Arrivederci Ferragosto!

August in Italy is the time when most people take vacation.  Many take the whole month off.  And Abruzzo is where a lot of Italians like to come to relax and party  The Blue Flag beaches are very popular, as they stretch for kilometers and the sands are wide and the surf is gentle.  During the day, the beaches are occupied by sun tanners as well as those who prefer to relax under an umbrella.   Every evening along the Lungamare there are crowds, food and merchant vendors, live music, and parties until the wee hours of the morning.  This year, with August ending on a Sunday, that last weekend was quite lively.

So we waited until the weekend was over, and said Arrivederci! to the Ferragosto

festivities, and took off for a few days to belatedly celebrate Mike’s birthday and to celebrate mine.  This has become a tradition for us:  take a mini vacation to do something different.  This year, we chose to drive 1-1/2 hours up the coast to the port town of Ancona. 

Settled by the Greeks in about 387 B.C., no one knows for sure when it became under Roman control, although it did become a naval station in the Illyrian War of 178 B.C.  It was enlarged by Trajan, who built the marble triumphal arch, the Arch of Trajan in 115 A.D.  If you view our album, you will see lots of photos of this. Click HERE to see the album.

Ancona remained a very important port over the years, having survived many takeovers and rulers.  Today it serves as a major port, with ferries to Greece and Croatia.  It also serves as a major shipping and ship building port. We were pleasantly surprised at the history we found there, the buildings, and the welcoming atmosphere.

Back home now, we are directing our attention to life in general.  It has become apparent to us that we need to pay more attention to our health (at 76 and 77 years old, we should not be surprised).  This means, basically, that we are spending more time seeing doctors and getting tests done.  So far, nothing really serious.  Cataract surgery and hearing aids are in Margaret’s near future. Following an Xray, Mike has been directed to see an orthopedic doctor about his knee.  And we need to see a dermatologist for an annual check. 

Our new neighbors have transformed their balconies into beautiful spaces, with lots of

plants and comfortable chairs.  So I got balcony envy and decided it’s time to make our balcony more hospitable.  I engaged our friend Tim to help pick out plants, and we selected an assortment of succulents as a start.  My friend Monica helped pick out a few

other plants.  I am waiting on delivery of plant stands.  And, I am trying to decide what kind of sink to get, as the faucet is already there.  This is definitely a work in progress.

My cousin Dave Gaino and his wife Marlene came to visit us for a couple of days.  This was a very special time.  We are so glad that they were able to stop by on their

whirlwind trip to Italy.  We were able to show them our charming hill town of Citta’ Sant’Angelo, the beaches in Silvi, the Longamare in Montesilvano, and the center of the new part of Pescara as well as the old town.  Their visit was short, but very sweet.  It was good to connect with them.

All this goes on, while Mike studies diligently in preparation for taking the Italian driver’s license exam.  I did this last year, and feel his pain, but I can’t wait until he passes.  It will be a big relief for both of us.  He’s sure that he’s ready to take the test now, but ….  We have a trip planned for the first two weeks in October.  This means that scheduling the test will have to wait until we return. And it means that he will have to be sure to set aside some time to continue taking practice tests while on vacation.  It can be done, and I’m hoping it will work out well.

Yes, we are off to Slovenia and Croatia very soon.  I am so looking forward to seeing my friend Monika Bracika in Croatia and hopefully I will see Olia Sisirak in Metlika, Slovenia.  Croatia has been on our bucket list for a long time.  Our friends Valerie and Cecil from Evanston who have an apartment in Pescara are joining us, as are our friend Joan from Oak Park and her sister Anne.  We are really looking forward to this trip. We’ll be joining a tour with Gate1 Travel, the same tour group that we joined in Portugal.  We begin the tour in Zagreb, then Slovenia, then through Croatia, ending in Dubrovnik. 

There’s a lot going on in our quiet little town.  Stay tuned!