Europe Fall 2024 - Last Day On The Adriatic

Our sojourn along the Adriatic comes to a close today after two and a half weeks of exploring for the elusive place we could add to our inventory of locations we would want to come back to for a longer term stay. We've gone from Trieste in the north to Vasto in the center a distance of almost 400 miles. And we've visited a wide variety of communities based upon our criteria that we thought might work. None did. We've actually got our time here a few days short and are going across the peninsula to the outskirts of Rome on the opposite coast for a change of pace and to be close to our the Rome airport for our departure on Saturday.

We spend our last day here in Francavilla al Mare walking around some more.

There was some excitement before we went out as a Coast Guard helicopter was doing a close search to some speed boat!

Dealing with the crowds when you travel at this time of year can drive you nuts.

(Taken at 3pm)

Getting a table for lunch? An ordeal

(Primarily because almost nothing is open)

WHY OUR CHILDREN RESPECT US SO

Our lovely children have heard how much their parents complain about the decreasing capabilities due to age and the accompanying onslaught of injuries and pains. So they are always appreciative while we travel of our discipline at staying within our new capabilities

Wife wanted to visit Francavilla's 'Old Town'. To get there was going to require...

Going Up

And Going Down

Surely this is an example of Elders showing discipline!

We caught a glimpse of the local church in the old town as we mounted.

And got a nice view of Francavilla below

A friendly worker at a cheese making place directed us to the oldest church in town

 Which dates its construction as 2012. Hmmmm. Perhaps we have a different concept as to 'old'?

However, despite its youth, it had the coolest monumental artwork on its front facade!

A very cool bell tower

 And statuary in front that looked straight out of Aztec legend!

 Not what I expected at all!

Not to mention

 Some world class architectural scaffolding!

Europe Fall 2024 - Our Beach - Francavilla Al Mare

 We continue to get parts of what we're looking for - just not the whole enchilada. We've had Old Town areas. We've had beach areas. We've had city areas. But we haven't found anywhere on the Adriatic coast so far where we can get a combination. After our 7 days in Ortona (and our short-lived excitement on Vasto), we thought we'd venture inland just to try something different. Unfortunately, we could not find a rental that was anywhere close to what we find acceptable. But we did find another nice place on the beach. So it was off to Francavilla al Mare, just south of the largest city of Abruzzo, Pescara. 

We're enjoying being on the water again, this time with no trains right in our backyard. It is DEFINITELY off season. Things are really slow and many places are closed. It is nice to hear the ocean, 

 Some views outside the patio of our apartment looking over the beach

 

 

While the entire beach is mostly taken up by the Lidos, the commercial establishments that have rented the beach space and offer up the beach umbrellas, seating, food and drink, there is this one small space, evidently held onto, used by a couple of guys that are fishing commercially (I think) or sort of semi-retired commercially. I've been watching them do their work, go off and come back for days.

 

 

And some scenes walking up the beach including an interesting sculpture dedicated to those who die at sea.