Tag Archives: Travel

Alf in Italy – The Eremo of San Bartolomeo in Legio

Our friend Sandro is a mountain guide. He is taking me to visit a saint’s hermitage in the foothills of Maiella, the montagna madre of Abruzzo, where you are never far from wild, remote and often mysterious places. This is one of the ways Abruzzo differs from the more visited regions of Italy. The largest…

Alf in Italy – La Spiaggia – Part 2

It’s only a short drive to the beach along the Strada Provincale 30, a narrow, sinuous, twisting, road that mostly follows the ridge before dipping into a valley before heading toward the sea. There is a common stereotype of Italians as would be Formula One drivers with only scant respect for road laws. A mayor…

Alf in Italy – Lunch at il Vecchio Forno – Barletta

Rubbing the foot of the Colosso di Barletta certainly brought us luck. Of course luck does not just happen; it needs to be encouraged to happen. This day in Barletta it is Paola’s friend Beppe who encourages fortune to surprise and delight us. He has arranged lunch for us at Vecchio Forno, a restaurant specialising…

Alf in Italy – La Spiaggia – Part 1

One of the first places I was taken to when I first visited Italy was the beach. The Pescarese are besotted by their wide sandy beach and happily spend summer days stretched out on the sand absorbing the Mediterranean sun to get the perfect tan. After observing the beach for a while I realise that…