A shopkeeper sells confetti candy in the town of Sulmona

Land of 1,000 Castles:
The “Ooh” in Abruzzo

(continued)

By Linda Oatman High

American immigration was the dream for many people of this region, and those who remained are touched to see Americans immigrating on vacation to Abruzzo. Madonna's not the only celebrity with Abruzzi roots. There's Alan Alda and Perry Como, Penny Marshall and James Darren, Henry Mancini and Rocky Marciano and Al Martino. They've done their homeland proud, and so have those who remained. There's a sense of pride in the residents, a strong work ethic and a dedication to open-mindedness, a core value of community and family and food and wine. These people seem to have a deep respect for life and for the passing of time, and they want to savor and enjoy every moment, every meal, every meeting with a stranger from a far land.

Abruzzo is an amazing and geographically unusual place. Within an hour or so, one can drive from the highest of mountains peaks to the greenest of seas, making obsolete the age-old vacation question: beach or mountains?

There are four national parks here, and more than a thousand castles. There are shepherds herding sheep, and craftspeople painting brilliant ceramic plates made from the clay of the land.

Here, too, there are eagles and wolves and bear. Three cubs were born during my visit, and the baby bears made the front-page news.

In Abruzzo it's rare to wait in lines. I didn't see one turnstile or expensive ticket to be purchased in this place, one of the least populated in Italy and the greenest in Europe. The towns are the quintessential Italian villages: narrow winding streets of old stone, steep walks, villas with laundry drying on balconies and flowers lovingly tended by those living inside. There's the smell of wood smoke and garlic, olive oil and wine, sauce simmering on the stove. There's also the interesting juxtaposition of modern and ancient. I saw a Fisher-Price playhouse in the backyard of an castle, and a big-screen TV flickering within a darkened villa apartment.

State-of-the-art is no stranger to those who live in this place, but still, they preserve what came before. Ernest Hemingway is quoted as saying there's nothing better than Abruzzo in the fall. Yet, I can't imagine anything better than Abruzzo in April. It's all good.

A comfortable central place to stay in Abruzzo is the Sporting Hotel Villa Maria. The rooms are clean, there's a view of the sea, and the spa is incredible. Who has time for a massage or a facial, though, when there's a wonderland to discover?

Exploring Abruzzo is like going on an enormous treasure hunt with gasp-inducing surprises around every curve. The "ooh" factor is huge here, as big as the sweeping panoramic views of mountains and valleys and water. There's the fortress in Civitella del Tronto, with its battering ram and tiny flowers growing through concrete in dark rooms, the restaurant at the Hotel Zunica, the castle in Capestrano, the snake-catchers in Cocullo (their festival is the first Thursday in May), the lace-makers in Guardiagrele. There's the dazzling confetti candy — almonds coated with sugar in vivid colors and shaped into bouquets — in Sulmona. There's the church of the Eucharistic Miracle in Lanciano, and the incredible meals at the Castello Chiola: a breathtaking medieval castle towering over the quaint village of Castello.

I visited Castello at twilight, and the space between day and night was stunning. The sky shone with a phosphorescent dark blue, glowing as if lit from behind. It looked silky and shimmery, kind of like a gigantic prom dress spread overhead. The slice of moon was the brightest, whitest I've ever seen, and a colossal star sparkled just below it. It's lovely to be under the Tuscan sun, yes, but Italy visitors should plan time to drive a bit south of Tuscany, because it's just as beautiful below the Abruzzi moon.

There's an Italian word: solare. It means "the light within." The entire region of Abruzzo is full of solare, and it infuses the visitors, too. It can be found in the faces of the locals, in the smooth glow of the olive oils, in the sheen of the wine, in the hues of the art.

One of the world's best-known Italian red wines — Montepulciano D'Abruzzo — comes from this place, and so does most of the saffron you may have while in Italy. Harvested from the hills, the flower stigmas from which the spice is made must be handpicked, requiring sometimes a quarter million flowers to make just one pound of spice.

Sugar and spice and everything nice: That's Abruzzo.