Wednesday 12th October

The day dawned sunny but promised showers. We’ve set off for Caramanica Terme where there is a scenic walk in the Orfeno Valley by the river. This had not been possible the last time we were here as the path was too muddy and we did not have the right equipment. This time, there had been rain recently but things should have been drier. We arrived, parked and then decide to have a coffee and use the bathroom at a nearby café before embarking on the hike. This we did and then entered the nature reserve along with a bus load of noisy schoolchildren. The visitors’ center was not open but one could register one’s presence using a QR code, this was presumably in case you got lost and they had to come and find you. However, as there was no sign of life anywhere, I am not sure how that would have worked. There’s are a number of marked trails of varying lengths. We decide on one of the more modest ones and set off down a very stony path, past compounds where there is a project to preserve the European otter. We did not see any otters, maybe it was their day off. Then on down the path which be as we steeper and steeper with more and more loose stones which made the footing more precarious. At a point it was no longer really viable for us and we turned around and returned and took a different path which was longer but less stony and steep. This led us through a wooded area for quite a way until we came to a small stream which we would have had to cross but, again the footing did not seem too firm so we decided to retreat back to the start.

The sulfur water faucet.

On arriving back a slightly different way, we cam upon a faucet running with the local sulfur-laden water which a sign told us was very medically beneficial despite the rather unappetizing taste. We both had a taste and filled a bottle to bring back in case Bruno would like to try it for his ailments.

La Reserve which was an exclusive spa seems to have closed as has the Caramanica Terme hotel and spa just down the street from it. It was closed when we were here before as we had tied to get Stefania a gift card for treatments there. Stefania did tell us that it did reopen briefly but then closed again, probably due to the pandemic and now seems to be permanently closed. I am sure this has hit the small town of Caramanica  hard.

The, we drove on, more or less aimlessly and found what seems an interesting site of a ‘cisterna’ arriving and parking the car we walked up another stony path and found a simple water tank! So we decided to return home.

This evening we would have dinner at a local Cugnoli restaurant called ’Champignon’ with Monika and her son Edward. We arrived there at the appointed hour of 8 p.m. and the place had two sides, a bar where guys could watch the soccer and a white tablecloth restaurant, (which also had big screens). Monika arrived at 8.30 very apologetic. She had been to see some friends who were leaving and they had put on a surprise dinner for her neither she nor they realizing that she had a dinner date with us!! Anyway we had a lovely dinner, with one of those enormous and delicious antipasto plates with every kind of meat, cheese and other ingredient including a huge bowl of tripe! This was followed by some pasta. Edward was not too interested in our conversation and as any 8 year old would, spent the meal playing games on his phone. Monika is quite a nomad, hailing originally from Poland, living for a while in the UK and then moving most recently to Cugnoli and buying the house which she is renovating with all the usual issues which that entails, especially in another country. Not having had a working kitchen for some time, she has been eating at Champignon quite a lot recently. She has a business which deals with change management in the modern age and is mostly on-line but she hopes to bring groups to Cugnoli for retreats in the future. This could be of interest to Stefania at La Fattoria di Maria Donata. Monika is a delightful lady and great company. We chatted on for quite a long time before going our separate ways. We had brought some small gifts for Monika and Edward including a self-stirring coffee mug!!

We commented upon the fact that they restaurant was occupied almost exclusively by men, MAC and Monika being the only females. Monika had remarked on this to someone before and he said that hie asked his wife to come but she preferred to stay at home. It does still seem to be a bit of a male dominated society here even though they have just elected their first female Prime Minister. Will that change things? I doubt it. I think the male members of the family are still favored over the females. But it is very common to see groups of men, young and old, sitting or standing around at cafes and in the street, talking but seldom does one see the same with women. Perhaps they all meet in their homes. Stefania’s book about the women of Abruzzo is typical of the life of these long suffering women who almost seem to have been slaves to their men, even when their men have been absent.

The meal was very good but it seemed to deliver a knock out blow to us as we both passed out almost as soon as we got home and slept like logs all night.