We awoke to rain and drizzle but with determination to wander in the city a bit. By the time we had gotten out, the rain had stopped and we actually saw a few minutes of sun. The rest of our day was meteorologically “mostly cloudy,” but we did get a few lovely glimpses of sun. For the first time we could see the mountains while walking through town:

We walked along the main street, checking out the Easter displays:

We spotted this famous fountain, from the 1930’s. The two women pouring water, is called the Luminous Fountain and is a well know meeting place for locals.

I have extra information because we stopped into the “i” store and met a super helpful young woman who really took her time guiding us on a map to the most significant places we should visit.

From there we could see the Spanish Fort and the park, so we headed that way. In front of it, is a modern, new auditorium, with colorful wood slats, donated to the city by the province of Trento as a sign of solidarity after the 2009 earthquake.

We both remember the impressive 16th century castle with its moat from the previous visit. Now, like so much of L’Aquila it is surrounded (although not totally) by restoration equipment and a crane.

Walking through the park, Ken focused on a man training his dog and I was really into the trees. We started heading back into town towards a traditional Abruzzesi restaurant recommended by the helpful woman earlier. The place was welcoming; the food was homey and hot. We tried a new-to-us local wine that I had read about before called Cherasoulo–gorgeous light red color and a cherryish flavor.

We were able to find our way back without the map, a minor accomplishment. Passing by this wall I thought it really symbolized this town, still needing massive restoration even 17 years after the earthquake:

We got some groceries and came upstairs. The blustery conditions began again and we never left the apartment. So lazy!

We watched a nice movie, “Is This Thing On” with Will Arnett and Laura Dern. We both enjoyed it a lot.

I am feeling much better about this stay. We are so lucky to have extended time in Italy that the blips are just part of the experience.

I really appreciate all the encouragement and commisseration from friends and fellow travelers, here and on Facebook. Grazie mille tutti.