Ten things I learned on our first Abruzzo trip– 2025!

Yesterday, I finished writing the “blow by blow” blog series about our trip to Abruzzo in Italy. We went there to look around and see what the condition of the area is, and whether or not we might be able to live there, whether it be as vacationers, or as permanent residents. We also stopped for a couple of nights in the Lugano area of Switzerland and Colle Isarco, near the Austrian border. I like to wrap up my blog series with a top ten list of things I learned. So, here we go with my top ten list for this trip!

10. The word “mance” in Italian means tip or gratuity.
As a general rule, Italians aren’t all that big on tipping. When you go to a restaurant, they usually charge a coperto (cover charge) that amounts to 1 to 3 euros per person. When you settle the bill, you go to a cashier, rather than paying your server. That said, we saw evidence that some people do appreciate tips. When I spotted a jar by a register that read “Mance”, I figured it meant “tips”. I looked it up, and sure enough, I was right. Bill slipped the lady a ten euro note, which earned him a big, bright smile of appreciation. How refreshing!

9. There is an Eataly style AutoGrill near Parma that is pretty nice.
Back in 2008, Bill and I went to Italy together for the first time. It was his first time ever, and my first time since 1997. We stayed near Turin/Torino, which is where the big Italian food store “Eataly” was launched. Yes, we visited, and it was amazing, although we didn’t load up nearly enough. Since then, Eataly has grown by leaps and bounds. Now, if you travel on the Autostrada near Parma, you can enjoy an Eataly style meal. The stop is only eastbound, though. The westbound lane has a regular AutoGrill location.

8. Riposo or pennichella is still pretty serious in Abruzzo.
Riposo (mid afternoon break, perhaps more familiarly known as “siesta” to Americans) is a thing in a lot of Mediterranean countries, although some areas take it more seriously than others. I noticed when we were in Abruzzo, a lot of businesses and restaurants shut down at about 1:00 PM for riposo. They reopened at 3:00 or 4:00. It took some getting used to.

7. Pescara is a hectic, yet convenient, base city.
I had a hard time choosing where to stay in Abruzzo, since we were going down there to see little towns where houses might be for sale. I wound up choosing Pescara, which I found really hectic. We did get used to it somewhat, and it’s convenient to a lot of places in Abruzzo.

6. If you stay at the Relais Castello Morcote in Vico Morcote, Switzerland, you can visit a vineyard and get beautiful photos and views of Lake Lugano!
You can also buy some delicious wines that are from Switzerland.

5. The Centro Ovale in Switzerland, near the Italian border, is a cool looking building that is now defunct!
I don’t know how I never noticed that former shopping mall on previous trips to Italy. We’ve been through that border a few times, but this time was the first one I noticed the architectural wonder that took longer to build than it was actually open for business!

4. Campione d’Italia is an Italian exclave surrounded by Switzerland.
I had heard of Campione d’Italia before our trip because I happened to see a video about it on YouTube. I hadn’t necessarily planned to visit there, but when I noticed how close it was to our location in Switzerland, I decided we should check it out. I’m glad we did. It’s a very interesting place, with a mixture of Italian and Swiss features. It is, officially, Italy, but it is entirely physically separated from the rest of Italy by Switzerland. However, it doesn’t take long at all to get to mainland Italy from there. It’s easy to reach by car and bus, and it’s the home of Italy’s only casino (which is a huge eyesore)!

3. March is a nice time to visit Italy, although it’s still considered the “low season.”
Abruzzo has a lot to offer visitors. There’s the Adriatic Sea and the Appenine Mountains, as well as access to interesting Italian cities and the cool tiny country of San Marino, which I hope to visit sometime. But one thing I noticed that was nice was that there were no tourists around, and I didn’t hear any Americans! That might be because of where we were, but it’s probably also because it’s March!

2. We got stared at in the tiny towns we visited…
It was pretty obvious we were outsiders in Abruzzo. We’re both lacking olive complexions and dark hair and eyes. When we visited the cute town of Gissi, people stared at us with curiosity, rather than aggression or hostility. We were conspicuous. In another town, the reception from one local seemed a bit menacing, so we left. They probably pegged us as Germans.

And finally… 1. Vipiteno is a great place to visit on the way back to Germany…
Vipiteno is in Italy, but it used to be part of Austria. It feels like one is in Austria, even though one is in Italy. And it’s a really great place to buy souvenirs and eat good pizza. When I go to Italy, I like to go to grocery stores and load up on goodies as much as I like to shop for other stuff. We definitely did so on this trip, but Vipiteno was especially handy. They had a great gourmet store with lots of local delicacies. And, we also got to see some snow before we headed back home!

*Honorable mention that I almost forgot–
There are harness racing horses (pacers) trained in Abruzzo. I had no idea, and was shocked when we ran across people training them on a little used (but open) road! I didn’t see anyone riding horses, but I did see a couple of sulkies! As a horse lover, it was kind of a thrill for me. I miss having a horse, even just to pet and hang out with. I’d love to have some land with a donkey and a horse to spoil.

All in all, we had a really nice trip. I’m still not sure what the future will hold for us, but I’m glad we visited Abruzzo. It’s a very beautiful part of Italy, although I can see why they are eager to get some people to buy cheap property there. It’s fairly depressed and in need of some “new blood”. I liked it, though. Maybe we’ll have a chance to visit again!

adventure, Sundays

And finally, time to go home to Germany… (part nine)

Sunday morning, we woke up to more cold, wet weather. It was raining in Colle Isarco, which means that it was probably good to move on, although it’s not fun to drive when the weather is inclement. We loaded up the car with our stuff, then sat down to another hearty breakfast. I enjoyed another one of those incredible warm crescent rolls… I don’t need the recipe for those things, but I wish I had it!

Our hotel bill was already settled, so after breakfast, we were on our way. Very soon, we ran into snow! It’s probably the last snow we’ll see this season. We drove through the “skinny” part of Austria, after we crossed Brenner Pass. We had one rest stop, where peeing was a reasonable 50 cents… I think. Maybe it was 70 cents. I remember when peeing in Germany was only 50 cents. It’s a euro now.

*I don’t know why this appears so early in my photos. We weren’t that close to the border.*

My German friend, Susanne, mentioned the huge outlet center on the Italy/Austria border. Maybe if it hadn’t been snowy and Sunday, we might have considered stopping there. But the snow was coming down like crazy, and it was probably too early, even if the outlets were open on a Sunday. I didn’t have a chance to check. I wanted to get a picture of the signs for the outlet stores, but I wasn’t fast enough.

Frankly, I find outlets kind of depressing. I used to work at an outlet store at a fairly nice outlet mall in Williamsburg, Virginia. Even though it was a “nice” mall, it still kind of made me sad, because there was a real push to keep overhead low, which would make the shops look kind of picked over and sad. Still, working at the outlet menswear store got me a generous employee discount, which was a great thing in 1995. I loaded up on clothes and shoes to wear in Armenia.

Our drive north was pretty uninteresting. We tried to stop at a Rastplatz for lunch, but thanks to a shitload of trucks that took up multiple parking spots at a time, there was nowhere for us to park the Volvo. Fortunately, the next stop had more parking, and it also had a Nordsee– which is a German fast food outlet that specializes in fish and shrimp. I wouldn’t necessarily call Nordsee “cheap eats”, but it beats going to McDonald’s.

We got home in the late afternoon, thanks to a couple of delays. Bill had to immediately turn around and pick up the dogs, who had a great time at the Birkenhof Tierpension. They were happy to be there, and just as happy to come home, which the proprietor said she is always glad to see. Likewise, it’s a relief to see how much Noyzi and Charlie enjoy going to stay there when we take our trips!

All in all, I’d say our vacation/house hunting excursion to Switzerland and Italy was a success. I always enjoy going to Italy, if only because of the food and wine. Do I still want to invest in property there? I am intrigued by the idea. I think Abruzzo is beautiful, although given my ‘druthers, I might prefer to settle in an area further north and slightly more prosperous. On the other hand, I can’t deny that there are great bargains on properties to be had in Abruzzo, and it really is a gorgeous place, with friendly people, good food and wine, and breathtaking views of the Adriatic Sea and the Apennine Mountains.

There are a few issues that make me worry a bit about investing in Italian property. Mainly, it’s the fact that owning property there doesn’t mean you can live there full time. And with Trump’s heavy-handed governing, I’m not sure how long Americans will still be welcome in Europe. We don’t have a lot of money to spend on a place we might not get to use. On the other hand, I have no desire to move back to Trump’s version of the United States. Living there is also way more expensive on many levels.

So… we’ll see what happens. I’ll just keep socking away money and make sure to keep my eyes peeled for places where we might be able to settle. It was good to get away. I think we may visit Portugal this year, too… if we don’t get deported, that is.

The next post will be my usual ten things I learned… Hope to see you there.

adventure, art, house hunting

Hello Vipiteno… long time, no see! (part eight)

As I have mentioned in previous blog posts (and videos), I first discovered the formerly Austrian and currently Italian town, Vipiteno/Sterzing, back in June 2009. I went on a bus trip out of the Edelweiss Lodge in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. They advertised a day trip to Italy in Vipiteno and Bolzano. I went for it.

I remember that week spending every day on a tour somewhere with other military spouses and their families. On that particular day, I was seated next to a very hostile man who seemed angry that I existed. I guess he was mad that he had to sit next to me, instead of with his wife. That’s why you should get to the bus early, so you can stake out your territory.

In any case, I enjoyed both Bolzano and Vipiteno in June 2009. Bill and I went to Bolzano in August 2020. And now, we have enjoyed Vipiteno together. Below are a few Vipiteno pictures from my first trip. I remember our group was herded to a purse shop there. I bought a leather bag that I used for some time before it was time to replace it. We also visited a very old church that dated from the 14th century and is famous for its frescoes. I don’t know why I didn’t post more pictures. Bill and I didn’t have a chance to go there during our visit together.

On Saturday, March 15th, we woke up to snowy skies, which later turned to rain. We enjoyed a good breakfast at Hotel Erna– cold cuts, cheeses, breads, fruits and vegetables, and these incredible rolls that were shaped liked crescents. They had a sweet filling and toasted almonds on top, and they were served warm. They were so good!

It was raining during our visit to the town, which literally put a damper on things. Luckily, there are many shops in Vipiteno. It’s a great place to buy things. And, indeed, we did buy lots of gifts for the grandchildren and stuff for ourselves. Bill also insisted on buying me an umbrella. Aside from that, I took a lot of photos, and availed myself of the very welcome free public restroom near the tourism office. I am relieved to report that it was also pretty clean!

*The tower is pretty much the main attraction!*

Vipiteno is also where I purchased my latest prop… I bought a middle finger paperweight. I feel pretty sure I will get my money out of using it. I even made a video about it.

I made this video for my friend, Dave, and to show off the new toy I bought in Vipiteno!

We bought toys and delectables for ourselves and the kids, then went searching for lunch. The town has many pizzerias, and a few places that appeared to offer cuisine that is more for the Austrian/German palate. We ended up at a pizzeria ourselves, a place called Ristorante Bellavita. It looked like they were doing some cosmetic work on the outside of the place, which isn’t on the main drag.

We sat down at the back of the restaurant and both decided to have pizzas. Bellavita offers some special ones. Mine was called Aline, and had Brie, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, bacon, and oregano. Bill’s was a white pizza that had pork bellies, mozzarella cheese, and basil pesto. He managed to finish his, but I only got through half of mine. Then, for dessert, I had Blanco profiteroles, which were chocolate filled and covered with whipped cream! We took the rest of my leftover pizza with us, but Bill ended up eating it.

I see the this particular restaurant doesn’t get the best ratings, but we definitely enjoyed our lunch there. Service was good; prices were reasonable; and we felt comfortable. Also, the pizzas were interesting and delicious!

After a bit more walking around, we realized the weather was getting worse. It was colder and wetter, and frankly, it wasn’t fun hanging around outside in it. So we decided to stop by a Spar grocery store (Austrian chain) and pick up some more goodies for home and the kids. As much as we shopped in grocery stores, there are still some things I wish we’d bought.

After that, we headed back to the hotel, and I played with my new pink hand. I also took selfies, and then a long nap… When I woke up, someone on YouTube had left me a comment on one of my best videos, advising me to take it down because of the election results. Bill and I made a video response to that, and I got to put the new pink hand to good use.

I’m glad we visited Vipiteno. It really is a charming town, even when the weather is bad. There’s good food and shopping, and it’s a nice place to spend a Saturday afternoon! For those who want to do more than shop, there’s also good skiing and hiking, as well as the train to lovely Bolzano, which is well worth a look. We might have gone there, if we hadn’t already been. I would probably rather stay in Bolzano, although the area around Vipiteno and Brennero is very charming. March was a good time to be there, too. I would imagine there are many crowds in season. I noticed lots of bus parking, and of course, my first time there was on a bus tour!

It kind of gives you a look at Hotel Erna, and the hand, which comes from Hong Kong, but was imported through The Netherlands.

And, as was our custom on this particular trip, we decided to stay in and watch movies as we wound down our trip. In the next post, I will describe the drive back to Germany, and that will end the blow by blow account of this trip. It will be followed by my usual “ten things I learned” post. Stay tuned!

adventure, house hunting

Onward and upward to Vipiteno, Italy… (part seven)

On Friday morning, Bill and I had breakfast a half hour earlier. We had requested it, because it’s quite a long haul to Vipiteno from Pescara. Carlo very kindly obliged us. After we ate, we paid him the tourist taxes for our four nights at his B&B and said goodbye. His wife was taking care of the Italian couple who had booked a room on our last night. I noticed she was much chattier with them, but that’s only natural. Maybe if we move to Italy, we’ll get fluent in the language… especially since there seem to be fewer English speakers in Italy than in Germany.

I have actually picked up some German after living here for so many years. However, it’s not that easy to learn German when so many people automatically seem to switch to English when they don’t hear a German accent. I can’t deny that just being in this country and hearing the language from locals, on YouTube ads, and the radio has led to picking up some words by osmosis. But practicing speaking it is more difficult. Maybe the widespread use of English is a detriment to us Americans– lots of books, movies, music, and video games are in English, after all. I was dumbfounded by how widespread English was when I went to Armenia. When I lived there, I definitely needed to know Armenian! That’s not as true today.

Anyway, we set off for Vipiteno before 9:00 AM. At first, we had really beautiful, sunny weather. I took lots of photos of the coast as we drove north. The Adriatic Sea is truly very beautiful and blue. I want to book a vacation in a beach town and enjoy it when the weather is warmer. I wish the guardrails in Italy weren’t so tall. There is so much beautiful scenery there, but it’s hard to capture it from a car.

The further north we drove, the cloudier the sky became. My German friend had warned me that there would be snow in the Alps. But for the first hours of our drive, the weather was clear, sunny, and fairly warm. Carlo had told us that it was unseasonably warm during our visit, as he prepared his garden and had construction of a new shed done on his property.

We stopped for gas at a station that overlooked the sea. I was amused when I entered a stall and saw a little sink in there. I guess it was a makeshift bidet (I almost wrote “makeshit”). Italians are big on bidets in their bathrooms, but it’s not so often that you find them in public restrooms!

I took a few more photos of interesting structures as we drove further north. It was getting close to lunchtime. I wished we were on the other side of the Autostrada, so we could have another lunch at Eataly. Instead, we stopped at a chain place called Sarni. I was immediately turned off by it because of the trash near the building. Then, when we walked inside, it smelled vaguely of urine, which turned me off. So, after a quick pit stop, we decided to keep driving.

We stopped at an AutoGrill, which was very crowded and had signs advertising how each parking spot had a webcam that would allow patrons to check on their cars while they ate in one of the food court restaurants. I wondered what prompted them to put in the cameras. And then, when we went into the place, I was turned off by how crowded, dirty, and hectic it was. I also didn’t see anything offered in the restaurants that was particularly appetizing, although I would have settled for something. But this time, Bill decided we’d keep driving.

*Yikes! What prompted them to install these?*

I was starting to get fatigued and grouchy as we reached the exit for Parma. Not long after that, the road changed, and we were on a different Autostrada heading for Brenner Pass. Bill spotted another AutoGrill. This one was the charm. Not only did it have a sit down restaurant that didn’t smell like pee, it also wasn’t super crowded. So we went in and enjoyed lunch, right at the point at which I was about to have a hangry meltdown. I had a burger and Bill had a chicken sandwich. I was impressed by the burger, which was tasty and juicy, even if it was pretty messy.

*But they will make you walk the gauntlet of junk food and toys before you exit the store!*

We were maybe two hours or so from our destination after we ate our late lunch. I was feeling less irritable, even though the weather got pretty yucky. You can see by the photos, we went from sunny and warm to cloudy and grim!

Finally, in the late afternoon, we arrived in Gossensass-Colle Isarco, which is a little village just outside of Vipiteno, which we drove past on our way to our Gasthaus, Hotel Erna. I’m not sure why I decided to book this particular property. It might have been because reviews mentioned that the scenery was pretty, parking is free, and the service was good. It’s a pleasant, three star establishment that had all we needed, but was not particularly fancy. Their restaurant wasn’t open because it’s the off season. Fortunately, there are a couple of little shops and restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. There’s also a train stop, and when you check in, they give you a card that allows free rides on public transportation.

I was actually invited in by the proprietor, as I had charged ahead of Bill without picking up any luggage. He had decided to bring it in instead of getting it after checking in. We were assigned a corner room with two balconies. Since it was getting dark and was cold and rainy, we decided to settle in for the night. Hotel Erna also has a tennis court. Bill said the court looked like it was Wimbledon style, with grass. I wonder what the story is behind a tennis court at this little unassuming hotel!

It would have been nice to have had dinner, but our late lunch filled us up… and the weather just didn’t invite us to venture out. Maybe if we go back to that area again, we’ll do it when Hotel Erna’s restaurant is open. It really does have a different feel… as everyone was speaking German, even though we were technically in Italy.

In the next post, I’ll write about our visit to Vipiteno/Sterzing. Stay tuned!

house hunting

An Italian style respite from the chaos…

Featured photo was taken in Gissi (pronounced Gee-see), a very cute little town in Abruzzo where I’ve seen properties for sale…

Hi everybody. We got back from Italy yesterday. I meant to start writing this series earlier today, but it happens to be the second anniversary of Arran’s death. Arran, as some of my regular readers might know, was a beloved canine family member. I spent a most of the morning making a video about him and our other rescue dogs of the past. Then I decided to record two songs. So it’s now 3:30 PM, I haven’t had lunch yet, and I’m just now getting started writing this first installment of our latest travel series.

This is a link for those who want to see the video about Arran. It has some cute clips in it. That’s also where you’ll find the songs.

Anyway… about our trip.

I have recently mentioned that Bill has a friend from work who bought two cheap apartments in Italy. Given the current political climate, and the fact that we’ve been in Europe for so long that it feels like home, Bill and I are thinking maybe we might stay in Europe… If they don’t kick us out due to Trump’s idiocy, that is.

Bill’s friend gave us a link to the real estate site where he found his apartments down in Abruzzo, a province that is a little more than halfway down the eastern side of Italy’s boot. Since Bill had some vacation time banked, we decided to drive down there to have a look around. We had never been to Abruzzo, so it would be a new location for us to explore. I told Bill that I wanted this trip to be strictly about checking out the area and the mood toward Americans, to see if buying property is something we might seriously consider.

I thought about flying to Abruzzo, since it’s a pretty stout drive from where we live in Germany. I couldn’t find any flights that didn’t cost an arm and a leg and weren’t terribly inconvenient. I also realized that we’d probably want to hit some Italian grocery stores and load up on culinary goods and presents for Bill’s grandchildren. So we planned for a road trip, with two night stops on the way down and back up. Yes, we could have just done overnights, but I like to spend at least two nights at our stops when we can, because I like to have the chance to look around.

For the longest time, I had been wanting to visit Lugano, Switzerland. It just never worked out. We either didn’t have time, or I talked myself into continuing on to Italy, where everything is much cheaper! This time, I did book us two nights in Switzerland, although we didn’t stay in Lugano. Instead, we stayed at a beautiful hotel and winery in a little hamlet called Vico Morcote. The hotel where we stayed was once a convent, and has been beautifully renovated for guests who don’t want to be in the city.

I had a hard time choosing where we should stay in Abruzzo. I had been watching the real estate site for potential properties, but they weren’t necessarily all in the same areas. I ended up deciding on a B&B in Pescara, a decent sized city in Abruzzo that has views of the mountains and the Adriatic Sea. I was also very attracted to Ancona, which is a coastal city further north, but it would not have been convenient to our plans to stay up there.

Finally, on the way back to Germany, I remembered the charming commune of Vipiteno, which is also known as Sterzing. Vipiteno was once part of Austria, so German speakers might still call it Sterzing. Vipiteno is the Italian name for the town. I went there on a bus tour in 2009 and recalled that it was a very cute town, great for shopping. So I booked us at a small Gasthaus in the nearby hamlet of Colle Isarco.

We didn’t make any specific plans to see or do anything. The trip was strictly for exploring Abruzzo, relaxing a bit, and buying some stuff for Bill’s grandkids and our own pantry. All in all, we had a great time, as usual. We spent some money and I took many pictures, which I will share in this series.

I think I’ll take my time writing this travel series, since I don’t have a bunch of eager readers anymore. It helps keep the blog stats up when I slow down and spin the story. So, I hope you’ll join me as I share a blow by blow of our travels, lots of photos, new things I learned, and travel tips.

Below are three photos– one from each stop. It really was a very diverse trip, full of all kinds of weather and beautiful landscapes, which made packing and parking a bit challenging! Notice each place has a name that starts with a V!

Anyway, I’ll start writing the story in earnest tomorrow. Hope to see you back here then! I’ve got to stop messing with the computer and go have a snack before I pass out. Ciao!

trip planning, videos

A video about feeding a hungry Romani woman in Brno…

I have already written this story from October 2023 on this blog, but I decided to make a video about it for my growing YouTube audience. I’m sharing it here for the interested.

The story about the woman starts at about the 2:32 mark…

Last night, I booked two hotels in preparation for next weekend’s trip to Italy via Switzerland. I’m excited about the trip, which I hope will be memorable and profitable on many levels. If anything, I’ll take more photos, right? Hopefully, we will be blessed with nice weather.

We’ll be stopping near Lugano for two nights, then heading down to Abruzzo for four nights, then stopping again near Vipeteno, Italy. I went there in 2009, but Bill has never been. The hotel is not in the city itself, but is close to it.

I’m still trying to decide where to stay in Abruzzo. It looks like there are a lot of cute little hamlets from which to choose. So stay tuned for that…

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: Vipiteno