilltop village. One of many.

Then it was back to the Baron’s Estate, where we were treated to a surprise. We had a concert in the wine cellar at the villa with a local group playing traditional Abruzzo sheppard songs. Some of them are quite raunchy.

And finally, it was time for our last supper of the week. It’s truffle season in Abruzzo and we were treated to tagliatelle with fresh truffle slices on top. Words cannot describe the aroma, so I’m not going to even try.

We finished with a cheese cake with chestnuts.

All of the staff at The Amazing Abruzzo were fantastic, but if we had to single out one person it would be Daria. Her smile and good humor greeted us most mornings and evenings. She made us feel like family.

We had an amazing week, and hope to return.

Posted in Travel | Tagged Abruzzo, Italy, Photography, The Amazing Abruzzo, Travel | 2 Comments

Farm to Table at the Top of the World

Posted on October 23, 2025 by If It Was Today

Today’s excursion took us to Serena’s farm for a very local lunch, including cheese that we made ourselves. But first, we visited Pietranico, a local village with stunning views and unusual hobbies.

This picture isn’t the local crochet club … it’s the women on our tour. But apparently there has been s a crochet club in Pietranico for some time, and about two years ago it went viral, when crochet works began appearing all around town in the most unusual places.

We loved how it was incorporated into the landscape in creative ways. This next picture shows how an empty window in an abandoned wall was decorated, making it look like an inviting window in someone’s home.

The crochet works add splashes of colour to an otherwise gray medieval village. But it wasn’t the only thing adding colour.

The medieval walls were largely intact, though they had been repurposed as the outside walls of houses with the addition of doors and windows. But the original city gate still remains open as shown here. Once again, the crochet club has added a bit of colour.

The city has been in decline for some time, but it is beginning to attract knowledge workers with fiber optic internet service and other amenities. We liked the contrast of the electric car charging stations on the street, with medieval villages in the background. It’s nice to see that some parts of the world are embracing the future rather than trying to recreate an imagined golden past.

Pietranico is on the top of the world with stunning views of the surrounding valleys on all sides. This picture gives you a tiny sense of the views in every direction.

Then it was time for lunch on the farm, but first we stopped at the local shop to pick up bread (made with wheat from Serena’s farm) and sausages prepared by Serena’s aunt.

After we arrived at Serena’s farm we enjoyed an educational tour of the working farm, learning about how food was grown in the past, and how it is grown today. And then it was time to help prepare our own lunch (just a tiny bit) by helping to make cheese.

We learned how to make the cheese, but it wasn’t just a demonstration. We also had a chance to be hands on.

And then it was time to eat. Our tiny bowl of cheese was a very minor part of a multi course lunch, all of it made with ingredients from Serena’s farm and the surrounding countryside.

Of course we had wine (and beer) with lunch, but best of all, we finished the meal with Serena’s homemade ratafia, an amazing sour cherry liqueur. Fantastic.

Our final stop was one of the “wine rocks” around the area. These were carved out of large stones and used to crush the grapes to make wine. Serena explained how they were used.

After the explanation, we had to all climb in for a group photo.

Then it was back to the Baron’s Estate, where two of the more adventurous (aka crazy) members of our group went for a swim in the frigid pool.

We finished the day, as always, with a lovely meal and excellent company.

Posted in Travel | Tagged Abruzzo, Farm to Table, Italy, Photography, The Amazing Abruzzo, Travel | Leave a comment

Cooking and Looking

Posted on October 22, 2025 by If It Was Today

Today we split into two groups again. Four of us stayed back at the estate for a cooking lesson while the rest headed off to a local market town. The sensible ones who took the cooking class enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the grounds before a civilized start at 10:30.

The eager students assembled promptly at 10:30 for the lesson.

Today’s lesson was gnocchi. Flour, potato, and an egg were worked into a soft dough by the expert.

Eva provided translation while the cooks demonstrated how to make gnocchi. Just because it was educational didn’t mean we couldn’t laugh too.

Then it was time for the hands on portion. First we rolled the dough into long thin ropes. It was a bit like working with play dough.

Then we cut the dough into small pieces and used a fork to shape the gnocchi. It isn’t as easy as it looks.

Then we learned how to make “vegetarian meatballs” with cheese, stale bread and eggs, formed into balls, rolled in dried breadcrumbs and then deep fried to a golden brown.

We knew we were having pizza tonight so we asked about making pizza dough, and we were treated to an impromptu lesson on making pizza dough, complete with a demonstration of the “proper” technique for adding salt to the pizza dough.

Before cooking the gnocchi we were shown how to make our own fresh pesto. Then the cooked gnocchi was added to the fresh pesto for one of the coursed of our lunch.

And finally, it was time to eat, starting with the vegetarian meatballs marinated in tomato sauce.

The appetizer was followed by the primi course of gnocchi in pesto, then the secondi with chicken breast, puréed broccoli with fennel salad, and finally chocolate hearts for dessert. With wine, of course.

That takes care of the “cooking” group. The “looking” group started with a visit to a local market in Sulmona.

The town of Sulmona is known for its confetti candies, which have almonds or chocolate coated in candy and sugar. In addition to being very tasty, these candies were often thrown at weddings. When this tradition came to the new world, the colorful candy was eventually replaced by colorful paper, but the name “confetti” remained. Here are a few examples of the original Italian confetti. All of these are candies.

Here is a closeup of one of the candies in the previous picture.

Of course the market also had the more typical fruits and vegetables.

And of course, fabric, which was of special interest to several people in our group.

The last stop of the day was a pottery workshop where the potter has been making pottery since the 1950’s.

This next picture shows two pieces to help illustrate the pottery making process. The one on the left is what the pottery looks like before being fired, and the one on the right is after.

But before the pottery studio it was off to a local winery for lunch and more wine tasting.

I especially love the historical anecdotes and the cultural artifacts we get to see on this trip. This next picture is a good example. It looks a bit like a chair, but in fact it is a washing machine … though “machine” probably isn’t the right word. Water is poured in from the taps at the top and collects in the basin at the back. The piece that looks like a chair seat was then used to scrub the clothes until they were clean. It shows you how much things have changed.

At the end of the day we all met back at the Baron’s Estate for pizza night and were treated to half a dozen different gourmet pizzas. Then it was time for after dinner drinks on the patio around the fire.

Posted in Travel | Tagged Abruzzo, Italy, Photography, Travel | 2 Comments

Then and Now

Posted on October 21, 2025 by If It Was Today

Today we split into two groups. One group went to Lanciano which is often described as the “lasagna city” because you can see layers of the city from pre-Roman, to Roman, to medieval, to renaissance to modern, all in the same small area. The other group went to the Adriatic and to the Ortona cemetery.

The city of Lanciano has grown up over many centuries creating a rich tapestry of roofs when viewed from the heights of the original citadel. It’s interesting to notice how old combines with new – the roofs of the old buildings with TV antennas, satellite dishes and air conditioning units.

When walking through the old city of Lanciano we saw a spot where citizens could post public notices long ago.

The very center of the board had an interesting addition. I’m sure there is a story there, but I have no idea what it is.

Lanciano was a town of merchants and traders rather than the more usual feudal city. We saw a typical renaissance merchant establishment with a shop on the ground floor and apartments above the store. You can see the typical layout for the store front, with (relatively) wide windows allowing people to look inside and a narrow door for them to enter. Look closely and you can see that the two arches in the center of the picture each have a narrow door.

In other areas, artisans would hang a crest in front of their door to illustrate the service they provided. This was for a tailor, which has extra significance because several of the people in our group sew, knit, and quilt.

After our morning tour we visited a wine and olive grower. The olives were plentiful on the trees.

The olive harvest was just beginning. Earlier in the week we heard about how difficult this was. It looks easy, and apparently it is interesting for the first hour or two, but from that point on it is exhausting.

We also learned that olive trees live a very long time – so long that many people claimed that “olive trees never die”. When the center of the tree grows old, new growth continues around the outside, creating a very gnarled and hollowed appearance.

We also learned about a practice that is unique to Abruzzo. Instead of pruning the grape vines into neat rows, they are trained to go between the rows creating a canopy of leaves. This protects the roots from the hot sun and helps in dry conditions, which is happening more and more lately.

After an informative description of the wines produced here, it was time for a light lunch, and of course, wine.

The biscuits you see in this picture were divine, so we asked about the ingredients. Flour, salt, and white wine. We asked if there was olive oil and were treated to a shrug, an eye roll, and “yes, of course”. This has happened more than once this week. Olive oil is so ubiquitous that it’s taken for granted, and there isn’t any need to mention it. Here is the full recipe, with the olive oil explicitly mentioned.

The second group started with a visit to the San Giovanni in Venere Abbey near Ortona.

They decided to take an interesting group photo.

This tour included a visit to the Adriatic and the unique fishing platforms there.

Charmaine with fishing platforms in the background

The platforms provide everything you need for fishing. Nets are cast out, and using the poles that project out, they are gathered in to collect the fish. If there is a need, the fish are used immediately. If not, they are trapped in the net and lowered into the water until they are needed.

In addition, the platform serves as a restaurant.

Then it was time for a visit to the Ortona war cemetery where nearly two thousand troops died in the Second World War, most of them Canadians, liberating Italy from the nazis. It was a somber scene.

That was then, but what about now? When the first group was touring Lanciano, we saw a group of teens in school uniforms and heard them speaking English. One of them also had a maple leaf sewn on their school uniform so we asked our guide. Because of the war experience, there are strong ties between this region and Canada, including a Canadian high school in Lanciano. The things that happened then continue to shape what happens now.

As always at The Amazing Abruzzo, we finished our day with a fabulous meal prepared specially for us by local chefs. Tonight’s meal ended with an amazing dessert. Apparently this is the most special desert made in Abruzzo, and always features prominently at events like birthdays or weddings.

It was fabulous.

Posted in Travel | Tagged Abruzzo, Italy, Ortona, Photography, Travel | 2 Comments

Abruzzo: High and Low

Posted on October 20, 2025 by If It Was Today

Today we toured the scenic Peligna valley, starting with a visit to Pacentro, a fortified town situated on the strategic route between the high mountain meadows, where sheep grazed in the summer, and the Adriatic coast where they wintered. The fortress controlled the pass and incorporated towers that provided a strategic point to survey the surrounding countryside.

We were allowed to climb to the top of the tower to appreciate the view. Some of us accepted the challenge and climbed to the top, in spite of their fears, celebrating the achievement with nervous laughter.

From the top of the tower you could see for miles around the countryside and the mountains.

… and views of the town below the castle.

The roof of the various houses create a fascinating kaleidoscope.

And speaking of stunning views…

After the castle tour we walked down through the narrow streets of the old city.

And around every corner, we could look back up at the hills.

I keep telling you that we were walking through the narrow streets and down steps. This picture provides a good perspective on the challenges.

Then it was down into the valley to visit the Margiotta Winery for a tour of the vineyards.

Whenever I’ve toured vineyards in the past, we have been admonished to not eat the grapes. But today, when we asked if we could have a taste, we were told to eat as many as we wanted. They were sweet and delicious. We had always thought that wine grapes were tart.

We later learned that these grapes were too mature for wine, and could only be used for making jam. That explains why they were sweet, and why we were allowed to eat them. Most of the vineyard had been picked clean.

Then it was time for a lovely local lunch and wine tasting.

On every tour we’ve taken so far, the guides provided lots of local detail and historical anecdotes. Everyone tells us stories about what their grandmas did, and how they prepared the food, wine, and olive oil. It includes rich detail about life in Abruzzo in earlier times. For example, this was a house that was preserved to show the way things were a hundred years ago.

We also saw historical artifacts from much more recent developments.

And then it was time for Monday Beer Club – a road trip this time.

And of course, we finished with another fabulous dinner.

Posted in Travel | Tagged Abruzzo, Italy, Photography, Travel | Leave a comment

Gastronomy Abruzzese Style

Posted on October 19, 2025 by If It Was Today

After a fabulous breakfast,(more delicious food) we assembled in front of The Baron’s Estate for our day’s tour.

Our first stop was a beautifully restored 18th century olive oil press, where we saw how olive oil was pressed 150 years ago. Very impressive.

Francesca educated us on the finer points of olive oil tasting.

Francesca, educating us on the finer points of olive oil

We were all focused on the presentation in our own way.

After the presentation, Francesca treated us to a typical lunch the workers would have eaten while harvesting olives. And for dessert we had orange slices with olive oil, salt, and mint. This was not an obvious combination but it tasted fabulous.

Oh, and of course we had wine…

After lunch, Luca and Pepe entertained us with a demonstration of how their grandma would test to see if they had been cursed with the evil eye.

You put water in a plate and then add a drop of olive oil.

We all thought that the drop of olive oil would float on the water, and it usually does. But not always. Luca added three drops of olive oil. As long as at least two drops floated, everyone in the room was okay. But if two drops disappeared, there was trouble, and if all three disappeared, we had serious problems.

Luca explained that we were okay because two of the three floated.

Luca told us how his grandma would cure you if you did have the evil eye curse. It involved making the sign of the cross on your forehead with olive oil, special prayers, open windows and grandma casting the spell back at the source. He also said that in addition to removing curses, grandmas could also cast curses when required. The worst curse was “may you defecate nails”. You don’t want to annoy an Italian grandma.

After our demonstrations of the paranormal, the group posed for a group photo with Francesca.

As we were talking, a murder of crows flew by.

One of the things we enjoy seeing on our trips is street art. This caught our eye…

Our next stop was the hilltop village of Pretoro. This is a the view of the village, which was originally a lookout tower for the surrounding villages all the way down to Pescara to watch for raiders.

We drove up near the top of the city and then assembled for a guided walk around the village. Luca and Pepe grew up in a village less than ten kilometers from here, so we were treated to a ton of local character about the village.

One of the more interesting tidbits was that the streets are so steep that the locals claim that walking these streets will pay for all of your sins in advance. Hence the street(s) are named “purgatory”. This is the second of five purgatory streets in the city.

Here is a view of the street. Looks like something out of an Escher drawing.

Here is an example of one of the medieval buildings in the town.

Once we got back to The Baron’s Estate, Luca and Pepe relaxed with a glass of wine after driving the vans on those narrow winding streets.

After our return we were treated to a pasta making demonstration.

Here is an example of the impressive pasta creations in the demonstration.

Tomorrow is another tour.

Posted in Travel | Tagged Abruzzo, Italy, Photography, Travel | Leave a comment

Welcome to Abruzzo

Posted on October 18, 2025 by If It Was Today

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.

Posted in Travel | Tagged Abruzzo, Italy, Photography, The Amazing Abruzzo, Travel | Leave a comment

The Amazing Abruzzo

Posted on October 17, 2025 by If It Was Today

The Amazing Abruzzo is an all inclusive Italian resort – a chance to experience authentic Italy. It was started by an Ottawa couple who made a career change about a decade ago. They purchased an old villa in Abruzzo Italy, in part because of family connections in the area. The idea was to open a B&B, but first the property needed extensive renovations. It turned into a bit of an adventure, which they documented with regular articles in the Ottawa Citizen newspaper. When the renovations were finished, it opened as a typical B&B, with optional tours around the local area. The regular updates in the Ottawa Citizen newspaper had generated interest before it even opened, and it quickly became so popular that it transitioned to an all inclusive villa offering week-long stays.

As the popularity continued to grow, they purchased another property in the area – the Baron’s Estate – and embarked on another major renovation project. About this time, one of our friends suggested that it might be fun to coordinate a group booking for the entire estate for a week. And that is how 11 of us from Ottawa, plus two couples we met on our Danube river cruise in 2023, booked The Baron’s Estate for next week. This was arranged in the spring of 2024, while the estate was still under renovation.

We all made independent travel arrangements, so for the past three weeks we’ve been following different paths – Lisbon, Porto, Algarve, Northern Italy, Rome – but tomorrow all paths will converge on Abruzzo.

I’m hoping to continue providing regular updates for the next week, so stay tuned.

Posted in Travel | Tagged Abruzzo, Italy, Travel | Leave a comment

A Road to Nowhere (in particular)

Posted on October 16, 2025 by If It Was Today

We were sitting on a park bench late this afternoon, enjoying the cool breeze and a panoramic view of Lisbon when Jan said “we should have done something more today”. My response … “why”?

What did I mean? Let’s start with how we spent our day. Mostly, we wandered the streets of the Chiado district in Lisbon enjoying views like this…

Why do I say we “enjoyed” this view? The steps leading down are clear, but if you look closely you’ll see at the other end of the street the steps are heading right back up. We enjoyed it because we were walking along the top and didn’t have to navigate those steps. Though to be fair, we still took quite a few steps along the way.

We were also treated to many patterns in the sidewalks.

Why have a simple sidewalk when you could have this instead?

While wandering the streets, we spotted the coffee shop with the best view in Lisbon. We enjoyed the view (we didn’t need a coffee) and went on to investigate local shops with cork products. By then it was time for lunch at a lovely small restaurant we discovered when we were here last year. After lunch it was time to … continue wandering the road to nowhere in particular. You find all kinds of interesting things on that road.

A hundred and fifty year old cypress tree

This impressive cypress tree was planted when the Principe Real Garden was opened in 1869. It’s a small garden but it was very pleasant to stroll through while live jazz played in the outdoor cafe.

Then it was time to start back home past this impressive driveway for staff at the museum.

Before long we came to another small park with one of Lisbon’s many lookouts. We took a few minutes to enjoy the lovely weather and the view of Lisbon. I zoomed in to take a picture of these umbrella pines.

This next picture shows what it looked like to the naked eye.

Jan took the next picture that includes old and new – everything from the 11th-century Moorish castle, to a cathedral, to modern construction cranes.

Which brings us back to the beginning of this post, and the end of our day, sitting on a park bench, in the cool breeze, enjoying views of Lisbon.

Actually, not quite the end of the day. For our last evening in Lisbon, Jan found a highly rated restaurant that turned out to be right around the corner from our hotel. We treated ourselves to a lovely, decadent meal along with a fabulous Portuguese wine before taking a very short stroll back to our hotel to pack for the trip to Rome tomorrow.

We spent a few days in Lisbon to enjoy ourselves while adjusting to European time. We had a fabulous time, even when it didn’t look like we were doing anything in particular. I call that something.