Our day off didn't go quite to plan. In fact we had a pretty grotty day. 5 hours driving round, and round, and round. I hate being in the car, made even worse through having been stuck inside painting all week and craving fresh air, sunshine and exercise.
We hadn't intended to stay in the car, we just couldn't find anywhere worth stopping. Bad planning I guess.
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| Isola del Gran Sasso |
The plan was to drive over to Gran Sasso, maybe have a nice lunch somewhere, go for a good long walk, check out the climbing. But we hadn't banked on it being a 2 1/2 hour drive. We had to be back for a meeting with builder Max for 4.30 and we didn't leave till 10,30 with only had a vague idea of where we were going. And so we drove into the most well known National Park in Abruzzo, with the highest peak of the Appenines that looms so temptingly over us in Serramonacesca. It doesn't look that far from our house! As spectacular as it was, we just didn't leave ourselves enough time to explore it properly. With the time constraints we had, and with the Maiella and Monte Amaro (yet to be explored) right on our doorstep, we'd have done better to have stayed at home.
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| Gran Sasso |
Gran Sasso is definitely a Rosemary trip. Drive over, find a nice little overnighting spot, tucked away somewhere, and spend a couple of days exploring on foot. Not from a car window. Never again.
We got back in time for Max and signed on the dotted line ready for them to start work mid-end May. Can't wait, our house, with admittedly the ugliest barns in Serramonacesca (probably the whole of Abruzzo), will be transformed. And Kokopelli will be born.
Just one problem. Why is there always a problem? Can nothing ever be straight forward? Just when we thought we'd got it sorted, Max was clearly very uncomfortable working without a geometra. I have to say, I don't really understand what it is that a geometra is going to do that we can't do? I know they sort out permissions, etc, but can it really be that hard? We don't use them in the UK, unless you're working on a big project like building a house in which case you use an architect, but we're only putting a few showers, loos and wash basins into a couple of tatty old barns?
Ah well, guess we'll find out tomorrow when Max comes back again with the local geometra in tow. Maybe this is the Italian bureaucracy we've heard so much about?
With my head still throbbing from our 5 hours in the car ,and still spinning from geometra dilemmas, I consoled myself with a bit a lawn mower therapy. Up and down, round and round, creating little patterns, straight lines, swirls and spirals in the top field.
Until the sun went down (behind the elusive Gran Sasso) and it got decidedly chilly.
Time to turn in.
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