Out for our first real walk about in Sulmona. It’s cold in the morning– 30°s early, but by the time we actually got out it was around 50°. The guide books say Corso Ovidio has bars for coffee so we headed there, only about 2 blocks from our apartment. Sulmona is famous for two things: Ovid, the poet who was born here in 43BC and “confetti” which are like Jordan almonds. Confetti come in countless flavors and colors and are essential at Italian weddings and other special events. You can buy them in bags or formed into flowers. They are brightly attractive, and on full display on the street:

We browsed for a while and headed down the street. The Annunziata Complex includes a beautiful church. We went in and I lit the first candle of this trip, for my darling granddaughter, Juna, for her fourth birthday. We continued down Corso Ovidio, found some coffee and groups of men chatting away in the street:

We arrived at the medieval aqueduct built here in 1256 that fronts the Piazza Garibaldi:

We started heading back towards our place and stopped in a tiny little “deli” to get some prosciutto etc. for lunch. Then we had to go back to Piazza Garibaldi (only about a block back) to get some bread.

On our way back, I wanted to get some confetti. Some? a ton! We walked some more and then came home to a really nice picnic lunch.

After rest time, we set out in the other direction to another very small park with this interesting sculpture:

Back at the apartment our landlords, Sarah and Tom, came over to adjust the heat so it will come on in the early morning when I am getting up. They ended up staying a while and chatting.

For dinner we went to a restaurant called Buonvento and had a very tasty selection of local cuisine.

Before we ordered, they brought us a plate of “pizza” which were small squares of pizza type dough with delicious chunky fresh tasting tomato sauce. We started with spaghettoni in a rich, red wine sauce with peppers and bits of pancetta, followed by braised pork cheeks also in a red wine sauce and some well cooked cabbage. The flavors were big, hearty and seemed to fit in this mountain town. We also drank a bottle of the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. They gave us some little cookies made with the wine, too. The waiter, who warmed to us fairly quickly, gave me a taste of the local bitter drink called Ginziana. I was glad I only asked for a taste!

Walking home at around 9:30, the streets were empty. We passed only one other person walking and a police car, driving slowly. It is so quiet here. We were, all day, really feeling the contrast from Rome, but most of all on the walk home.