ANTIGONISH TO ROSETO DEGLI ABRUZZI

HALF THE FUN:  I never understood the expression "Half the fun is in the getting there".  For us it was a Westjet flight from Halifax to Boston, overnight on Delta to Amsterdam, and then KLM to Venice; all of these trips in the backs of crowded planes.  Nonetheless, the flights were on time and uneventful.

We did struggle a bit in Boston.  Coming off our flight we found no flight monitors and asked someone in uniform where to find Delta international flights.  We  were in Terminal A, and he sent us to Terminal E, which was about a 25 minute walk.  Once there we were told that Delta arrivals were there but Delta departures were back in Terminal A where we started. Another 25 minute walk.

Once at the correct gate we were paged and told that we had no return flight from Italy (perhaps the Italian government was worried that we would become refugees).  We explained that we were returning by ship.  We apparently needed documentation that we were going to return.  Unfortunately our cruise information was all stowed in our checked luggage.  Eventually Betty (who does not clean out her inbox very frequently) found an old invoice from On-line Vacations and we were allowed on the plane.

I did discover that a travelling companion using a cane is a major advantage in boarding.

PADUA/PADOVA:  We picked up our rental in Venice and drove to the city of Padova where we found our hotel in the middle of an industrial area with no services anywhere walkable.  We actually knew that ahead of time but were happy to accept a free hotel on Marriott points (and it didn't take many).  The hotel was fine and dinner was better than excellent.  With 10 hours of sleep we were ready to start our trip to the south of Italy.

ROSETO DEGLI ABRUZZI:  We spent a long day driving to Roseto.  Italian drivers go much faster than what we are used to in Canada.  On the highway I drove 130 and everyone passed as if I were parked.  On the side roads with the speed limit at 50 and my doing 70 everyone passed on curves, hills, etc.  The drive was made longer by a road closure that our GPS couldn't quite figure out.  After being lost for what seemed a long time I eventually got back to the original blockage and followed the fastest car which twisted and turned for several miles but eventually brought us back to the highway.

However, all got much brighter when we arrived at our beautiful hotel in Roseto ($ 79. Canadian).  We were greeted royally and the guy at the front desk made us dinner reservations at a great restaurant, and then sent a very fine bottle of Montepulciano to our room along with a plate of antipasta.  We sat on our balcony overlooking the ocean and got quite pickled.

CUISINE IN ABRUZZO:  Seafood is everywhere and two lunches and one dinner later I still have not seen meat on any menu.  For our meal last night we had only two courses but ate lots of clams, scampi, langostini, calamari and two unknown but delicious white fish.  Our restaurant was packed and as near as we could tell all the other diners had 4 to 6 courses.

WINE TASTING:   Almost all of the wineries I had hoped to visit in Abruzzo are closed on Sunday,  Google did suggest one that would be open.  After a harrowing drive over a big mountain on a very scary trail we arrived to find the place all locked up.  However, as we got back in our vehicle an impeccably dressed old man mysteriously appeared and opened the winery.  Despite his speaking no English he managed to give us a complete tour and poured us each 3 glasses of wine.  In the end we managed to purchase his second last bottle of 2013 Colline Teramane; the best Montepulciano in the entire region.