Abruzzo Journal

A trip of a life time: Michelle, Barbara and Dave go to Italy.

Our "home base" while in Italy was Rome. From there, we traveled to points south, including Abruzzo and Pompei.

The Vatican was within walking distance of our hotel. This is the view as one walks toward St. Peter's Basilica.

The first city we visited on our tour of Abruzzo was Popoli. My great great grandparents (Lucia Bucci and Pietro Cafarelli) and their three children (Prudenza, Giuseppe and Lucia) immigrated from here in the late 1800s.

After leaving Popoli, we visited San Liberatore a Maiella, an abbey which was built in the 11th Century by the Benedictine Order of Cassino. One needs to pass through the town of Serramonacesca to visit the abbey.

After lunch, we headed back up the mountain to tour Serramonacesca. The Cervone family lived in this small mountain village before moving to San Salvo on the coast. The town has approximately 600 inhabitants, mostly elderly.

The last town we visited on our tour of Abruzzo was San Salvo. My great grandfather (Vincenzo Cervone) and two of his siblings immigrated from here around the turn of the century. One brother (Vitale) stayed behind. Through divine intervention, we found his grandson (Dino) and his great granddaughter (Vitalia), when someone in a cafe recognized our last name.

We drove through Naples on our way to Pompeii. Wow. Southern Italy was so different from the tranquility and order of central Italy.

We took a bus tour from Rome to Pompeii. Our tour guide was so-so,but the ruins were amazing.