We are staying in the large town (or small city of Ortona). It is located just south of the major city of Pescara in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Wife has gone into quite a bit of detail about the town and where we are staying in her post yesterday. I will give you the highlights.
The town didn't impress us too much as we drove in. It seemed rather pedestrian. However, we are staying in a nice, modern apartment building. Getting into the apartment was easy. It is spacious, but like so many Airbnb type properties these days, is minimally kitted out so is nowhere near as comfortable as it could be. There also isn't much of a view. But there is a supermarket right nearby. We went there and did some shopping as we're going to be here a week.
I always enjoy the challenge of shopping in supermarkets of other countries. Trying to figure out what things are (is this body wash or laundry detergent?), ordering things from service counters (much pointing, using my phone to show the number of grams I want of something, etc.), seeing things you don't normally see, and not finding things you normally find, are all part of the experience.
After we were done with our shopping, Wife started to look at some of the promotional material on Ortona in the apartment. As she started reading, her level of enthusiasm grew. She passed that on to me. It turns out our apartment is just a couple of blocks away from Old Town which is the main attraction and point of interest.
On Saturday we were out and about exploring. It was easy to find the major points. The town sits on a hill overlooking the ocean. Below is a working port. There is a great, long promenade that goes all around the outside of the Old Town looking out on the port and the sea. We could see ourselves enjoying the same kind of lifestyle we have been seeking. There is still more research to be done. We'd want to get an apartment that had a sea view. That doesn't appear to be so easy to find. We're not sure of the availability of shopping in walking distance. We'll be doing a lot more exploring in the days ahead
Entering into the Old Town - the Cathedral
Thankfully many of the important sites are under renovation which means plenty of opportunity for our love of architectural scaffolding and covering.
Ortona was the scene of a major battle during WWII involving Canadians. There are monuments throughout the area.
The Aragonese Castle from the 16th Century!
The Port!
Much like the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, the Port of Ortona is a refuge for Cranes
It is also a refuge for Espouses Fotograficus
Check - One Mandatory Lighthouse
Statue in the harbor of Saint Someone or Other, Patron saint of Something
Along the promenade of the Passageo Orientale. This is THE PLACE we would want to stay if we were to do a long stay in Ortona. The challenge will be to find a place. You are not going to find these on Airbnb & VRBO.
Old Buildings
A requirement for our next long-stay locale
Narrow Medieval type streets - Check
Famous old noble family dominating the historical scene - Check
Medieval type art that has you scratching your head - Check
Even access to Mountains that have snow cover in September!
SIGNS OF THE WORLD
The Signs of the World team has been sadly lacking in material so far this trip, at least to date.
Seen near some construction
Our team researched and found it referenced the Italian love of great design
"No Square Lines Allowed on This Site)
2 comments:
oooo this one sounds very promising indeed. I'm waiting for the food report though. Very important.
Those are great looking buildings! Fingers crossed for you!
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