Family in Pratola Peligna

Besides a missing tooth, today was a day that I will never forget. My mother had sent me phone numbers of relatives in Pratola Peligna and I decided to attempt a call. It is very difficult to talk on the phone to someone when you do not speak Italian. I had a backup, since Samantha was in the office and she would be able to help (although Samantha does not speak English, so I still had the issue of talking to her).

Luck was with me because I reached the granddaughter of my mother’s cousin, Marie Luisa. Her boyfriend was there and he speaks English. I told them that I would be taking a bus in the afternoon to visit. Before departing I had to help in the kitchen with over 50 school kids and their parents for lunch. I mentioned that La Porta dei Parchi is a teaching farm also and there are school children visiting regularly. You can imagine the noise with 50 very excited kids running all over the farm.

I arrived at 3:30 in Pratola Peligna and went to the book store that the cousin owned. It was a very interesting book store with magazines, newspapers, and books. In America it would be considered more of a newspaper / magazine stand. The store was on the same piazza where my grandmother was born. We met Marie Luisa and Franca Bianchi and Marie Luisa’s boyfriend Nello. They were so warm and friendly and excited to meet me. They took me to their home to meet their mother/grandmother and Franca’s sister. We spent some time talking (Nello was the interpreter). It was so wonderful to get to know them and to see how they live.

We went back to their store and they gave me a beautiful book of the area and a lot of confetti (candy that is made in Abruzzo). One of the gentlemen I met gave me a gallon jug of wine he makes on his farm. Not sure what I am going to do with a gallon of wine. I also met a few more relatives. We did some sight seeing to a town at the very top of the mountain, where they still do their wash in the community fountains (picture on the right). It was beautiful.

Afterwards we went on a tour of nearby towns and to see Nello’s swim park, which was beautiful. We had fabulous pizza at his restaurant. The pizza was better than the pizza in Napoli (white pizza with potato and ham, red sauce pizza with artichoke and ??, and finally a mushroom pizza (my favorite). We also had an appetizer plate filled with wonderful cheese and meats. It would have been rude not to eat everything, so you can imagine how full I was.

They were so nice to drive me back to Anversa. At Anversa I went to a wild boar party. Of course by the time I arrived, the party was in full swing and many people were feeling the vino. The man having the party kept giving me food and wine and dessert, while everyone laughed. I couldn’t fit another thing in my body; again it is really hard to refuse.

It was difficult NOT to smile all day with my missing tooth. It was good to get back and to bed with my very full stomach.


Now the decision on the tooth!! I decided to return to California a week early to make sure I can get my tooth fixed. I hate to cut the trip, but I feel very self conscious with the missing tooth. I am also concerned on any long term impact, if I do not take care of it quickly. I will be leaving La Porta dei Parchi on Monday for Rome and return to California on Wednesday. I hope to walk with the sheep tomorrow,if there is no rain.

Ciao for now