Our day started smoothly with breakfast at the Hotel Opera in Pesaro. We had a nice long conversation with Sylvia at the front desk and went back upstairs. In an abundance of caution, we got the taxi for the station very early. There are only 5 platforms at the Pesaro station so we were not going to have a rough time there. The train was comfortable as we rode north along the Adriatic. I took this shot of our approach to Ancona for a friend who is from there:

We had comfortable seats across from each other. Here’s Ken giggling silently to a podcast:

In Pescara we had to change trains to get to L’Aquila, our next destination. Our binario/platform was #8. We found the main hall and only signs for 1–7. I asked and we found 8 off in a corner. Just as we got onto the platform, the train rolled in but…didn’t stop! How could we have missed it with still 2 minutes to spare? I just stood there flabbergasted and a TrenItalia rep came over to us to explain that there was a problem with some system on the train and it was cancelled. Just like flying, right? She suggested we go back to the main hall and get a refund for our ticket and find a bus or wait 3 hours for the next train. The line at the ticket window was long and I didn’t want to miss the bus so I go to the Tabaccheria where there is a sign for bus tickets. No madam, you must go over there, behind the yellow building is the bus terminal. So, out we go and saw a police woman and asked her where to buy the bus tickets. She leads us into another door and I realize we are going back to the tabaccheria! Outside again we see a lot of busses and we just walk (with our luggage) through the lot and finally see a small building. No problem getting our tickets, but we have to wait about an hour while busses roll by. Finally we boarded the bus to L’Aquila. The plan had been to get a taxi from the train station and meet the apartment owner, but we disembark in a nearly empty underground parking lot and are informed that the elevator is broken, and have to climb two sets of stairs carrying all our suitcases. We emerge onto the surface level parking lot to see the one and only taxi pulling away. I message (through Booking.com) the owner and he calls a taxi to come and get us. More waiting–aah it’s travel in the 21st century. I am just grateful it is not raining, but it is cold.

On to the apartment. I could go on and on but I’m just saying: there are more things wrong with this place than right. I cannot understand the glowing and flat out inaccurate reviews I read on Booking. Also, there is no clothes washing machine. Oh, it used to say it had one on booking when I reserved the apartment, but the owner said he didn’t know why it said that. There never had been. So it goes…

With great effort, we bolster our spirits and head for the nearby grocery store and a little walk about. The town is fully under construction. I forgot to say why we came here. We had visited in 2009 just before they experienced a devastating earthquake and we loved it and always wanted to come back. The surrounding mountains are stunning, but the town is still a mess.

We are just off the main street which looks like this:

After the shopping we settled in a bit. As I started cooking I realized there is no salt here. How do you make vegetable soup with no salt at all? And we decided that we really did want a bottle of wine. So we went back out, with our umbrellas. Yep, it’s raining. I took a couple of quick shots.

This store is mostly camping gear but I couldn’t resist it, for Kathryn especially:

All over the streets are splashes of colorful paint and this one with words. I have no idea what it’s about:

The vegetable soup was fine and the local Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine was good. We talked about leaving, but it is just so complicated. I think we will tough it out through the next few days of cold rainy weather. At least we have each other.