La Porta dei Parchi

I woke up today to snow in Scanno. All the trees and rooftops had a mist of snow and it was still snowing. Although it limited sightseeing, the overall view was breathtaking. I did a tour around the village of Scanno and, of course, purchased a few things for my empty suitcase.

After lunch I headed for La Porta dei Parchi, Farm 5. Nunzo, the owner, is a world class cheese maker. He is known for his Ricotta and Pecorino cheese. The farm is in Anversa, which is in the heart of Abruzzo. The town is very picturesque embedded in the mountains. I still believe that Abruzzo is the most beautiful of all the regions in Italy.

After arriving and having a lunch (did not really know what I was eating and that is probably better not knowing), I did a tour of the farm and saw the donkeys, pigs, sheep, horses, cow, and Abruzzo dogs.

The donkey wanted attention (you can definitely tell when a donkey wants something) and I had to pet him/her. I really feel that donkeys have great personalities.

I met all the people in the office. Some speak English so it was easy to communicate. Everyone is so nice. I am really looking forward to my time in Anversa. The hillsides around the Agriturisimo / farm are beautiful. Anversa is even prettier than Scanno.

I was put to work cleaning cheese in the afternoon. Once the cheese has aged, you scrub all the mold off the cheese. Although it seems easy, you have to be careful not to break the seal. Tomorrow I hope to see how they actually make the cheese.

Afterwards, I had time to unpack. I am staying in an apartment with a fireplace, sitting room, and a bathroom; no going out in the wilderness for a bathroom. Definitely not a five star, but compared to most of my rooms I feel like it is.

In the evening I helped cook in the restaurant. My first task was to bread the lamb heads including the eyes (I immediately offered Eric’s services). I told Pasqual, the cook, that I would not be eating the heads. This is definitely a different environment from farm 4; I really needed a diet anyway.

The menu was cannelloni, lamb’s head, lamb with eggs and wine, salad, and a dessert of Ricotta with honey and nuts. I bet you already guessed what I ate: the cannelloni and dessert with lots of wine. Liz and Malcolm, the cooks from Sicily, arrive on Wednesday. I hope to be able to start eating again.

The dinner guests were really nice and we actually joined them for dinner. The woman was from Pratola Peligna and recently inherited a house there. We talked about our families and how to find out more information. She currently lives in Lucca.

Tomorrow I hope to take pictures so everyone can see what a spectacular farm this is.

Ciao for now