You know how it is. You get an idea for a blog, so you go out and take a few pictures but then find that maybe the idea isn't so great after all; or you've rattled off a few shots while you're out-and-about and then got home and wondered what to do with them. Anyway, here are a few snaps with no discernible thread other than that they all happen to be about Abruzzo.

Trabocchi look as though they've been left over from a Mad Max movie. They're age-old traditional fishing platforms and they're unique to Abruzzo. To be even more specific, they're unique to the stretch of Abruzzo coastline known as the Costa dei Trabocchi between Ortona and Vasto. They look as though they'd fall apart in a strong breeze, but they're deceptively strong and can withstand the worst of the Adriatic's winter gales. The via Adriatica coast road is the best place to see trabocchi - and many owners have roadside stalls selling their catch. These are great for some of the best and freshest fish you'll find.

I had a couple of shots that I just couldn't squeeze into the recent blog about autumn in Abruzzo. I mentioned how bowled over I was by the autumn colours on the forested slopes of the Maiella, but what really took me by surprise was the fantastic display in the vineyards. Remembering the rich autumn tints that ornamental vines take on, I shouldn't really have been surprised by this show; the colour contrast between the vines and the olives was just sensational. As were a few of the sunsets. I took this picture on my way back to Ascigno from the Ortona-Vasto Costa dei Trabocchi. I'm told these spectacular skies are a feature of autumn in Abruzzo. With such a dangerous-looking sunset, I feared the worst for the following day. Which defied expectations by being hot and sunny !

As you drive around Abruzzo, you'll quickly become familiar with the number of roadside shrines. These are hardly unique to the region and are all very traditional in their design and appearance. What I hadn't seen anywhere before however were striking modern designs. I discovered this particularly haunting example on the road between Selva and Altino as I was researching the Selva blog.

And just a few metres away was a similarly eye-catching feature - though I'm guessing a lot less modern. As roadside shrines are a common feature throughout Abruzzo, so too are roadside springs - though not with taps as elaborate as this one. We have two such springs in Ascigno, one on the road up from Casoli; the other no more than a hundred metres from our holiday rental villas, both with rather more prosaic galvanised taps. These springs are a relic from the days before mains water. Originating from sources high in the mountains, they never run dry and are now a treasured local amenity.

(Click on pictures in text for larger images) 

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 13th, 2008 at 8:40 am and is filed under Daily Life, About Abruzzo. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.