October 2023 Gradara and Abbazia di Pomposa

We set off north reluctantly, wondering why we are leaving, wishing we weren't and knowing we must (must we?) We get off to a slow start. I pack the car to perfection, we go to Biancaneve for breakfast, add the wine and say goodbye to our host, hoping in next year. 

Our first stop after half an hour is in San Ferdinando di Puglia where we buy friarelle and artichokes in oil from Italcarciofi. The Dottoressa remembers us from last year. How can we not love Puglia? We linger a while chatting about Puglia, tourism and masserias and then transfer just down the road to the Cooperativa for wine and extra virgin olive oil.

Another chat and it's 10.30 by the time we're on our way 

We stop for lunch at IKEA Chieti where the portion size of fried fish and vegetables, the state of the toilets and the lack of a mini-muffin for the coffee and mini muffin special offer, all make us grumble, out of all proportion.

We arrive at our accommodation in the heart of the Conero area at about five and our moods improve just a fraction. Merenda of focaccia barese and calzone from La Pazzeria the evening before and fruit. We've already visited several towns in the area and we're tired so we go for a walk in the countryside before an early supper of more leftovers and an early night.

The next morning we are more energetic, in the car by 8.30 and after filling up with fuel make good time to Gradara which is our first stop after about an hour.

It's easy to park just below the historical centre and we allow ourselves an extra and excellent second breakfast at the bar just inside the walls.

Gradara is nice, yes, it's touristy but who cares. It's quiet on a Saturday morning in October and just the right size for a peaceful stroll around. We don't bother to pay to go into the castle but there's a free exhibition of historical games in a Palazzo half way up so we have a look at that.

By 11.30 we're back in the car to IKEA Rimini for lunch. We stick to pizza (freshly heated and cut up) and while IKEA seems to have a national supply problem on mini muffins Andrea has a double free coffee, the third of the day.

Well-dosed on caffeine we take the ordinary road up the coast towards Abbazia di Pomposa. This is just slightly out of the way to get to our accommodation near Ferrara but is well worth it. Abbazia di Pomposa sounded special and it is. Just off a busy road, but as soon as you turn into the car park it feels different.  There are flowers in the well-tended flowerbeds and the building, with the red-brick bell tower and the arches of the front porch and of the building where there's the ticket office itself, is harmonious to the eye and well, just pretty!

We buy tickets, 6 euros full price and first visit the refectory with the enormous painting of the Last Supper, then the small museum upstairs, the room below it, and the chapter house, all medium interesting, but the breathtaking frescoes in the main church steal the show. Spectacular! We stay for quite a while peering up at the three levels. At the top Old Testament scenes, the second row down - New Testament and the lower row - scenes from the Apocalypse. Really beautiful and well preserved. The mosaic floor is also interesting. It's about four o'clock when we come out and we wander into the tourist information office, separate from the ticket office and find free leaflets with a key to the frescoes....a bit late but never mind! 

The 'abbey', because abbazia makes it sound grander than it is, is surrounded by a park with wooden sculptures made from driftwood by Enrico Menegatti. Some of them are a little fragilee now but we liked the musicians in particular.

It's one of those mellow October late afternoons when the sun is still warm and life is good. We follow some signs to a wine tasting at 300 metres through the vineyards, attracted more by the walk than the promise of wine.

The Vino delle Sabbie is light after the rich reds of Puglia, but the host is friendly and we buy a bottle. Time to get to our accommodation outside Ferrara. It's a relaxing drive on empty roads through the quiet countryside. It's been a fantastic day.