Actually, that should probably read ‘Having Lunch At The Same Place As George Clooney, Only A Few Days Later’, but why let an unimportant fact ruin a killer headline ?

(George Clooney. Pope Benedict. Sulmona. Red garlic. Candy. All key – though unlikely – ingredients of our day out in Abruzzo’s hinterland. Click on the main headline title above to find out more…)

It took a while for Abruzzo bees to cotton-on to the fact that they were the key element in pollinating the flowers, but once they’d grasped this, we had the start of a promising crop.

(Nothing beats your own home-grown fruit’n'veg. Read about the first season in our Abruzzo veggie plot…)

It’s a strange thing with some Italian delivery drivers. Give them clear skies and warm sunshine and they’ll find endless excuses for ignoring you. But the first flake of snow inspires a kind of mass Pony Express mentality that sees them battling through the elements to bring you a package that’s been sitting in the back of their van for a week.

(For more – and scenic snowy shots – click on the main headline title above…)