Here is the link to some pictures I took – I apologise for the quality.  The owner speaks French and Italian no English so if you are seriously interested you would need someone to liaise with her on your behalf – presently my Italian is not at that level to assist.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.373939322675770.79463.186086098127761&type=3

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Last Friday night I ate at a Pizzeria in Bominaco for the princely sum of €13.50, for which I received; 1 woodfired pizza, a large mixed salad, 1 litre of sparkling water, 1 non-alcoholic beer and 1 espresso! On paying I was rewarded further with complimentary chocolate liquor.

Saturday afternoon I hesitantly stopped at a touristy looking bar in Sulmona called Bar Centrale di Agostino Pierluigi in Piazza Annunziata for a quick bite to eat. I chose a bottle of water, bottle of Coke Zero and their Caprese:  a generous plate of fresh tomatoes and fresh mozzarella (not the industrial variety) and chargrilled bruschetta drizzled with quality olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt.  Total price €11!!

Ristorante Il Castello in Fagnano Alto, Abruzzo

A last minute invitation to dinner had me at this wonderful out of the way yet ‘close by’ restaurant in a town largely uninhabited since the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake.  The restaurant is run by 2 husbands who were our hosts and their wives who do all the cooking according to methods handed down through their families.

Antipasto

We received 4 dishes comprising of the following:

Plate of charcuteries

Truffle salad: rocket, shaved truffle & shaved grana padano

Fritto misto: zucchini, aubergine, zucchini flowers, sage & cherry tomatoes fried in a light batter

Fritto misto: zucchini, aubergine, zucchini flowers, sage & cherry tomatoes fried in a light batter

Mozarella and bocconcini with grated black and white truffle!

Pasta

I think there were 5 types to choose from and we were able to have half portions in order to try 2 types – we had no idea the portions would be so huge!

Ravioli – truffle & funghi

Ravioli – Tartufo e Funghi

Spaghetti – sundried & pomodoro fresca

Gnocchi – saffron & local chickpeas

Gnocchi Zafferano e Ceci

Mains

We struggled at the thought of eating any more but agreed we just had to TRY one!!

Chicken breast – almonds and saffron

Petti di Polo – Mandorle e Zafferano

Porchetta – calvados and roasted apple

Veal – vino bianco

Desserts

Reaching the outer limits of what is possible for any person to eat in one evening we persisted scared of missing out on something wonderful!

Chocolate mousse with raspberries and mint

Chocolate Mousse, Raspberries & Mint

Peach torte with meringue and pistachio

Yoghurt semi-freddo and peach

Yoghurt Semifreddo & Peaches

I nearly exploded!! Generous portions, fantastic simple flavours and at a ridiculous price!! Including water and wine our meal came to €30 per head! I could not believe it – just 2 weeks earlier I paid €75 in France for a very nice but certainly of a similar quality meal of 3 courses, wine and water!

After reliving this meal I feel the need to rest and eat no more! Happy and content!

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The rules state that I am to post and provide stories of 5 photographs: BLUE, GREEN, YELLOW, WHITE & RED and at the end of my post nominate another 5 fellow bloggers for the award.

Not such an easy task to pick out pictures that represent a colour and give a new expression to a colour but I will do my very best!

BLUE

The Blue Grotto – Kastelorizo Greece

I was working in Turkey and Greece on a luxury sailing yacht and we found ourselves on the little known Greek Island of Kastelorizo.  We had heard about a blue grotto that was one of the islands must sees but it was also a very well kept secret by the locals who would charge a fee to those looking to view it.  We awoke very early morning around 6am as we had guests on  and escaped in search of the grotto. We came across a tiny hole in the cliffs on the western side of the island and wondered ‘could this be it?’. As we approached we doubted out tender could even fit in the gap and we all ducked as we surprisingly managed to enter through the tiny opening.  This is the last I saw of the blue grotto as we left after swimming in the azure blue waters – as you can see the white of the grotto walls are very close to the motor of our tender!

GREEN

World War II Cemetery, Champagne, France

While driving through the Champagne region I came across this war cemetery rather unexpectedly. People travel for many reasons, to see and experience other cultures or to see the past and where man has come from.  I had no thoughts of visiting War Memorials on my first ever trip to Europe in 2006 however, I was struck by this vista: the perfectly manicured green laws, the perfect symmetry from where the crosses sprouted from the lawns. But most of all I was struck by the sadness of lives lost and grateful for the respect shown to these fallen soldiers more than half a century later.

YELLOW

Pompeii – Citrus Vendor

Also on my first visit to Europe I found myself visiting the ruins of Pompeii, the striking imagery I viewed inside Pompeii of frescoes depicting Vesuvius billowing dark smoke and knowing everyone remained despite this constant threat.  Outside you get a sense of WHY the people stayed there, these enormous lemons as big as a man’s head show you the bounty of fresh produce that was available in the area and still today! Lemoncello is an art form as are the lemons grown in the region!

WHITE

Mykonos Young Girl

It is difficult to think of anything BUT white in the Greek Islands – but I will always remember looking up this lovely street and seeing a young girl consumed by her own thoughts and fantasies as she goes on her way; perhaps home, perhaps to friends but with a spring in her step and happiness in her heart.

RED

Dubai Taxi Ferries

I was torn between two pictures for the colour red – both were taken in Dubai.  This one of the local Taxi ferries where for as little as 1 Dirham one could cross from one side of the canal to the other. The rich colours and the oppressive heat blended well together – I was surprised how this particular ferry had so few people on it.  My friend and I hopped on one for the experience later in the evening and their was barely enough sitting room for everyone!

So this concludes my colours expozay!

My Nominees for CAPTURE THE COLOUR in no particular order are;

1. Toni  from http://orvietoorbust.com/
2. Emily at http://inspiredinitaly.blogspot.fr/
3. Di from http://www.dimackey.com/
4. Sam at http://www.lifeinabruzzo.com/
5. Pete from http://www.lazioexplorer.com/

I hope you have found this wander down memory lane as enjoyable as I myself have!

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La Chitarra – Traditional Pasta Making Utensil from Abruzzo

The Guitar - La Chitarra

La Chitarra or ‘the guitar’ is used to form a traditional Abruzzese pasta which is probably best described to you as a ‘square’ spaghetti. Pasta dough is rolled through the strings of the Chitarra to produce the unique shaped pasta.  Traditionally this pasta is served with a ragu usually with a meat base.

An Old Washstand & Basin - Un lavabo Vecchio e del bacino

Washstand Excavated from the Bathroom

On my last visit to Abruzzo my neighbour informed me that during strong winds the unsecured window shutters on my house would bang loudly keeping her awake at night or during her siesta.  In order to rectify the situation with what little means I had I went around the house securing the window shutters as best I could.  This included going into my ‘bathroom’ which has been filled with rubble from the terrace which fell in on it due to water damage and 40 years of neglect.  I used the old terracotta bricks to stack behind the shutters on the window ledge to keep then closed as I had no other means of securing them.  In the process I noticed some ironwork underneath my feet and decided to investigate further.  The result was that I excavated the wrought iron washstand and enamel basin.  A few days later I was introduced to some more neighbours and they have a very similar washstand but one that is more ornate and has a jug with it that sits in the bottom ring.  I was impressed with theirs and my neighbour has offered to restore mine as a housewarming gift!

Old Bottles: Different Shapes & Colours  - Vecchie Bottiglie – Forme e Colori Diversi

Old Bottles – Different Shapes & Colours

I found quite a collection of old bottles – not on my last visit but I thought I would share these with you.  I found traditional wine casks in wicker (bottom shelf), old soft drink bottles, glasses a jug and storage bottles with stoppers on them.  Some are clear, some blue, some green and some brown.  I am not so sure of what I might do with these – maybe I will clean them up and display them somewhere as they are really quite pretty and they were part of my home before I arrived.

Old Keys – Vecchie Chiavi

Old Keys From A Hidden Past

I found some old keys around the house also – but what they unlocked no longer appears to be held within the house at all.

An Old Quilt - Una Vecchia Coperta

You will have to wait for a picture of this I am afraid.  I was looking at the mess on top of the iron bed in the room that will be my master bedroom and I had previously thought the old bedding was completely ruined.  At one stage there had been a small fire on the mattress, however I was surprised to find a hand made quilt in a very pretty red colour and as I pulled it out from underneath the other covers I realized that perhaps it would be possible to have it cleaned and given life once more.  I will keep you wondering about this one as I need a few days to be able to give the quilt the attention it needs and to take photos.

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Awaiting the Ferry

The job had its ups and downs – if you pardon the pun! But I survived the season and managed to see some amazing parts of the world and met some wonderful people even if I didn’t get the chance to explore every place fully.

Marmaris is a clubbers paradise and it was hard to ignore the nightly boom boom boom of the clubs close to the marina where our yacht was berthed.  I had my work cut out for me as there had not been anyone looking after the interior for more than a year but I did manage to snatch a day here and there to see where I was in the world.

Locally I decided to jump on a cheesy gullet tour which took me to Turtle Beach, Datça, nearby Lycean tombs and some healing mudbaths.  Some weeks later I would learn that the mudbaths no longer held any of the original healing properties as it was shipped in on trucks from goodness knows where to keep the crowds coming back day after day to roll in the black muck and take silly pictures of themselves!

Setting out for promised beauty

Ancient Tombs – Turkey 2008

We spent the Summer cruising Turkey as far North as Bodrum and as far South as Antalya.  Greece we visited intermittently Santorini, Rhodos, Mykonos, Symi, Nisyros and the Eastern-most Kastelorizo.

Kastelorizo Early Morning

Mykonos Young Girl

Travel is a wonderful way to see other cultures and gain greater understanding of those we share the world with. While much of the Western World has been lead towards a great untruth regarding Muslims I was welcomed warmly into Muslim homes in Turkey and given the love of families with little else to offer except the generosity of their hearts. This is despite the invasion of their countries by foreigners who have little if any respect for local cultures and beliefs.

Founder of Modern Turkey Ataturk

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Gosh it really has been TOO long since my last post!! Many apologies!! Well a lot has been happening.  Back in April I thought my architect sent me his ideas for the renovation but I was mistaken he sent me the ‘current layout’ of the house and I was panicking about there being no bathroom!

Approximately a month ago I received 2 new plans – both with bathrooms!  His ipotesi (proposals) were both very good.  One was based on my own idea for the use of the space and the second was more his own thinking and an option I had not considered at all. Unfortunately at the same time I received the plans we were getting extremely busy on the yacht and it was only this weekend just passed that I was able to return to Abruzzo and meet with my architect.

We had a very busy 3 weeks with guests on the yacht and we worked 18-21 hours every day during this time plus the week leading up to and preparing was very hectic too!  While our guests are fantastic and lovely they are on holiday and quite easily forget that you are actually working while they are enjoying themselves.

Our captain who had been a concern and a real problem for me had his employment terminated within the first 5 days of the guest trip.  Therefore we had a new captain starting who was thankfully not new to the boat and I was charged with arranging 2 new crew members within a very tight timeframe.  Needless to say we rose to the challenge and it was a virtually seamless transition with very happy guests!

We were in Cannes briefly during the film festival and with changed traffic conditions and the influx of crazed tourists I admit I had quite the job trying NOT to run them over as tempting as it was as they walked anywhere and everywhere with scant regard to traffic as I drove to the Fortville Market and the Boulangerie for early morning croissants and baguettes!  We were also in Monaco for the Formula 1 Grand Prix and this was my first time there.  We were in ‘lock down’ every day during the racing so it was a challenge whenever something was needed or I ran out of anything as the means of getting them (launching the tender and heading to Fontveille to markets) was a bit of an ordeal!  We had several changeovers with various guests coming, going and returning but it was enjoyable despite the hard work!  We had a few nights at anchor in St Tropez too which is nice except we have to do anchor watches which makes for broken sleep and adds to exhaustion.

Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix 2012

Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix 2012

Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix 2012

After 3 weeks with guests and the changes in crew I spent last weekend in Italy enjoying a long weekend and taking a few more steps towards living my dream in Italy!!

I hope I can keep you updated more regularly but as you may be getting some idea of the way my work is it really isn’t always possible as sleep is the one thing one catches up on first given the opportunity!!

Arrivederci!

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At the end of March 2012 I decided to experiment with e-publishing and delivered a short story via Smashwords.  My short stories are quite different from my novels they’re quirky human interest I suppose whereas my novels are more Thriller/Mystery genre.

Please feel free to download a copy of ‘The Birthday’ using the link below, reviews are welcomed also.

The Birthday by Ingrid Christensen

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145909

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I must apologise for jumping the gun on telling you about the architectural plans before finishing telling you about the rest of my trip to Abruzzo in March!  It seems apologies are ‘de rigueur’ at present so I will try to resist my compulsion!

My last Sunday was of course quite hectic with the architect in the morning then a catch up and meeting with an expat in nearby Capestrano where we showed each other our houses.  We then had an unscheduled visit to another expat couple who were suddenly setting the table for dinner with us and so it was much later than expected return to the house for a good night’s sleep!

Monday morning the weather turned quite cold and wintery, so with little I could do at the house and no pressing appointments I jumped in the car and went off for an exploration of nearby Santo Stefano di Sessanio a partially restored mountain village.  At times it was attempting to snow but managed to avoid any contribution to the piles of snow littering the streets from the month of February.

Here are a few pictures of the town.

Gateway - Santo Stefano di Sessanio

Rooftops & Snow - Santo Stefano di Sessanio

Covered Streets - Santo Stefano di Sessanio

On my way back to the B&B I drove via Rocca Calascio and took a few pics there also.

Majestic Rocca Calascio

After lunch with Jimmy & Francesca I headed to the Pasta Factory near Rocca Casale called Pastificio Masciarelli.  Abruzzo has some of the very best pasta in Italy due to the fresh mountain water which is a key ingredient in all pasta production.  I bought a 2 packets for myself to take home and a gift pack for my lovely friends and hosts at Abruzzo Segretto.

Tuesday was another busy day as I first went on a quick excursion to a nearby chocolate factory then headed to Ortona to meet with a friend for lunch.  We had a superb 3 course meal and some very nice local wine to accompany it.  Lunch consisted of some amazing home baked bread and olive oil, an array of antipasto dishes including mussels & calamari followed by a seafood pasta starring the famous chitarra pasta I spoke of in an earlier post and for dessert a tasting plate of no less than 4 treats each!

Feeling very relaxed and mellow after the leisurely 2 hour lunch I said my goodbye’s and headed north to Pescara to meet with the Architect.  Maurizio had decided to rush through the paperwork for me so I could sign the planning permission requests before leaving.  On arrival I met his wife and son, his 15 year old son had been called in as translator although surprisingly between google translate and my small understanding of Italian we managed to complete the necessary paperwork in about an hour.  I was advised the planning permission for the commune (village) was a simple process but following the L’Aquila earthquakes there was another office that also required consultation and would take up to 8 weeks to complete.

I am so grateful for finding Maurizio to undertake the project – he renovated my neighbour’s house and I was looking to find him originally to complete the restoration but was searching for his details in L’Aquila where he was not.  Sometimes things just fall into place – and somehow  it seems that my landing in Abruzzo was more than serendipitous!

Wednesday morning I fare-welled my friends and picked up an expat also heading to Fiumincino for a flight.  It was nice to have company on the just over 2 hour drive as it made the time go much quicker.

I returned to Beaulieu sur Mer looking forward to the next phase of the renovation process.

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