Tomato Beach. Pomodoro Spiaggia. What a great little spot. A tucked away little gem. No, it's not groomed, raked or preened, and it is a little frayed around the edges, but that is it's charm. Refreshing simplicity.
A long long stretch of glorious sand and gently shelving warm, warm sea Pomodoro Spiaggia is, so far, untainted by the stains of tourism. This is where Abruzzo wins. There is not a single hotel in sight, there are no children's playgrounds, no cocktail bars, no pedalos for hire. Just sand, sea, sunbathers and a few kite surfers.
There's a small stretch of beds and umbrellas, a couple of little restaurants serving the most delectable sea food, and that's it. Just perfect. And you'd never know it's there.
The beach lies on a very nondescript stretch of road just south of Francavilla al Mare and the only access is under the railway line or through a hole in the fence in Tollo station.
This is what makes it so exciting. No smart, decking boardwalks onto a preened beach, but a squeeze through a gap in a fence, or a duck under a very low, very old brick built archway of a tiny railway underpass. There's a short walk down a labyrinth of clustered and cluttered houses with narrow dusty walkway.
And then there are the tomatoes! Fields and fields of them, and poly tunnel after poly tunnel. All tatty and cobbled together. Just love it.
And it's only a half hour's drive from Kokopelli. Driving through the most glorious, dramatic scenery, along the drivingly green and over grown Foro Valley, past all the vineyards, you leave the mountains of the Majella behind. Half an hour, that's all it takes from mountains to sea. Abruzzo. Never ever fails in her breath taking moments. Humbled by her raw yet regal beauty. Utterly unique.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete