I can't help with your questions because shamefully I've only been to Italy a couple of times. If I were in Abruzzo I would make an effort to go to l'Aquila d'Abruzzo.
http://www.italia.it/en/discover-italy/abruzzo/laquila.html Especially Scanno, which has some great photographic pedigree: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanno,_Abruzzo http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult_VPage&VBID=2K1HZOET2MPYK&SMLS=1&RW=1017&RH=771 http://ilcentro.gelocal.it/foto-e-video/2013/04/08/fotogalleria/scanno-vista-dal-grande-fotografo-mario-giacomelli-1.6846260 B > On 26 Apr 2014, at 00:47, "John Celio" <neo.venator.com+p...@gmail.com> wrote: > > I'm going to be in Italy next month, and I want to visit the towns my > grandparents came from, which are both in the Abruzzo region: Bugnara > and Giulianova. Hopefully our resident Italian PDMLers can help me > with these questions about the region: > > - I'm hoping I can travel around Abruzzo by train and/or bus rather > than rent a car. Is this feasible? I normally use Google Maps for > getting around, but it doesn't show mass transit options in Italy and > I'm not sure where to look for accurate maps and timetables. > > - How difficult is it to find hostels in the cities and towns of Abruzzo? > > - My parents visited the region a couple decades ago and said there > was a big problem with pickpocketing and bag slashing. Is this still > the case? What can I do to protect myself and my belongings? > > - My parents knew some Italian and were able to converse with people > when necessary. I don't know any Italian. Will this be a big problem? > I know a little Spanish, but I doubt that will help at all... > > - I'm told I have distant cousins in Giulianova and Bugnara, but none > of them speak English. Would it be worth trying to meet them, or would > it just be awkward because of the language barrier? > > - What are some hidden gems to see in Abruzzo? I'm thinking > churches/cathedrals, museums, historical sites, beautiful landscapes, > local landmarks, bars/restaurants, and other things like those. > > My itinerary starts in Milan, and then I'm probably going to go to > Venice and Florence for a couple days each before heading south. After > Abruzzo I'll head to Rome to fly home. > > -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
