The Indie Travel Challenge - A Girlie Moment & A Fishing Rod

My submission for Week 9 of the Indie Travel Challenge, via BootsnAll - la bella italia!
Week 9 of the Indie Travel Challenge 2012 is all about la bella Italia.
There’s plenty for travelers to love in Italy, but it can definitely be more challenging to get off the proverbial beaten path – it’s popular, remember, so you’re not going to be the only person visiting. This doesn’t mean it’s not possible to have an indie travel experience in Italy – far from it – it just means you might have to work a little harder to do so. And that’s exactly the kind of extra effort that can sometimes lead to the greatest travel rewards.
What’s the best indie travel experience you’ve had in Italy? Or, if you’ve never been, what’s the place you’d like to go in Italy more than any other (and why)? More generally, what do you do when you visit popular places in order to have an indie travel experience?

Two years' ago we gave up the day jobs, sold the house, and headed off to travel Italy in an old VW Campervan called Rosemary.  I think its fair to say we truly got off the beaten path.  This is one excerpt from my diary, as we were wild camping on the banks of Lago di Bomba, Abruzzo that shows just the rewards that can be had:  

Saturday 29 May 2010, Lago di Bomba

Rather nice day today, just messing around doing nothing.  Well, actually, that's not quite true.  We just didn't go anywhere.

Long lazy morning which starting with KP slumbering whilst I sat by the lake in the early morning sun, drinking coffee and watching the residents of the aquamarine waters go about their morning business. The fish are HUGE!  And so many of them. 

Lago di Bomba, Abruzzo, Italy

I was originally drawn to the lake to check out a rather frenzied splashing and caught sight of something quite large and brown moving stealthily through the water.  Was I about to be treated to another sighting of an otter in the wild?  When the splashing in the reeds and the large, long brown body appeared again, I realised it was the biggest monster fish I had ever seen!  Wow.  Gulp.  I've been swimming in these waters, I hope it doesn't bite.  I hope it has a fish phobia of swimmers.

Making the most of the quiet, tranquil time I had a rare girlie moment and tended to my, by now, rather shabby toe nails. Bit of a shape and a trim and a chipping off of the last of the nail varnish (no nail varnish remover, so my finger nail had to do), and they were almost as good as new.  I'd bought some scarlet nail polish in Pescara yesterday, so that went on next. Actually, I didn't mean to buy scarlet.  I think there must've been a strange lighting in the shop, as I thought I was buying a slightly less hussy-like burgundy.  So here I now find myself, a rather disheveled traveller trying (and clearly failing) to forge a beatnik hippy image, but with scarlet hussy toe nails.  (Must try harder at beatnik hippy image.)

KP came and joined me for a bit, admired my toe nails and watched the lakeside activity for a while, before wandering back to do last night's washing up and make breakfast.  Scrambled eggs and fresh salmon.  Big yum scrum.  However, it was very clear that a deep-seated yearning for a fishing rod, that has slowly been growing within him, has now become a deep emotional need. 

Jaqs & kayak

I got a load of washing done and hung out under the trees and then went and borrowed a couple of kayaks from our new friend, Alberto.  What a great way to spend the day.  It took me a while to get used to it, but once we got going I actually really enjoyed it.  We seemed to be out for ages and ages and went all the way to the dam, but turned around when we saw the outlets as we didn't fancy being sucked through to the other side. 

When we got back, KP went in before me to get the camera for a bit of a photo shoot so I paddled round the corner for a bit whilst I waited for him.  And, guess what?!  I found a fishing rod!!!  And what a beauty it was too.  All carbon fibre, long, red and willowy, complete with golden reel and line!  Fantastic.  It was just floating in the middle of the lake.  

I had a quick scour around with very guilty eyes.   No-one about.  Quick, put it in the kayak!  But it was stuck.  Line's caught.  Darn it.  I paddled back to KP who was, by now, waiting on the bank with the camera, and told him to quickly get a knife.  Said hunting knife was duly delivered and tied to bikini.  I paddled back to the fishing rod, rather fancying myself as Lara Croft.  I rescued the rod, took it to KP and eased my conscience by promising to try and find the rightful owner through Alberto.  

Jaqs & fishing rod

It truly was a beauty.  KP's face was an absolute picture, eyes all a sparkle and misting over with emotion.  At last.  He has a fishing rod. 

So KP spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning and polishing his rod.  Then the heavens opened and our beautiful sunny day was no more.  We holed up in Rosemary, battened down the hatches, books and maps everywhere as we plotted and planned our onward route.

Once the rain had stopped, we chatted with Alberto for a bit, took Rosemary out to stretch her legs (or wheels), picked up some fresh bread, came back, made supper outside and watched the fireflies twinkling and sparkling all around.

A good day.  Tomorrow we move on

KP, a strummin & a chillin

The full diary of the trip, entitled "Going Camp at 50", can be found amongst my Facebook notes: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?sk=notes

Abruzzo Summer - Kokopelli Style

A Gorge Walk into the Snow

Fara San Martino, such a beautiful gorge and utterly fabulous climbing.  The sight of all those newly bolted routes and stunning limestone colours and formations certainly got our climbing muscles twitching.  But not today, my fingers would have frozen onto the rock.  

And it was such a beautiful day for a walk.  Brilliant sunshine, crystal clear skies with far reaching views, cold, very fresh and plenty of snow just onwards and upwards a bit.  

We didn't quite make the full giro (about a 6 hour walk) as we were running out of daylight, serve us right for starting the day with a lazy breakfast in bed.  Fried egg & prosciutto on toast, with coffee of course.  It was rather nice.

KP wondering why we hadn't bought the climbing ropes

He had a point there.  Beautiful, beautiful limestone

Going into the gorge is just like going through the wardrobe
and stepping out in Narnia

Just sooooo much rock, so much yet to be bolted too.
A gorge to rival El Chorro (well known climbing mecca in Spain)

The restoration of the XIII century monastery of
San Martino in Valle is coming on beautifully

Onwards & upwards

Up into the snow line now

Coffee & Cake time :-)

Just so beautiful, and not a soul to be seen

Uh oh.  Snowball fight time.

The sun picking off the peaks is just not done justice
 by my lack of photographic skills

The sea in the distance can just be seen.
The perfect combination - sea, rock & snow

That's me!

And the treat of watching the little chamois,
watching me, watching you

Update with Pictures (Jan 2012)

2012.  Where on earth did 2011 go?  

It's now exactly a year since that memorable final signing day when we bought our house and we moved into our little spot on the hill, our own little corner of Abruzzo, and started to bring the concept that is  Kokopelli to life.

A deity of fertility, growth, fun, dance, music, mischievousness and song, Kokopelli is the perfect symbol to reflect the spirit of what we are creating, and Serramonacesca with its unbridled beauty, its abundance of characters, and vibrant beating heart, is the perfect spot.

And so we have spent the last year pulling, pushing, teasing and encouraging the vision and ideas to come together and naturally grow and evolve.  The central hub and the cog on which all the wheels will move together is our barn.  We're not creating just another campsite for people to pitch up and put up their  barriers.  Kokopelli is all about friends, living and experiencing.

The barn, after almost 6 months of work, is coming alive at last.  Turning a ramshackle, neglected, pig/rabbit/dump it/wine making space into the central hub of Kokopelli hasn't been easy.  KP and I haven't always agreed, which became interesting at times, but we also worked together, pulling as a team, until compromises on design, materials and time lines were reached.  We got there in the end, with Max and his merry men having done us proud and become warm and firm friends.

View to the barn from the front.
 Doors to showers & toilets are just to the right

So what we now have is the barn, a fabulous mixture of the old, the salvaged and the new, working together to create the living hub.  The front has been transformed into three: a large room housing four beautifully spacious showers, each with their own dressing areas, there are four large wash basins and hair drying space.

To the right is a smaller room housing two toilets, each with their own hand basin, and a disabled toilet and shower.  Then we have our storage space and the boiler room with an absolutely massive tank, solar heated with gas back up, to ensure copious amounts of hot water. 

Dishwashing & laundry. Awaiting tables, shelving,
drying racks & clothes lines

Built on to the side is a huge open space for dish washing and laundry, which has been left open and airy to take in and capitalise on the fabulous views to both the Majella and Gran Sasso massifs.  


There's a half roof covering the washing area but there are no walls and the rest of the roof space has the huge beams left exposed and open to the sky. This will eventually become dappled sunlight through dripping vines.

Terrace awaiting fencing, plants,
tables, chairs, parasols & barbecues

Round the back, however, is where it really happens. Two fabulous rooms with the most glorious views. One a free space for all to use, to eat, cook, read, play or just chill when the weather's too hot, too wet or too cold.

The other is a "camping without camping" room. If sleeping under canvas is pushing the "back to nature" concept too far, this room is the perfect compromise.  It's simple, it's basic, it's cheap, but it's very pretty and very comfortable with room enough for four.

Both rooms lead out onto our grand terrace where all can meet, share, cook al fresco and enjoy.  It will become littered with tables, chairs, parasols and barbecues.  It faces west so is a sun trap during the day and the perfect sunset marvelling spot at the end of the evening as the sky turns pink behind the mountains.

All we need do now before we open in May is the exciting finishing touches of furnishings, fixtures and fittings and a bit of landscaping.  There were times last year when I wondered if we'd ever get this far.  But here we are.  Happy.

The Barn Room for rent.
Awaiting rugs, curtains, cushions
double bed, sofa bed, chests, wardrobe

The Barn Room (as above)

The Communal Barn. Awaiting dining table, chairs,
gas cooker, fridge freezer, games, books, maps

The Communal Barn (as above)

Shower room showing 2 of the 4 showers, and 2 of the 4 basins.
All awaiting light fittings, mirrors, shelves, towel rails, etc

Shower room, as above.
Open door shows dressing area leading into the shower

Another view of a shower showing the dressing
room leading into the shower cubicle

Corridor through to the toilets

One of the three toilets, each with individual hand basins

Large toilet with wet room shower,
suitable for wheelchair access

All The Sights of Serra

What a fabulous walk - a winter giro of the Alento Valley, from Kokopelli, up through Garifoli, into the back woods to the Torre di Polegra,

Torre di Polegra, Garifoli

Down to the San Liberatore,

San Liberatore & The Chateau de ma Mere

and then up and up and up to San Onofrio,

up further to Casteluccio, the ancient dry stone settlements, and some fabulous views all the way to the sea

Jaqs' new home...

Gran Sasso in the distance

Serramonacesca bottom left, Garifoli & Kokopelli centre right

Serramonacesca

The cross at the top, Casteluccio

Kokopelli in the middle

Finally, down to the Castel Menardo,

Castel Menardo

down the D2 towards Serra, taking in a couple more ancient, tumble down cottages along the way

before stopping at the Bar dello Sport, heaving with New Year's Eve bonhomie, a welcome cup of coffee for me and a Murphy's for KP

All in all a total of 17km and just over 4 hours of slow walking.

A truly lovely way to take in all the sights of Serra.