Ulissi Family Villa in Italy

A visit to Italy

stefanaccio — Mon, 26 May 2008 16:50:58 +0000

Go to any family restaurant with Italian dining in mind and you are likely to order chicken parmesan, pasta alfredo, spaghetti and meatballs, or maybe a pizza. It is easy to think that some pasta, some marinara sauce, a crust of Italian bread and a glass of wine is the beginning and end of Italian cuisine, especially if you grew up in the United States. There is much more than red sauce and starch on the agenda for most Italian regional cuisines, and with all of the various regions and cultures in the boot on the ocean, Italian regional cuisines have as much range as your average New York City block. Casale in Abruzzo will often come to mind.

There is the tourist region of Tuscany, on the northwestern coast of Italy. Tuscany is sought out for its simple but delicious dishes, seasoned sparingly with basil, parsley, and thyme. Tuscan bread and a little bit of olive oil is a big part of the seafood dishes of the Tuscan region.

Abruzzo, a little known treasure in the middle eastern section of the boot mixes chili peppers into almost all of their dishes. Like many other regions in Italy, there is a mixture of mountain and seafood dishes. Pasta is very often a first course, instead of a part of a stew or entrée. Most of the chefs in the Abruzzo region are skilled at hand rolling their own stuffed pastas, and crepes are used in meat dishes, rolled in savory sauces or put in to broths. Polenta is enjoyed with hearty sausages and rich, meaty sauces.

Sardinia, an island off of the western coast of Italy is home to a rich fishing tradition as well as a beautiful mountainous inland landscape. This, in addition to a rich heritage of not only Italians, but also Arabs, French, Greeks, and Spaniards, has made the island home to a diverse culture of seafood and meat dishes spiced with fennel and saffron. Stews and rich, hearty pastas make up a large part of the local cuisine in Sardinia, as well as sheep milk’s cheese.

Emilia-Romagna is perhaps the most sought out region of Italy in terms of local cuisine. It is often called the market basket of Italy. Located in northern Italy, Emilia-Romagna is home to many of Italy’s most renowned dishes, like Prosciutto di Parma, Mortadella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and balsamic vinegar. Chefs in the Emilia Romagna region have a penchant for gregarious presentation and rich spices.

Much like the American idea of Chinese food, the American idea of Italian food is only the tip of the iceberg. Italian regional cuisine is marked by the country’s locality to northern Africa and other Mediterranean countries, as well as a diverse local landscape, ranging from mountains to oceans. Sheppards, shopkeepers, farmers, and fisherman all contribute to one of the most diverse cultural cuisines in the world. Next time you are in the mood for Italian food, try something a little bit different than your usual spaghetti and meatballs, maybe a saffron seafood stew or a polenta. Rest assured, you won’t think of the words “Italian cuisine” the same again.

Villa

Villa in Abruzzo Italy

Villa in Valle San Giovanni near Teramo in Abruzzo Italy

ulissi — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 11:07:33 +0000

Casale – Rental in Abruzzo Italy

Frequent Questions

1. What are your favorite places in and around Teramo?
Museum of the Abruzzo People in Pescara
Archeological Museum in Teramo
Civitella del Tronto – fortress and museum
La Scala Sacra (Sacred Steps) in Campli
Santuario di San Gabriele (Sanctuary of Saint Gabriele) in Isola di Gran Sasso
Castelli – ceramics

2. Is smoking allowed?
Best to smoke outside the house on the patio. Grazie. Keep it legal because the guy two houses answers to “Poliziotto.”

3. Are children allowed?
Heck yeah!

4. Is Paolo our private tour guide?
Au contraire. Paolo has a store to run and looks after Casale as a sideline. He points you in right direction and gets someone (usually not Paolo) to fix small problems. He speaks English rather well.

5. When should we arrive?
If at all possible, arrive during daylight and when Paolo’s store is open. His hours are 08:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the mornings and 4:00 PM to 7:30 PM (and occasionally 1/2 hour later during summer) in the evenings. His store is closed Wednesday in the evening and all day Sunday.

6. What does it mean to conserve utilities?
Italian utilities are double or triple those in the USA. Very important to mind the water, heat, and electricity usage. Lights off when leaving a room, minimize use of hair dryers, kind of short showers and on. When you turn on the faucet keep the lever all the way to the right if you do not need hot water. If your spouse fusses you can blame Stefano.

7. Can you eat well in Abruzzo for “pochi soldi” (inexpensively)?
Head to an agriturismo. Keep eating while hungry but stop ordering food when you are full. Usually pay cash so have some handy. Fabiocchi is close with great food. Go 3 km on road leading to SS80 and Teramo. When you hit a “T” in the road, instead of taking left turn to Teramo, go right towards Frondarola. Fabiocchi is 100 yards (meters) on left. Best to call ahead (see Nearby Attractions on this website). Flash – Fabiocchi now serves pizza also. Molto buono!
Another nearby pizzeria is A Tizzone in Torricella Sicura. See “Nearby Attractions.” Good pasta at lunch but pizza is only at dinner. You can try (I did) to get pizza before the oven is fired up at 8:00 PM but you will likely fail (I did). Some pizzaioli (pizza makers) don’t take a bribe (bustarella).

8. Is there a tourist office in Teramo?
Yep. Abruzzo Promozione Turismo, 17 Via Carducci Giosue’, Teramo (TE) 64100. They have maps, information, and free Abruzzo posters.

9. Is the house heated?
Si si!! There is a wood burning stove (stufa) in the main room. This keeps the living, dining and cooking areas nice and toasty. Have not figured out how to toast marshmallows however. With the inside doors open the the stove will take the chill off the two bedrooms and bathroom. These rooms can get chilly in the winter months when the temperature drops down.

10. What about coffee?
There should (no guarantees) be a bit of coffee and sugar left over from the previous renter. Hey, leave some for the next guy! Both available at Paolo’s store. Hard to find American coffee in Italy. A reasonable facsimile is just use less grounds. Except on Mondays, in VSG you can have a caffe at the Bar 90 with my cousin, Francesca, the friendly barista. You can order weaker coffee by asking for “caffe lungo” (with shot of water through the grounds) or “caffe Americano” (extra hot water added to the prepared coffee) or by scowling at Francesca while pointing to your expreso and saying, “Troppo concentrato!”. There is a stovetop Italian coffeemaker in the house. It unscrews into three parts. Fill bottom ¾ with water. Put the coffee container in and fill it ¾ full without pressing the coffee down. Screw top back on tightly and put onto a medium-low flame. When you hear a gurgling sound that is not coming from your stomach, the coffee is ready. Take off flame. While cleaning the machine better not to bang the coffee holder to get the old grounds out because if it gets bent then no more coffee.

11. Where is the nearest place to get some cash?
Branch banks are in Montorio and Torricella Sicura. Look for Bancomat ATM’s with “Star” or “Cirrus” logo. The dollar is not worth a lot at the moement. Before coming to Italy I suggest that you first take all of your money and divide it into two piles. Then bring both piles.

12. How about telephone usage?
The house has no telephone. Cellphone information is on Slowtalk website. WIND chips do not work in VSG. There is telephone at Bar 90. Francesca will keep track of things. Or buy prepaid phonecard at a tabacheria and call “800” number before connecting to your destination. With a phonecard you will owe Francesca nothing for the call. The nice thing to do is to offer her a couple euros, a bacio (kiss) if her husband Giovanni is not looking, and/or buy some Dom Perignon.

13. Does the house have toilet paper and paper towels?
Should be some when you arrive. Serious worriers bring one day’s supply. Paolo stocks these at his store. Please leave some for the next person. Merci di niveau!!

14. What about the fridge?
Close door & turn the knob to “3” when you arrive. At departure throw away perishables, turn knob to off (light will go out). Leave door open. Please let me know if the little light does not go out when you close the fridge door.

15. How does the washer work?
Add clothes. To save energy and time, best to wait until you have a full load.
Open drawer on upper left hand side of machine. Fill middle section 1/3 to 1/2 way with detergent.
Find the row of three buttons. Push in first button (start). Ignore second button or push in for half load. Ignore third button or push in if you want the machine to stop and wait before completing the final spin (very annoying).
Set temperature dial to minimum (or 30 degrees) unless you want to donate your clothes to orphan children.
Set big dial on right (cycle selector) to “2″.
Close door, make sign of cross and machine should start. If does not you should (gently) re-open and re-shut the front door (of the machine not the house). This is most common reason machine does not run. Door will lock while washer runs.
Open some wine. Two bottles later machine will stop. One glass later front door (guess which one) will unlock.
There is clothes rack in kitchen. Clothespins should be in drawer somewhere. Look for clotheslines around the shed. To avoid damage, do not tie the clotheslines to the gutters of the house.

16. Can you buy local olive oil?
Certo (certainly). See the “Nearby Attractions” section. Check out their race cars while you are at it.

17. What about flies, mosquitoes, and (oh no!) flying bugs?
The folks in VSG keep their windows open during the day with no problem. We put screens on the living room and two bedroom windows. Be gentle. The screens are fragile (Managgia!), will break easily (FIAT=fix it again Tony), and were very expensive (Costa quanto?).
To use screens. When screen is open, at top of window you will see a rail. With both hands, pull down gently on the rail until it is at the bottom of the window and you hear two clicks. Voila!
To raise, pull down and out gently on the cord attached to the rail. You will hear two clicks. Then with two hands guide the screen to the top of the window. Italian screens and women appreciate a gentle touch from a strong guy like you.

18. Is Casale air conditioned?
Would cost a gazillion dollars and not necessary since the walls (but not our wallets) are 18 inches thick. House is cool in the summer if you follow one rule – don’t let afternoon sun blast directly into the rooms! Around lunchtime close the shutters almost all of the way, keeping them cracked a bit. This blocks sun, lets in a bit of air. You will be cooler than Leonardo’s 1964 motorino.

19. Where do I check my email or use the internet?
You can check your email for free at the public library Melchiore Delfico. They usually give you 1hr/day. Or go to an internet point (cybercafe) in Teramo or Montorio al Vomano. At this time there is no internet connection. Mi dispiace (sorry).

20. Does the house have a terrace?
Certo! Take white folding chairs outside for a picnic. Pasquale the dog, a random animal or a neighbor might stop by. No surcharge for the bella panorama! 02/07 update. Paquqale = morto, that’s over 72 in people years, etc. He will be missed though his spirit lives on.

21. Electricity?
Power is 220V/50cycles. American power converters tend to mess things up (mine sent my neighbors’ TV’s on the fritz until they could figure out who to fuss at.). The laws of physics say that plugging a 110V American appliance into 220V socket will give you .2 seconds of use. 50 cycles means that even things that have dual voltage (like certain clocks) will run 5/6 as fast in Italy. You will have extra time to sleep in the morning but, according to most theories of relativity, will not extend your lifespan.
Like most Italian homes, the supply of electricity is limited. If you try to run a couple big appliances simultaneously, bye bye power. Avoid this by conserving electricity and by keeping things plugged into the wall to a minimum. If the power fails, first unplug the things that caused the problem in the first place. Then check the fuse box by the front door. Finally, you can check with Paolo who may have a minute to see what’s up or fetch our cousin, Silvio, to assist.

23. How do we pay?
Cash to Paolo, bankwire (bonifico), American check (yeah!), postal money order, or credit card (boo!). No zlotys. Any bank charges are on you as it recently cost me 12 euros to receive a payment from a mideastern country. Even my cousin Giovanni the banker was unable to help me.

24. Can I rent the house by the month?
Most certainly! It is better to have someone in the house than to have it sit empty. We have worked out reasonable monthly prices with several tenants. We prefer to keep it open for a couple weeks in April and August so we get a visit or two for ourselves.

25. When is my reservation confirmed?
Not until Stefano or Paolo or somebody has some loot in their mitts (denaro nelle loro mani). Will contact you to confirm. Nonrefundable 50% to reserve; the rest before arrival.

26. Is there train from Rome to Teramo?
Hard to do because you have to change trains. Most folks take the (big blue) intercity pullman bus from Rome Tiburtina train station to Teramo bus terminal. Trip lasts about 2.5 hours. Go to the ARPA website. If you have a car it is best to catch the bus near the autostada in Val Vomano. The cost is only 13 euros each way.

27. This is my first trip to Italy. Should I stay at Casale?
Maybe, but probably for only part of the trip. One hearty soul made a 11 hour (travel time) day trip to Venice but the word “pazzo” (3 centesimi short of a euro) comes to my mind.

28. Did Madonna’s family come from VSG?
No. But they did come the small town of Pacentro, about an hour away, which is also located in Abruzzo.

29. Is a car necessary?

Not mandatory but perhaps a good idea. VSG has only 350 people with few English lit majors. If you want to chill and hang with the locals you could survive without a car. To see the sights you will need some wheels.

30. Is there parking for all?
There is parking on the street. In the past Pasquale (see above) arranged parking for his friends. Best not to park your car directly next to the front door of the chiesa (church) so as to allow the churchgoers easy access. If you look on the back of the church door you will see a surprise and will have a much better understanding of the mysteries of life. Sorry, no hints, you must seek out the revelation yourself.

31. How do I get from VSG to and from Teramo?

Except on Sundays, the bus from Valle San Giovanni to Teramo leaves at 07:42, 08:50, 12:05 and 16:05.

Except on Sundays, the bus from Teramo (Piazza San Francisco) to Valle San Giovanni leaves at 08:25, 11:40, 13:40, 18:40.
The local bus schedules can be checked at: http://ro.autobus.it/ro/asp/RicercaOrari.asp?User=arpa

32. How about us Yoga fans?
There is a major Yoga center, Centro Arjuna, in Villa Ripa, just 4 km from Valle San Giovanni. There email is centroarjuna@alice.it. Ohhhmm.

33. Have there ever been evil spirits lurking on Via del Casale?
Not to the best of our knowledge. The local townspeople work in collaboration with higher authorities for protection from evil as well as blessings from above.

34. Do you have any inspirational quotes for us?
No.

35. Pretty please? (Per favore, gentilissimo Stefano?)

“Non importa il Paese dove viviamo ma il Paese che vive in noi” (Giuseppe Garibaldi)

“It is not imporant the country within which we live…but rather the country that lives within us”

36. What slogan best describes Casale?
We didn’t build this house and you are not going to Italy to add problems to our/your lives. Take it easy, enjoy the scenary, everything is already OK…

to be continued …

Sponsored by Casale – Villa Rental in Abruzzo Italy

Frequent Questions Regarding Casale – Abruzzo Self Catering

ulissi — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 10:50:44 +0000

Frequent Questions updated Sept 2007

2. Is smoking allowed?
Best to smoke outside the house on the patio. Grazie. Keep it legal because the guy two houses answers to “Poliziotto.”

3. Are children allowed?
Heck yeah!

4. Is Paolo our private tour guide?
Au contraire. Paolo has a store to run and looks after Casale as a sideline. He points you in right direction and gets someone (usually not Paolo) to fix small problems. He speaks English rather well.

7. Can you eat well in Abruzzo for “pochi soldi” (inexpensively)?
Head to an agriturismo. Keep eating while hungry but stop ordering food when you are full. Usually pay cash so have some handy. Fabiocchi is close with great food. Go 3 km on road leading to SS80 and Teramo. When you hit a “T” in the road, instead of taking left turn to Teramo, go right towards Frondarola. Fabiocchi is 100 yards (meters) on left. Best to call ahead (see Nearby Attractions on this website). Flash – Fabiocchi now serves pizza also. Molto buono!
Another nearby pizzeria is A Tizzone in Torricella Sicura. See “Nearby Attractions.” Good pasta at lunch but pizza is only at dinner. You can try (I did) to get pizza before the oven is fired up at 8:00 PM but you will likely fail (I did). Some pizzaioli (pizza makers) don’t take a bribe (bustarella).

8. Is there a tourist office in Teramo?
Yep. Abruzzo Promozione Turismo, 17 Via Carducci Giosue’, Teramo (TE) 64100. They have maps, information, and free Abruzzo posters.

9. Is the house heated?
Si si!! There is a wood burning stove (stufa) in the main room. This keeps the living, dining and cooking areas nice and toasty. Have not figured out how to toast marshmallows however. With the inside doors open the the stove will take the chill off the two bedrooms and bathroom. These rooms can get chilly in the winter months when the temperature drops down.

11. Where is the nearest place to get some cash?
Branch banks are in Montorio and Torricella Sicura. Look for Bancomat ATM’s with “Star” or “Cirrus” logo. The dollar is not worth a lot at the moement. Before coming to Italy I suggest that you first take all of your money and divide it into two piles. Then bring both piles.

12. How about telephone usage?
The house has no telephone. Cellphone information is on Slowtalk website. WIND chips do not work in VSG. There is telephone at Bar 90. Francesca will keep track of things. Or buy prepaid phonecard at a tabacheria and call “800” number before connecting to your destination. With a phonecard you will owe Francesca nothing for the call. The nice thing to do is to offer her a couple euros, a bacio (kiss) if her husband Giovanni is not looking, and/or buy some Dom Perignon.

13. Does the house have toilet paper and paper towels?
Should be some when you arrive. Serious worriers bring one day’s supply. Paolo stocks these at his store. Please leave some for the next person. Merci di niveau!!

14. What about the fridge?
Close door & turn the knob to “3” when you arrive. At departure throw away perishables, turn knob to off (light will go out). Leave door open. Please let me know if the little light does not go out when you close the fridge door.

15. How does the washer work?
Add clothes. To save energy and time, best to wait until you have a full load.
Open drawer on upper left hand side of machine. Fill middle section 1/3 to 1/2 way with detergent.
Find the row of three buttons. Push in first button (start). Ignore second button or push in for half load. Ignore third button or push in if you want the machine to stop and wait before completing the final spin (very annoying).
Set temperature dial to minimum (or 30 degrees) unless you want to donate your clothes to orphan children.
Set big dial on right (cycle selector) to “2″.
Close door, make sign of cross and machine should start. If does not you should (gently) re-open and re-shut the front door (of the machine not the house). This is most common reason machine does not run. Door will lock while washer runs.
Open some wine. Two bottles later machine will stop. One glass later front door (guess which one) will unlock.
There is clothes rack in kitchen. Clothespins should be in drawer somewhere. Look for clotheslines around the shed. To avoid damage, do not tie the clotheslines to the gutters of the house.

16. Can you buy local olive oil?
Certo (certainly). See the “Nearby Attractions” section. Check out their race cars while you are at it.

17. What about flies, mosquitoes, and (oh no!) flying bugs?
The folks in VSG keep their windows open during the day with no problem. We put screens on the living room and two bedroom windows. Be gentle. The screens are fragile (Managgia!), will break easily (FIAT=fix it again Tony), and were very expensive (Costa quanto?).
To use screens. When screen is open, at top of window you will see a rail. With both hands, pull down gently on the rail until it is at the bottom of the window and you hear two clicks. Voila!
To raise, pull down and out gently on the cord attached to the rail. You will hear two clicks. Then with two hands guide the screen to the top of the window. Italian screens and women appreciate a gentle touch from a strong guy like you.

18. Is Casale air conditioned?
Would cost a gazillion dollars and not necessary since the walls (but not our wallets) are 18 inches thick. House is cool in the summer if you follow one rule – don’t let afternoon sun blast directly into the rooms! Around lunchtime close the shutters almost all of the way, keeping them cracked a bit. This blocks sun, lets in a bit of air. You will be cooler than Leonardo’s 1964 motorino.

19. Where do I check my email or use the internet?
You can check your email for free at the public library Melchiore Delfico. They usually give you 1hr/day. Or go to an internet point (cybercafe) in Teramo or Montorio al Vomano. At this time there is no internet connection. Mi dispiace (sorry).

20. Does the house have a terrace?
Certo! Take white folding chairs outside for a picnic. Pasquale the dog, a random animal or a neighbor might stop by. No surcharge for the bella panorama! 02/07 update. Paquqale = morto, that’s over 72 in people years, etc. He will be missed though his spirit lives on.

21. Electricity?
Power is 220V/50cycles. American power converters tend to mess things up (mine sent my neighbors’ TV’s on the fritz until they could figure out who to fuss at.). The laws of physics say that plugging a 110V American appliance into 220V socket will give you .2 seconds of use. 50 cycles means that even things that have dual voltage (like certain clocks) will run 5/6 as fast in Italy. You will have extra time to sleep in the morning but, according to most theories of relativity, will not extend your lifespan.
Like most Italian homes, the supply of electricity is limited. If you try to run a couple big appliances simultaneously, bye bye power. Avoid this by conserving electricity and by keeping things plugged into the wall to a minimum. If the power fails, first unplug the things that caused the problem in the first place. Then check the fuse box by the front door. Finally, you can check with Paolo who may have a minute to see what’s up or fetch our cousin, Silvio, to assist.

23. How do we pay?
Cash to Paolo, bankwire (bonifico), American check (yeah!), postal money order, or credit card (boo!). No zlotys. Any bank charges are on you as it recently cost me 12 euros to receive a payment from a mideastern country. Even my cousin Giovanni the banker was unable to help me.

25. When is my reservation confirmed?
Not until Stefano or Paolo or somebody has some loot in their mitts (denaro nelle loro mani). Will contact you to confirm. Nonrefundable 50% to reserve; the rest before arrival.

26. Is there train from Rome to Teramo?
Hard to do because you have to change trains. Most folks take the (big blue) intercity pullman bus from Rome Tiburtina train station to Teramo bus terminal. Trip lasts about 2.5 hours. Go to the ARPA website. If you have a car it is best to catch the bus near the autostada in Val Vomano. The cost is only 13 euros each way.

27. This is my first trip to Italy. Should I stay at Casale?
Maybe, but probably for only part of the trip. One hearty soul made a 11 hour (travel time) day trip to Venice but the word “pazzo” (3 centesimi short of a euro) comes to my mind.

28. Did Madonna’s family come from VSG?
No. But they did come the small town of Pacentro, about an hour away, which is also located in Abruzzo.

29. Is a car necessary?
Not mandatory but perhaps a good idea. VSG has only 350 people with few English lit majors. If you want to chill and hang with the locals you could survive without a car. To see the sights you will need some wheels.

30. Is there parking for all?
There is parking on the street. In the past Pasquale (see above) arranged parking for his friends. Best not to park your car directly next to the front door of the chiesa (church) so as to allow the churchgoers easy access. If you look on the back of the church door you will see a surprise and will have a much better understanding of the mysteries of life. Sorry, no hints, you must seek out the revelation yourself.

31. How do I get from VSG to and from Teramo?
Except on Sundays, the bus from Valle San Giovanni to Teramo leaves at 07:42, 08:50, 12:05 and 16:05.

32. How about us Yoga fans?
There is a major Yoga center, Centro Arjuna, in Villa Ripa, just 4 km from Valle San Giovanni. There email is centroarjuna@alice.it. Ohhhmm.

34. Do you have any inspirational quotes for us?
No.

35. Pretty please? (Per favore, gentilissimo Stefano?)
“Non importa il Paese dove viviamo ma il Paese che vive in noi” (Giuseppe Garibaldi)

“It is not imporant the country within which we live…but rather the country that lives within us”

36. What slogan best describes Casale?
We didn’t build this house and you are not going to Italy to add problems to our/your lives. Take it easy, enjoy the scenary, everything is already OK…

to be continued …

Sponsored by Casale – Villa Rental in Abruzzo Italy

http://www.rentals365.com/