•    La Porta dei Parchi & the best organic ricotta cheese
  Walking Cesacastina’s Valley of 100 Waterfalls

• • Abruzzo’s Autumn Walking Colours via La Mascionara

  

  Autumn in Abruzzo begins in earnest in mid-October, down on its wine-growing hills, valleys and Adriatic beaches it’s still a temperate 24C mid-October.  Toasted autumnal coats clad the ploughed fields, their furrows contrasting with the laden olive trees nearly ripe for harvest, purples bruising black, and the shrinking, yellowing vine leaves.  It is a mellow time to go walking in the Abruzzo lowlands, or even better to take to the highlands, whether it’s rambling in the Gran Sasso or Majella Nature Parks to experience real Abruzzo majesty.

  With a slight wind chill the air is crisper in temperature, still a frost-free 10-15C. But you’ll be treated to a spectacle that simply looks like a glass of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo has been poured from a great height over the mountain tops, staining its ancient forest leaves garnet as it descends, finally gently burnishing a shrubby shawl around the sheep’s pastures the colour of the local persimmon fruit.

  A great afternoon’s walking is to be had in the Gran Sasso National Park up around Lago Campotosto.

  En route a drive up via the acclaimed ‘La Mascionara’ run by Signor Alessio Rinaldo, where even though it is the middle of nowhere locals come from far & wide just to buy this bear of a man’s salami & cheeses (and I mean far & wide, you will never be the only customer in this off-the-beaten-track shop).

  

  Perhaps get some bread and some “Lucifero”, a young Gran Sasso pecorino cheese flavoured with sweet peperoncini strands which is just the best (well, our favourite anyway, of all his award-winning grotto matured and hay clad pecorino cheeses), and some of the best fine salami, then go for a late-lunch picnic and a gentle lakeside stroll.

  Drive back down the  SS80 road to Teramo and stay the night at Locanda del Cervo (full review to follow, but in the meantime…) this is a former ‘Carabiniere’(Police) station that has been converted into a beautiful restaurant and accommodation and where I ate the lightest, truly most exquisite Polenta con Funghi.  Och, those scrummy local wild mushrooms!  You can finish off your Abruzzo Autumn treat with the owner roasting you castagne (chestnuts) over the open fire.  This intimate little spot is going to be a tourist beehive as it becomes more well-known, so make the most of its wonderful open fireplace and easy access to climbing, canoeing & horse-riding whilst you can.

  Further Reading

  Locanda del Cervo official website

  La Mascionara, Localita Porcinari 67913 (AQ)

  How to spot La Mascionara!

  

  Like it? Share Life in Abruzzo & subscribe to our newsletter for updates

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

  About the Author
  

  Sammy Dunham is a web marketing consultant, designing websites & writing copy to optimise web presence for her clients at webSEOlive. Past lives saw her studying in Firenze after which she taught History of Art & English and lived in Barcelona & The Bahamas. Keen on travel & photography, food & wine, co-editing Life in Abruzzo is her perfect job.

  Posted in:  Food, Gran Sasso Mountains

  

  Related Information

  Food & Wine  Food Wine

  The Power of Pancetta A Cachi Christmas Obi Wan Zenobi – Chasing a Red in Abruzzo Wine Country

  ---

    Have your Say!
  
  One comment for “Abruzzo’s Autumn Walking Colours via La Mascionara”

  1. [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by LifeinAbruzzo.com. LifeinAbruzzo.com said: @graphic_foodie try a drive over the mountain eating at this locanda http://bit.ly/b9PBbq & after cheese taste here – http://bit.ly/9BU05O [...]

     Posted by Tweets that mention Abruzzo's Autumn Colours via La Mascionara -- Topsy.com | March 25, 2010, 3:16 pm
     

     ---

  Agree, disagree have a comment that you would like to add about this? We'd love to hear your thoughts. Post your comment, wait for it to be moderated and we'll send you an email as soon as it is live.

  Name *

  E-mail *

  Web site

  Comment

  
  
  

Lost? Go back to the home page.