You may have wondered about the photo from my first blog post. Where is it and why did I choose it? It is the calm clear water and sandy beach of Vasto Marina, Italy. It has a special place in my heart, partly due to its natural beauty, but mainly because of my wonderful friends that call it home.

I met Paola when she was living in Perth for six months through her cousin, and my friend, Nicole. I first visited Paola and her husband Angelo in Vasto in 2013 for four days. It was the highlight of my six week European holiday. When planning this trip I definitely wanted to return and as it worked out I could stay during the second week of August, when both Paola and Angelo were on holidays and Ferragosto celebrations would be in full swing.

Sometimes when you do something for a second time it fails to live up to your glorified memories and can be disappointing. Although I knew this was an ever so slight possibility, it never eventuated. To the contrary, my second time in Vasto was even better than the first!

Mid-August is peak visitor season in Vasto and it’s sandy beaches attract many visitors from other parts of Italy, Germany and other European countries. I didn’t bump into any Australians!

When your biggest problem is a small traffic jam or trying to find a parking spot close to the beach you know life is good! Although I found out relaxing can still be exhausting and afternoon siestas before the evening’s activities became mandatory most days!

It didn’t take me long to settle into the relaxed pace of life and each day we did something different that was usually a new and interesting experience for me.

One activity that dominated the days, much to my delight, was going to the beach! The majority of my ten days in Vasto were sunny and warm and perfect conditions to enjoy the seaside.

On these days Paolo would prepare homecooked food for lunch and we’d spend a good three to four hours at the beach soaking up the sun and swimming, or if you are Italian ‘bathing’. You should see my tan!

Evening activities were varied but always involved socialising with Paola and Angelo’s many friends, having a drink or two and eating delicious Italian food.

One evening we enjoyed aperitivo at a small bar in the town square, saying ‘ciao’ to various friends, watching people go by, all while listening to a band play. This was an idealic atmosphere I’ll never forget.

Another evening we went to a free jazz concert in the old palace gardens featuring French singer Kelly Joyce. It started at midnight, finished after 1:00am and attracted a crowd of all ages. Unheard of in Perth!

An experiance that Poala didn’t organise but was unique, scary and exciting was an earthquake! It happened just before midnight and not long after we had all gone to bed. The house and furniture shook for a good few seconds and we were soon all up again! We headed outside as a precaution and listened as dogs barked and the disturbed birds called, until Angelo deemed it was safe to go back inside. Of course none of us could get to sleep as we waited for the next shake!

The quake was a magnitude 4.6 with an epicenter located about 40kms south of Vasto. Experiencing it made me acutely aware of the power of nature that is far beyond the control of humans. It also affirmed that I didn’t ever want to experience a larger earthquake!

Another night we drove to San Martino, a small town in the nearby mountains, to see an art exhibition and other festivities. A second earthquake occurred while we were there, but we didn’t feel this one as we were walking. A murmer through a crowd and swaying street lanterns were the evidence of what had occurred.

Probably one of my favourite evenings was spent at a barbeque Poala and Angelo hosted in their garden. There was delicious grilled zucchini, eggplant, peppers and I made an Aussie potato salad. I tried the local specialty; arrosticini (lamb skewers). I was urged to eat at least ten but only managed seven – which I thought was a good first effort!

Another highlight was going out for dinner at restaurants in the old town. On my last night we enjoyed a fresh and delicious seafood meal along with fantastic Abruzzo wines.

While all the things we did made my stay fantastic, it was more than this that made it so special. Throughout I was welcomed with such warmth and inclusiveness. I never felt like a foreigner or a tourist or that my very basic Italian language skills were an issue. I was spending time with friends and was completely emersed in their way of life. I know, in keeping with traditional Italian hospitality, it was no big deal for Poala and Angelo to have me as their guest. However, I’m also very aware of how lucky and privileged I am to experience a sweet taste of the Italian way of life with them and I’m so thankful!

Sadly, as they say, all good things must come to an end. It was with a heavy heart and a few tears I said goodbye and boarded the bus back to Rome. I know I’ll return again, whenever that may be, but until then Vasto will stay close to my heart. ❤🇮🇹❤🇮🇹