La Porta dei Parchi offers the perfect solution for those seeking an alternative Abruzzo or Italian Christmas present for the family, particularly if you love a little bit of cheese! Through their

If you love a holiday of colour and the wake up zing of chillies in your food, September is the time to holiday in Abruzzo. This is the time that the local red chillies known as both diavolino (little devil) or peperoncino (depending where you are in Abruzzo) are harvested and hung bountifully up above doors and draped from balconies

Although we don’t have mosquitoes up in Bascianella there are other little things to watch out for whilst holidaying in Teramo province, Abruzzo. Most tourists to the area are enthralled by the expanse (1,60 sq km) of our doorstep nature reserve

Oh here are a couple of reasons to come for a quick holiday or mini break in Abruzzo and rent Casetta Lucciola. Ryanair has extended its summer sale for October Italian holiday air tickets, and a one way ticket to Pescara is

Abruzzo’s annual weather forecast and temperatures are affected by its 2 distinct climates, ‘maritime’ along its Adriatic Coast and its interior Apennine mountainous climate which is ‘continental’. The annual average temperature varies from 8-12 in the mountainous area

The precious Puy Lentil had better watch out, its delicious Italian cousin, the Lenticchia di Santo Stefano (lens culinaria) is soon to be awarded DOP status and the 12 farmers that grow this nutty mini lentil will hopefully be recognised globally for their cultivation of this very tasty legume.

Our local town hall in Colledara lists Bascianella as having 92 residents, most who have silvery hair, false teeth and aching hips but all manage to still farm “con vigoroso”. They’re as tough as nails and sprightly as any of the mountain goats that together with sheep graze on the lower slopes of the nearby Gran Sasso

Part of the fun of living in Abruzzo is gaining an understanding their criteria for what counts and what doesn ‘t. The belly rules all other body bits in Abruzzo, and results in the strange but true ‘Abruzzo Stag Night’. This doesn’t entail a debauched 12-hour drinking bender sat in a seedy strip joint but rather going out for a ‘feast’ with your friends and your Dad!

The local, tasty and so friendly Oliveri Cheese Van (everything that the Gran Sasso Shopping Mall isn’t). Visits Bascianella between 10.00am-11.30pm on Friday. In the summer ‘07 we popped into Teramo in the quest of buying towels for our spare room and friends that were coming over to borrow

Living in Abruzzo full-time sounds a glorious dream; however before deciding to move over to Abruzzo permanently there are a couple of things to consider. It’s the most fantastic place but like everywhere take off the rose-tinted occhiali before making up your mind.If you are an ‘urbanite’ you should consider the choices