Alba Fucens

In ancient Roman times, people needed to relax sometimes as well. Escape the hectic everyday life of Rome. They needed like a holiday park. And they built one, well… several actually. But one of them is Alba Fucens. Avezzano (about 100kms East of Rome) used to be based at the edge of a big mountain lake. …

The Maiella

The lady with the white hair. That’s what it looks like. She has been staring at me for the past few days. I was drawing closer, but still she looks distant. Yet everywhere I went, she was there. The big, big mountain you can see from everywhere at the coast of Abruzzo. And beyond. The …

Alta Murgia

The (Alta) Murgia is a national park. It is an area with hills between Altamura and Corato/Andria. I happened to cycle through it on my way from Altamura to Corato. The main sight is Castel del Monte, maybe better known as the castle on the 1-cent-coin of Italy. It is a weird, weird castle, but …

The passion of the caves (Matera, Italy)

I love caves! I don’t know why, but being in a cave makes me happy. It makes me feel like someone from the Stone Age. It makes me feel strong. I imagine I feel the same as men when they are preparing meat on a barbecue. Back to nature, back to our roots. And since …

Altamura’s natural curiosities

For me Altamura was a big surprise. I didn’t really expect anything of it and it turned out Altamura had a lot to offer. The city itself is not really spectacular. It is another old city, of which Italy has loads. There is a sort of special Cathedral, only it was closed because they were …

The house of Vincent Brunetti

Okay, I have just been to a crazy, crazy place… The first place I wanted to write about in Italy was maybe Lecce, or Castel Monaci, or maybe the coast at Torre Lampillo, but that was before I went here. Alessandro took me to the house of Vincent Brunetti. One of the weirdest, maybe thé …

Cephalonia and Ithaca

Ithaka, the Ionian island I visited on my way from Athens to Holland. The Island I desperately wanted to visit for numerous reasons. The claimed homeland of Odysseus. Well, that remains to be seen. There are several islands claiming this, and they all have got their point. I am Odysseus, Laertes’ son, world-famed For stratagems: …