October 3, 2025 • 47 mins
Ready to skip the crowds and travel deep into regional Italy? Explore Abruzzo where mountain peaks meet the Adriatic and every village hosts memorable food festivals. Local expert Cassie Tresl spills insider secrets on rustic towns, amazing arrosticini, and why Abruzzo is Italy’s ultimate adventure for culture-rich, crowd-free travel.
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Read the full episode show notes here > untolditaly.com/293
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The Untold Italy travel podcast is an independent production. Podcast Editing, Audio Production and Website Development by Mark Hatter. Production Assistance and Content Writing by the other Katie Clarke
Get help with your trip on Cassie's trip planning proile
Read the full episode show notes here > untolditaly.com/293
NEW! - the Untold Italy app - access our entire podcast history ad free and searchable - DOWNLOAD FOR iOS • DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID
The app is FREE to download and check out our Milan guide and general travel content. Upgrade to PREMIUM for a one time fee to access Rome, Florence, Venice, Sorrento, Cinque Terre, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ischia, Tuscany, Lake Como, Lake Garda, Veneto, Lombardy, Campania, Lazio, Puglia, Abruzzo, Calabria, Umbria, Molise with much more to come
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Editorial Information
The Untold Italy travel podcast is an independent production. Podcast Editing, Audio Production and Website Development by Mark Hatter. Production Assistance and Content Writing by the other Katie Clarke
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
If you're curious about Italy's lesser known regions, this episode
is for you.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Ware headed east.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
From Rome and deep into a region bound by mountains
and the Adriatic Sea. It's a region from where many
migrants departed decades ago, looking for new lives in places
like America, Australia and Canada. Our guest today has turned
those tables and made her home in beautiful, untold Abruzzo,
and she's excited to share it with you.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Today Tawatuti and Benvenuti Tuan told Italy the Travel podcast
to where you go to the towns and villages, mountains
and lakes, hills and coastlines of ballet Italia. It's week
your host, Katie Clark takes you on a journey in
(00:48):
a search of magical landscapes, history, culture, wine, gelato, and
of course, a whole lot of pasta. If you're dreaming
of Italy and planning future adventures, you've come to the
right place.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Dreaming of arriving in Italy, strolling into a gelatia and
ordering your gelato with confidence. If you've been learning Italian
with language apps but still can't string a sentence together,
it might be time to try another approach, My friend
Michelle from Intrepid Italian offers a practical way to learn
travel ready Italian. Thanks to her unique eighty twenty method,
(01:33):
Michelle teaches you exactly what you need to know to
connect with locals and have more authentic travel experiences. There's
no getting bogged down in awkward phrases and unnecessary grammar.
As an adult learner herself with Italian heritage, Michelle really
knows how to bridge the gap between English and Italian.
As Roma from London said, the learning methodology is great.
(01:56):
I progressed much faster in the last four weeks and
I ever on my own or using other language apps.
To find out more and claim your free Italian travel
phrase guide, visit untold Italy dot com, forward slash Italian
or visit the link in the show notes. As a bonus,
you'll also get an exclusive twenty dollars coupon code to
use on any of Michelle's online self paced courses. So
(02:19):
visit untold Italy dot com, forward slash Italian and accelerate
your Italian language your journey today.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Jiao born Giodo.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Friends, have you ever wondered what it would be like
to migrate to another country where you don't know anyone
or the language for a fresh new stuff. I think
about this a lot, actually, as my family, both immediate
and extended, have a long history of traveling the globe.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
But while my.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Family had the advantage of speaking English, my husband's family
came out here to Australia with nothing, knowing no one,
and not speaking the language, and really having no idea
of what to expect when they got here. Now, knowing
what I know now about both countries, Italy and Australia,
new landscapes, weather, and culture, shock must have been massive
(03:09):
for my husband's family, and it's no wonder that they've
held on to so many important family and cultural traditions
and things like making pisada each summer and of course
creating their treasure trove of recipes. I've moved abroad twice
now in my lifetime to the UK, and you know what,
it's really hard, even when you speak the same language
(03:31):
to make connections and community. So I am in absolute
awe of the members of the Untold Italy team who
have migrated to Italy and who have made it their home,
dealing with Italian bureaucracy, cultural norms, and of course, the language,
which has its own little idiosyncrasies and quirks. Joining me
(03:53):
today is Cassie, who some of you may know from
your trip consultations, but you may not know that Cassie
also helps me with the Untold Italy app. She sends
out important update information and adds to the content so
that it's fresh and full of all the untold goodness
that you've come to expect. Cassie and her young family
have made their home in the Italian region of Robuzzo,
(04:15):
and she's going to share with you what she loves
about the region that she now calls home. Before we
jump in, I wanted to share some feedback with you
that I was delighted to receive from our listener, Michelle.
And Michelle wrote in via the app, and she wrote,
I just wanted to let you know how much I
am enjoying your app. Having notifications of scheduled strikes is
(04:38):
worth the price of the app alone. I've been listening
to your podcast since twenty twenty and I love being
able to easily find a podcast that I want to
hear again.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
By using the menu.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
I'm also finding the restaurant and winery recommendations very helpful
and spot on. Thank you for all that you do,
Kratzy Michelle. We're also through that you love the app,
and I agree being notified of the strike activity in
Italy can actually save quite a few headaches. And I'm
sure that you've noticed that we spend a lot of
(05:09):
time curating the information on the app. We want our
users to have access to the details that you're not
going to find in a traditional guidebook or even on
the Internet or AI tools for that matter. It's based
on decades of combined experience and on the ground knowledge.
So if you haven't downloaded the app yet, it's on
(05:30):
the App Store, Apple App Store and Google Play. You
can check out our Milan guide for free to see
what the content is like before committing to a one
off upgrade payment for the rest of the content, including
a Bruzzo with much more to come.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Okay, so let's now.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Dive into our chat with Cassie to hear all about
the wonderful region of Abruzzo, the place that she calls home.
Benonata Cassi, Welcome back to the Untold Italy podcast.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Hi, it's so great to be back.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Oh my goodness, it's great to have you back.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
On that podcast, especially now that we have not only
met in person.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
But we build it up together. A lot can happen
in six months at it.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Yes, very serendipitous.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
I love that word. So what's happening in your corner
of Italy lately?
Speaker 4 (06:20):
So August just happened. That was a whirlwind. Many people
probably have heard of Ferragosto in Italy. It's essentially when
the entire country just takes the month off. You can
really feel it, you know, in big cities in Rome,
because people actually exit Rome. So Italiicans that live in
Rome exit Rome and they come to small towns and
(06:41):
villages like the one that I live in. So our
little town becomes Rome during August and it is just
jam packed with all these people that come back to
their vacation homes or their old family homes. And every
night there's like a program, there's a concert, a festival,
something's going on, which is very fun and we definitely
(07:02):
enjoyed it. But we are happy school has started mid September. Yes,
kids go to school kind of late comparatively, mid September
is usually the first day of school. So yeah, we're
happy to kind of be back in the rhythm. Of
normal life, less crowded.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
I think those parties would be absolutely fantastic to experience.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Though they are, they're very the local events, the saga
like the food festivals are just they're so unique. I
feel like to Italy because only in Italy will an
entire festival be centered around like a potato.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
We betwe an onion one so funny. Although the chipola
ice cream was not delicious, I have to say.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
Oh, I've never heard of that. I'd have to try it, though.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
You know there's there's that one gelatto flavor would be
going back to.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
I recently had cream of rosemary and I must say
that was really great.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
That sounds delicious is actually wow. Okay, So before we
dive into all things abrutso, I'm sure our listeners would
love to know a little bit more about you, where
you're from, and how you came to be living in Italy.
We spoke a few months ago, but I think it's
worth well giving everyone a bit of a heads up
about your story.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Yeah, my story is a bit random, to be honest.
People always expect kind of a magical connection to Italy
or some family tie, but there's not. My husband and
I were born in Seattle, Washington. We moved then to
New York, and then in twenty nineteen we left New
York and we moved to the Czech Republic to kind
(08:40):
of half live with my family because my grandpa is
based there, but we used it as more of a
base while we traveled around Europe. Our daughter was then
born near Prague in the end of twenty twenty. When
our daughter was here in the world, we kind of
thought to ourselves, we should probably do something a bit
(09:01):
more stable for her, for our little family, maybe try
to find a house. We have been to Italy a
handful of times before that, and honestly, even before having
a kid, we felt this kind of like people were
obsessed with family in Italy. I don't think that's any secret,
but out of all the places I've traveled, Italy treats
(09:23):
children like gold. They love children, and it's not just
older people, like I've never seen. Every generation just know
how to handle kids like not just kids, babies. So
it's really it was incredible always to see, and so
I thought to myself, well, I want to be in
an environment that makes raising a child maybe a little
(09:43):
bit easier, because it is going to be difficult. So
that's kind of one of the big major reasons why
we decided to buy a house in Italy because we
just like the culture and how, you know, family and
child oriented. It was in terms of landing, specifically in
a brute so we definitely wanted to be somewhere that
wasn't super touristy. So Tuscany is beautiful, but there are
(10:07):
a lot of foreigners that buy houses there. That's also
no secret. So we wanted to go a little bit
off the beaten path but still not be too far away.
A lot of people ask us like, why didn't we buy,
you know, a house in Sicily or something like that.
For me, Sicily is just a bit too isolated, Like
I still wanted to be on the mainland of Italy.
(10:29):
Being on an island there was, you know, just some hesitations.
You're on an island, and the Bruzzo is not super
far from Rome or Naples, which we really enjoyed because
logistically it's you know, those are two major transportation hubs,
so if we need to take flights or take trains,
it was just nice to know that we're not super
far away from those In terms of for our personality
(10:52):
fit and why a Bruto works for us. It has
the best of both worlds because you love the mountains
and you know that manage the city. So to be
in a region that has both on either side, it's
just there wasn't much more that we could ask for.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Yeah, I mean, you are really living the life that
a lot of people kind of a dream about these days.
And I think you've managed to create something that's really
really special. And I love the thinking behind it because
you've really thought very hard about the logistics but also
the type of environment.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
That you want to live in. It it's a really
lovely thing.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
And you know what, this is really sad, but I
have not been to a butso it's one of the
handful of regions that I haven't been to yet. So
I'm really excited to dive a bit deeper into the
region with you today, Cassi.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
So how about we paint a picture.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Of where it actually is in regards to Rome and
the other major cities that people might know about.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
Yeah, and you're saying you've never been there, Like that's
a common thing we hear even from Italian travel Italian
So it is kind of a corner of Italy that
I feel like is a bit you know, forgotten, hopefully
not for too long, but it's not super far from Rome.
I think that is, like I said, something that I,
you know, just value because of logistical reasons, but it
(12:16):
the Bruzzo region is adjacent to the region that Rome
is located in Salazio. The capital technically of a Bruzzo
is Laquila, but it's actually not the biggest city, so
I'm sure there's some history behind why that's the capital.
So it's pretty much right in the middle of Italy.
So if you're looking at a map of Italy and
(12:37):
you're looking at central Italy, Laquila is right in the middle.
And so you have Rome on the west coast, and
then you have the coast of a Bruto on the
east coast. The biggest city on the east coast of
a Bruzzo is Pescata, and that's also where the airport
is located. I think that's also something that a lot
of people don't know, is that we do actually have
(12:58):
an airport here. It does tend to be a bit seasonal,
so like flights are mainly served within you know, the
summer months or spring, in summer and fall, but not
in the winter. It's also made up of four different provinces,
which also you know, extends from the north. So in
the north there's Teamo, and then we have Pescato and Laquila,
(13:19):
and then Kieri and Kihei is the biggest region in
terms of coverage, and that's actually where we live. Below
Abruzzo is Malisee, and then above a Bruto is Marque,
and those are also very lesser known regions in Italy.
So I'm not entirely surprised why a Bruzzo might seem,
(13:40):
you know, kind of hidden, because when you're surrounded by
these other lesser known regions, it's just kind of this
pocket of Italy that not too many we people know
what is going on there. In terms of landscape, the
central Italian mountain range called the Apennines Mountain Range runs
through Bruso, and then on the east side you have
(14:03):
the Adriatic Sea.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Like you said, it's the best of both worlds. You've
got the mountains and the sea. And probably mountains usually
provide a mental block for people when they're traveling, maybe
that they think, oh, we've got to get through these
mountains and so that's a little bit too hard. But
obviously then it does provide some beautiful landscapes to enjoy.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
Yeah, very true. I mean you have to somehow get
through the mountain. So there's a really long tunnel. I
want to say it has some kind of ranking of
whatever longest in Europe or something like that. But there
is a really long one that connects actually between you know,
between Rome, if you're going across to the other side,
there is a really long tunnel that goes through the mountain.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
I love going through those tunnels. The engineering of them
is quite astounding.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
Actually, it's incredible. Yeah, my favorite one. You don't read
the sign before entering the tunnel, and so then you
don't notice how long the tunnel actually is, and then
maybe like five minutes goes by and you're like, are
we still in this tunnel.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
You can drive through the tunnel the tray and go
through the tunnel as well.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
No, but from Rome, just because most people might start
their journey in Rome. From Rome, you can actually get
to Solmona by train, which is a town not too
far from La Quilo, which is the capital so too.
I believe it's two and a half hours from Rome.
You can also get to the southern part of a
butto from Rome, which is the route that we take
(15:33):
because we live in the southern part. So from Rome
you can take a train to Eastnia, which I think
is also about two and a half.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Hours time for a quick break, shorter than your morning espresso.
Speaker 4 (15:50):
And if you want to get from Naples that's a
bit closer. It's like two hours by train, So it's
not super far in the grand scheme of things, and
considering how big Italy is, it's a lot more attainable
than I think people think.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Yeah, it really is, like two hours is nothing. It's
two hours, just over two hours to Florence from Rome,
so yeah, it's not that different. I mean it's a
slightly different train, you know, on the bullet.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
Train, are you but no, no, yeah, it's a bit different.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
I don't know why. I'm definitely going like it's on
my least.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
My friend Maria Pascuale, who's been on the podcast a
few times with her family's from a Bruzzo and she's
always talking about how amazing it is. But I really
want to hear about it from your perspective as well.
So what are some of your favorite places in a Bruzzo.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
Yeah, so after bat I would have to say, I
have to choose the mountains over the sea, just because
I feel like there's always more diversity when it comes
to mountainous landscapes. So there are national parks and a Bruzzo,
and my favorite is the Granden Sasso, which I think
is the third largest national park in Italy, and it
spans over not just a Bruzzo, but a couple other
(16:58):
regions too. There is this high altitude plateau I think
is the right way to describe it, called Campo Imperatore
and it's at the almost the very peak of the
ground Sasso National Park. It has a nickname Italy's Little Tibet.
When you're there, I can kind of I've never been,
you know, to the other side of the world, but
(17:20):
I can feel like why they would call it that.
It's an absolutely magical place. I love it because you're
just like in this plateau with all you know, the
peaks surrounding you, and you have herds of sheep and
you know, some goats and cows and horses around you,
and it just feels very braw. I don't know how
(17:40):
else to describe it, but it doesn't feel like the
refined kind of pastures of the Dolomites, for example, Like
if you were to compare those two, it just feels
very different. And you have these like sheep dogs running
around with you know, their their herders, and I don't know,
it's just it's a it's an atmosphere. It's a very
(18:00):
rustic atmosphere thing. It's like the perfect landscape that encapsulates
like what a bruto feels like at its core.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I can't wait to see that.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
One of the things that surprised me the most being
Australian is we're used to really sparse landscapes where there's
not a lot of people or civilization, shall we say.
You can go of Australia and I know in the
United States where you can go for miles and miles
and not see a single car or house or person.
(18:29):
And what really surprised about the Dolomites was that wasn't
the case there. I was sort of expecting that, but
sounds like a brutso might be more of that, you know,
wide open space.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
There are a lot more wide open spaces. However, there
are a lot of small towns and villages and to
some people's definitions, just small cities. But that's I think
what a lot of people when they see the small
town that we live in, they think it's unique. But
to me, it's not unique. Like there's hundreds of them
just around us, and people just don't know about them
(19:06):
because they're not as famous, you know as the town's
in Tuscany, but they are still beautiful and gorgeous, and
they're on these hills. They're just like just perched up
on the very top and there's many of them. So
to your point, yes, there are a lot of vast spaces,
but at the same time, like I don't think you
would drive more than fifteen minutes without seeing, you know,
(19:26):
a town on the hillside or in the distance, so
you're still very much surrounded by civilization, which is also interesting,
like ancient historic civilization. Towns like Pacentro are part of
Italy's most Beautiful Villages in Italy, there's like this organization
and Abruzzo has tons of them within that organization, and
(19:48):
Pachentro is definitely a top favorite. It's one of the
most popular ones, definitely worth visiting. Random trivia fact, but
I think Madonna's grandparents were born that's something to yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
So I mean, like the tiny towns of Italy.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
They just and they're called the Boogie Poobelly aren't So
they are very special and it's worthwhile seeking. We'll pop
a link to that website into the show notes actually
because it's a really great resource to go and find
pretty places to go look at.
Speaker 4 (20:22):
Yes, it's kind of an interesting like bucket list for people,
like they want to see all of them in Italy,
Like if you have the time and resources to do that.
That's definitely a unique kind of goal to have when
it comes to Italy travel.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
And it's beautiful because the reality is that there are
so many of them, and some of them do a
better job of marketing themselves than others, And there's definitely
like a wealth of places to explore that don't make
those top lists. And it's not because necessarily they're lesser,
(20:59):
but it's just that they have and being marketed so well.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Yeah, I agree. And you know, in a time where
you hear stuff about Italy being overrun by like, you know,
just too much tourism, I think a lot of travelers
are beginning to seek you know, we all want like
that authentic experience, especially when it comes to travel. We
don't want something that's just served to us on a plate.
(21:23):
And those small towns, the ones that aren't getting all
that attention that they do deserve, Like that's where you're
going to find that authenticity that I think you know,
over time it's going to be a little bit more
difficult to find everywhere, especially in big cities like Rome
or Florence, and I think Gabruzzo still has a lot
of that to offer.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
And in Italy you do have to make an effort
to go and get that experience. So this is not
there's not something that's necessarily right on your doorstep, or
the infrastructure is not there to get you there necessarily,
so you probably do you need a car. I'd suggest
to go and discover those in a brutzo.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Yes, yeah, there are parts of a Bruto that I
think are set up for success as they are. So
one of them is like the Trabaki Coast, which is
the coastline. It's a historic part of a Bruso that
has these wooden fishing huts that are built like directly
on the water, and a lot of them are transformed
into restaurants, so you're literally eating like sitting above the water.
(22:27):
They know what they have, They're they're you know, not
taking advantage of it, but they're promoting that because that's
a very unique experience, and people flock to those other
hidden parts kind of closer to the mountains, just because
it is a little bit more difficult to get around
and get to. I do recommend renting a car and
driving in a Bruzzo is really not any more difficult
(22:49):
than if you were to drive around Tuscany. It's a
lot of country roads, so yes, you have to deal
with that, but it's a lot quieter, so you're not
dealing with like a ton of traffic or anything like that.
So yeah, definitely renting a car and driving around is
the best way to see it.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
What's a driving lot compared to say Pulia, which I've
found quite reasonable to drive around, not stressful at all.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Does it seem alone, I would.
Speaker 4 (23:13):
Say it's similar to Pulia. You're going to encounter kind
of the same habits of certain drivers that you would
in southern Italy, so kind of the honking and like
you know, the tail gatting that you're not going fast enough.
But wherever you are in Italy driving and if you
(23:33):
do encounter that, you need to ignore it, like just
let the other person go around you. You know, you
need to just do your own thing. But aside from that,
I mean you may run into the occasional like herd
of sheep in the middle of the road, so you
need to always just be aware of your driving. It
is not like the place that you should be driving
(23:54):
and be distracted, so always like keep your eyes on
the road. But yeah, it's I've never found it difficult
to know.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
So we have actually had someone on talk about food
in a Bruzzo, but I really love to hear your perspective.
What are the foods that you've loved to discover in
a Bruzzo, because I know you do love a food festival.
Speaker 4 (24:17):
I do, so I'm sure maybe on the other podcast,
we've talked about Odos Succini and I will bring it
up because it is just like so iconic I think
to a Bruzzo. Okay, So Stanley Tucci just went to
Bruzto recently and he had a part in the episode
where they're eating the Odos Touccini in my favorite spot
(24:38):
in Campo Inputrator and that was like, oh my god,
Stanley Tucci just sees right through me and he's doing
you know, exactly what you should be doing if you
do come to a bruzzo, and that is to eatoosuccini
directly in the mountains. It is such a simple food,
and I think it is a perfect representation of many
(24:58):
of the other dishes in a bruti. So because like
most of Italy, it's not about all these ingredients, it's
about the quality of food. So odos touccini is lamb,
and a Bruzzo does lamb so incredibly well. Before I
moved to Brutso, I actually didn't even like lamb because
all the other lamb that I've ever tasted was just,
I don't know, it wasn't for me. But then once
(25:20):
I had it here, I was like, oh, this is
what lamb should taste like. Like, so the ottos touccini
is made from the best of the lamb. It has
some puncetta and you don't even season it or marinate
it or any other type of you know, kind of
Western tactic. When it comes to grilling meat, you just
(25:41):
cook it over this like specific odosuccini grill, and then
it's just finished with salt, typically like really good salt.
And that to a lot of people, especially Americans, sounds
very simple, like too simple, right, like how could that
be delicious dish? But it just is, and if it's
done right, it's just absolutely wonderful. Aside from that, there
(26:01):
are a lot of, like I said, the local food
festivals that celebrate, you know, like specific dishes that could
be very like native to just like one town or
a couple of towns, which is incredible to see because
they will argue that, you know, theirs is very unique
to their town, when maybe even it has like one
(26:23):
or two different ingredients compared to the town just next door.
But everyone will say that theirs is the best, and
you know, as a visitor or traveler, you have to
agree with both of those separates. There is this one
pasta dish that is very unique to one down that
is actually eaten with your hands, which I find very
(26:46):
interesting because I've never really come across that in Italy.
So the pasta shapes are kind of like these big
rectangles and because of their shape, you're supposed to grab
it kind of like I don't know what you would
describe it, but you use the pasta shape to pick
up these pieces of sausage that are in the pasta
dish and that's how you put it in your mouth.
(27:09):
So you put the pasta and the sausage in your
mouth in one bite. Some instead of a fork, the
pasta shape is your utensil. I love it. Yeah, it's
very very unique, and like I said, like I haven't
really come across that in other parts of Italy. So
it's crazy to see that you can run into this
type of you know, unique tradition and heritage just because
(27:31):
you're in some random town and a brutso, but you
won't see it like anywhere else in the country.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Like a microcosm of nation. Is it almost?
Speaker 1 (27:40):
So it's like a little tiny nation that has its
own traditions and culture and ways of doing things. Yeah,
it's not patriotic. I don't know what the word is,
whatever patriotic means in regards to a small town.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
But they have so hyper.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Localized about the fed, they traditions, their way of doing things.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
It's fantastic. I love it.
Speaker 4 (28:03):
Italians are very proud just a Italy, but then a
lot of people don't realize how much further it goes.
Like people are very proud of their region, their province
and their town. So like you said, it's very on
it like a micro level when it comes to how
they do things, because how they do things in one
town is probably not going to be the same in
(28:24):
another town. But there's just better obviously.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
It's so funny though, when they get excited about it,
and then you'll sort of say, what about the grandi
padano when you talk to the people, the Parmesiano Riggiano people,
and they're.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
Like, oh, well, you know, yeah, so funny. Olive oil
is the classic.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
I've had the most funniest conversations about people olive oil.
They are so passionate about it. I love it so
much because they get like, this is the best, We
are the best because of all the polyphenols and it's
so much more healthy, funny.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
One more thing I wanted to add. H read or
heard about this, like the cuisine and a bruto, but
now that I've actually been here for a while, I
have been able to kind of identify it myself. So
the cuisine and a bruzzo is also unique because it
is not really influenced by other cultures. So if you
take like northern Italy for example, it's very heavily influenced,
(29:22):
you know, by Germany and Austria. It's neighboring countries in
the south, you have the cuisine that's influenced, you know,
by Africa and different spices just from like the southern
countries below Italy. So Bruzzo has really remained kind of
in his own little bubble, which you know can't be
said about other regions. So I found that really interesting,
especially after you know, traveling north and south, you can
(29:43):
see the difference in the cuisine here.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
So true, I think it's similar in maybe Markee in
Umbria as well, where you had that influence, and you know,
it is very heavy on the roasted mates, which is fantastic,
like we mentioned, and just back on that actually because
I'll never forget this is like not to do with Italy.
But I went to New Zealand where they also breed
(30:09):
some exceptional lamb, and I love it's being in Australian
you have to love lamb like it's actually required. Sorry vegetarians,
but I mean, obviously there are people that don't like lamb.
But having tasted that lamb in New Zealand, all I
could taste was the pastures that these lambs had grown on,
so I could really taste the heads and I imagine
(30:31):
that's what it's like in a Brutzo.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
It is. Like I said, it's just it's completely different
than anything I've definitely had in the US, because you know,
it's it's just not when people try to prepare it,
it's just not done. It's overly done because the lamb
itself is not good. So I think that's super important.
And you know, like you see all the lamb here,
and you see all the sheep and the goat and
(30:53):
the sheep herders. It's just, yeah, it's one big picture.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Let's take a quick break, boat brief and back before
you know it. Yeah, one of the big festivals I
know is the Transhumans festival, the Transfomans that when they
bring the goats and the sheep down from the pastures,
and it's a very important part of life in that area.
Speaker 4 (31:19):
Yeah, it is. Yeah. And so one thing that I
just thought of, the interesting fact is so we have
we have a sheep dog that's very native to a
Blutso they are kind of part of the Matamano dog breed,
which is from Tuscany, which also stems from the Great Pyrenees.
So we haven't a Bluto sheep dog. And you will
see them. They are just as important as like the
(31:41):
groups of the sheep and the goats and these magnificent
white dogs. Their coat is essentially like water repellent because
they're meant to just like be outside at all times.
There's outdoor animals. And something I learned recently is that
when they have a new puppy of the sheep dog,
they pair them at the same time with the babies
(32:03):
from the sheeps, the herd of sheeps, so the puppy
needs to grow up alongside with the sheep, which I
think is just lovely, don't I just yeah, I love it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
I mean, this whole connection to the land and the
seasons and going in rhythm with those is just such
a great part of the Italian life that we really
don't have in our Western society so much, do we.
It's something that I think when people go there and
they experience that, they feel a kind of peace almost.
(32:36):
It's very relaxing, Yeah, just to know that you can
actually simplify life down to the basics of nature that's
around you.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
Yeah, and you mentioned the seasonality, which was kind of
a huge week up call for us particularly. We had
to really get used to that it's not a big
issue if you live in a big city, even in
a Bruto, if you're like in Scara, you can get
anything you want anytime. But there are a lot of
small towns and villages in a Bruto where you know
(33:06):
your local store, even a chain supermarket isn't going to
have everything just year round because that's just not how
things work. So especially at like the farmers markets that
come through our town, a Brutto is very seasonal when
it comes to their produce, So that was definitely something
to get used to, but not a bad thing to
get used to. Like I think we should all be
(33:28):
eating you know what specifically in season that at that time.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
And I've got to say, if you I don't know
if you get strawberries and a BRUTSOI but in easily
if you get the little wild strawberries that come out
in the early summer, oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
Yes we have a plum tree. And then what I'm
most excited about are the chestnuts that are coming up
next month usually and those are just divine. But again,
like I learned to be excited for the chestnuts to arrive,
even though you know, if you live in a big
city you can probably buy them year round. But here
(34:04):
I'm like waiting for this tree. I'm looking at this
tree and I'm just excited for them to drop next month.
I know.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
That's so good to have things to look forward to.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
It's like children, like having traditions and rituals that you
do as a family, so you have things that you
always do together.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
And so maybe that's the connection with the land, is
you have the.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
Seasons and you have your family and you're doing things together. Definitely, yeah, Cassie,
it just sounds like just such a beautiful place, and
I think that, you know, I'm definitely going there at
some point. What's different between traveling in a broadsow Because
you've traveled a lot around Italy, what's the difference traveling
through a buotso rather than other regions that people might
(34:46):
know about, like Tuscany or even Pulia, which is pretty
close to you.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
So I think it depends what people want out of
their travels or trips. Like Pullia to me, is very
much a beach destination. It's a coastal, you know, trip
for it's a holiday that you want to go on
when you want to just like spend time by the sea.
Not to say there isn't a lot to see inland,
but to me, like where Pulia shines is definitely the sea.
(35:12):
So that being said, I actually just came back from
Pulia on a little camping trip before school started, and
it wasn't until really this time that I looked around
and I was like, Pulia is so flat. There are
no major mountains, you know, waterfalls or like big rivers,
And that was a very glaring difference for me now
(35:32):
that we live in a Bruzzo and like it's just
so green everywhere and there's hills, big hills, big mountains, waterfalls,
So that to me is definitely the biggest difference in
terms of like geographical landscape. I think a lot of
tourism in Pulia has picked up definitely in the last
ten years or so. Parts of it don't feel as
(35:57):
genuine as I'd like them to. However, that is really
only true if you visit like in the summertime, if
you go to pulling out Almadi, you know, in the fall, winter, whatever,
during those off months, it feels like a completely different
world and it feels you know, like probably how it
did twenty years ago. There are parts of a Brutto
(36:19):
where you can go in June through August and it'll
be pretty much quiet. Like there are some major landmarks
that you can go visit and you might be there
with like ten other people. So that to me is
like the biggest difference, because it's kind of getting harder
to find, like we talked about earlier, you know, these
(36:39):
true hidden gems in Italy because just so much of
it is being discovered and people want to go see
beyond just the top sites you know of the Amalfi
Coast and so on. So that is definitely the biggest difference,
is that you could still go to a major landmark
in a Bruzzo in the peak of summer and not
be shoulder to shoulder with people.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
And do you think it's because people don't know about
a Bruzzo or do you think it's there's another reason
why people maybe aren't going.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
Yeah, I think it's because you know, we've talked about
this too. It's not that well marketed to international tourists.
It's actually funny. I feel like since we've lived here,
I each year I've heard a bit more and more
English when I do go to those like more popular
places in a Bruso, which is nice to see, Like
(37:31):
I like to see that people are coming here and
you know, discovering it. But I think overall it just
hasn't had like its bam moment on the internet, you know,
on Instagram. I think it has been a long time
destination for people that have maybe been coming here for decades.
That's another interesting thing. Like a lot of people, a
(37:53):
lot of travelers that I run into in a Bruzzo,
they have been coming here since like the eighties or
the nineties, you know, and this is like their place
for whatever reason. So you have like these longtime visitors
and then you have these newcomers. So I'm hoping that,
you know, the combination of the two starts to build
(38:13):
up some more momentum with the tourism. And I even
see it in the initiative of like the Abruto Tourism board,
which I follow. They've even added like more flights to
our Pescada airport because they've seen that the number of
passengers is actually growing year after year. So I think
Abruto is starting to pick up on it. And there's
(38:34):
some initiatives like within Abruzzo that are happening in order
to make it happen, but overall, yeah, I think it
still remains more of a hidden gem because one of
the reasons also is because of the lack of kind
of train travel throughout the region. You can get through
a Bruto really well along the coastline because it just
runs directly alongside the water, but when it comes to
(38:57):
more of the inland gems, it is more difficult and
you do have to rent a car, and I understand
how that can eliminate a good chunk of travelers because
they don't want to drive in Italy.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
I think it's can be very interesting when people who
have their heritage from Abuto, because there are many many
people I know here in Australia and also in the
United States and Canada where there was a lot of
immigrants from Abrutso yeah, I'm sure there's a lot of
people that are curious to come back and find where
their family was from, because yeah, so it sounds like
(39:29):
a beautiful place and it's a shame to keep a
kidden so much.
Speaker 4 (39:34):
Yeah, that's actually a great point. I've heard of organizations
in a Brutto that help foreigners with finding their roots.
We have an airbnb here in our town and we
had a guest recently come because she was researching like
her great grandparents' house in a town over, and so
she wanted to stay in the area. So that was
really interesting to see because some people will literally come
(39:57):
to these towns in a bruto with nothing more than
like a last name and maybe some more names of
like some family members, and they try to connect, like
do you know this person? Do you know this person?
And sometimes they do find someone that's like connected to
them in some type of way, which is really interesting.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
I think you would need some Italian though, right, it'd
be hard to navigate that without speaking a little bit
of Italian.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
Yes, yeah, And I think that's another major difference visiting
a brutso versus like Tuscany, for example, since Tuscany is
no stranger to tourism. A lot of people I think
comparatively speak more English than they do in a Bruttell
you can, you know, get by with the hand gestures
and maybe Google Translate. But yeah, there is a lot
(40:47):
less English overall, I would say in a brutzo.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
So if someone's really curious but there might be a
little bit hesitant to go off the beaten path, then
go into a brut So how would you encourage.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
Them to choose to go to a place like I
would say.
Speaker 4 (41:01):
If you are the type of traveler that really values
an experience, not necessarily just checking off the boxes. Like
if you are someone that has never been to Italy
before and you want to go see the coliseum, go
do that. If you find that you love Italy so
much and you want to come back, you know, a
second or third time, I think those are the people
(41:24):
that are going to appreciate a Brutto more so. Kind
of the return travelers to Italy I would say, are
going to love a Bruzzo. Also, I think everyone says
this about their region in Italy, but I really do
find the people in a Bruzzo, So the local Italian
people in a Bruzzo to be more welcoming of tourism
(41:44):
because they are not used to it. So if you
go to a really popular restaurant somewhere in a Malfi
and you're going to complain that your waiter is kind
of rude or short, like, honestly, I kind of don't
blame them because they've probably had a really tough summer.
We're dealing with tourists, you know, it's just been busy
back to back. But you go to a restaurant somewhere
(42:06):
in a Brutto and people are genuinely curious about you know,
why are you here, how did you hear about this place?
How did you end up here? And I think that
attitude obviously is just a lot more welcoming. You know,
you're more inclined to go travel somewhere where people are
going to be a little nicer to you. So yeah,
I just love the embrace of foreigners in a brutto
(42:28):
because people are genuinely just curious.
Speaker 1 (42:31):
I think people come to Italy for that hospitality and
that genuine warmth exactly. And yeah, unfortunately in those big
tourist areas for the reasons that you very well articulated,
it's not happening as much. And so if you are
looking for a little bit more of a human connection
then definitely going off into places like a Bruso is
(42:56):
a great idea.
Speaker 4 (42:58):
Yeah, it gives you a chance to feel more like
a guest than just a tourist.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
I love that, you know, every time I hear about
a brutso, I feel like I definitely need to spend
some time there. And it's just about getting organized and
getting and planning it. Maybe starting Venice and go down
it could be a good one. I think we probably
need about a month for that though, hmm.
Speaker 4 (43:21):
I mean a nice thing. Go from Venice. You can
also take the train all the way down to Brutto,
which makes it convenient.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
It's so inspiring.
Speaker 1 (43:30):
I love hearing about these regions, and I'm so glad
Cassie that you're on our team because you know that
gives us so much extra ability to help people that
want to go to these smaller places. So Cassie is
one of our trip consultants and if you wanted to
check in with her, you can actually book with her
directly if you're really curious.
Speaker 2 (43:50):
About a Bruso.
Speaker 1 (43:51):
And she also created all the content in our app
about a Buso, so as someone who lives there, we're
really getting the local knowledge on the ground of the
places to go, do and see the app. So grat
Simili Cassi, thank you so much for being such an
important part of the Untold Italy team and for.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
Sharing your beautiful region with us today.
Speaker 4 (44:13):
It was my pleasure and I hope we can welcome
more and more guests over to Bruzso me too.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
Me too. Okay, thanks everyone, Ciao ciao.
Speaker 1 (44:26):
What a joy to discover Abruzzo through Cassie's stories and
personal insights.
Speaker 2 (44:31):
Her passion for this off.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
The beaten path Italian region that she calls home truly
shines through, from the breath taking landscapes of Gran Sasso
and Campo Imperatore, to the unique traditions found in a
Bruzzo's mountain villages and the delicious simplicity of Arostuccini enjoyed
up in the high pastures. I loved hearing how Cassi
(44:54):
and her family found a sense of belonging in a Bruzzo,
and that they were drawn in by its warm and friendly,
family centered culture and the local experiences that so many
travelers crave. There's something incredibly special about the way life
is lived in rhythm with the seasons in regional Italy,
and as Cassie shared, exploring a Bruzzo, especially by car,
(45:16):
opens up a world of charming medieval towns, beautiful coastlines,
and truly genuine connections with people that call this beautiful
region home. Now, if you're inspired to learn more or
plan your own adventure in a bruzso we've collected all
of Cassie's helpful tips, favorite places, resources, and more in
the show notes for this episode at Untold Italy dot
(45:37):
com forward slash two nine three for episode number two
hundred and ninety three, and if you're feeling extra inspired,
you can even connect with Cassie directly via our trip
planning services and we'll leave a link to her profile
page on the show notes as well. Gerazia Mile, thank
you for joining us on this journey into a Bruzzo
(45:59):
and for supporting Untold Italy. If you enjoyed today's episode,
we'd be so grateful if you could leave a rating
or review on your favorite podcast app, or consider upgrading
to our premium app for ad free listening and exclusive
travel content, including those very useful strike updates that I
mentioned earlier. Next week, we're giving you a behind the
(46:20):
ces peak into how we planned and built our new
tour of Northern Italy and I can't wait to share
that with you, But until then, it's chou for now.
Speaker 4 (46:31):
The Untold Italy podcast is an independent production podcast editing
audio production and website development by Mark Hatter, production assistance
and content writing by the Are They KG Clark, Yes,
there are two of us.
Speaker 1 (46:45):
For more information about untold Italy, please visit untold Italy
dot com
If you're curious about Italy's lesser known regions, this episode
is for you.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Ware headed east.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
From Rome and deep into a region bound by mountains
and the Adriatic Sea. It's a region from where many
migrants departed decades ago, looking for new lives in places
like America, Australia and Canada. Our guest today has turned
those tables and made her home in beautiful, untold Abruzzo,
and she's excited to share it with you.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Today Tawatuti and Benvenuti Tuan told Italy the Travel podcast
to where you go to the towns and villages, mountains
and lakes, hills and coastlines of ballet Italia. It's week
your host, Katie Clark takes you on a journey in
(00:48):
a search of magical landscapes, history, culture, wine, gelato, and
of course, a whole lot of pasta. If you're dreaming
of Italy and planning future adventures, you've come to the
right place.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Dreaming of arriving in Italy, strolling into a gelatia and
ordering your gelato with confidence. If you've been learning Italian
with language apps but still can't string a sentence together,
it might be time to try another approach, My friend
Michelle from Intrepid Italian offers a practical way to learn
travel ready Italian. Thanks to her unique eighty twenty method,
(01:33):
Michelle teaches you exactly what you need to know to
connect with locals and have more authentic travel experiences. There's
no getting bogged down in awkward phrases and unnecessary grammar.
As an adult learner herself with Italian heritage, Michelle really
knows how to bridge the gap between English and Italian.
As Roma from London said, the learning methodology is great.
(01:56):
I progressed much faster in the last four weeks and
I ever on my own or using other language apps.
To find out more and claim your free Italian travel
phrase guide, visit untold Italy dot com, forward slash Italian
or visit the link in the show notes. As a bonus,
you'll also get an exclusive twenty dollars coupon code to
use on any of Michelle's online self paced courses. So
(02:19):
visit untold Italy dot com, forward slash Italian and accelerate
your Italian language your journey today.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Jiao born Giodo.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Friends, have you ever wondered what it would be like
to migrate to another country where you don't know anyone
or the language for a fresh new stuff. I think
about this a lot, actually, as my family, both immediate
and extended, have a long history of traveling the globe.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
But while my.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Family had the advantage of speaking English, my husband's family
came out here to Australia with nothing, knowing no one,
and not speaking the language, and really having no idea
of what to expect when they got here. Now, knowing
what I know now about both countries, Italy and Australia,
new landscapes, weather, and culture, shock must have been massive
(03:09):
for my husband's family, and it's no wonder that they've
held on to so many important family and cultural traditions
and things like making pisada each summer and of course
creating their treasure trove of recipes. I've moved abroad twice
now in my lifetime to the UK, and you know what,
it's really hard, even when you speak the same language
(03:31):
to make connections and community. So I am in absolute
awe of the members of the Untold Italy team who
have migrated to Italy and who have made it their home,
dealing with Italian bureaucracy, cultural norms, and of course, the language,
which has its own little idiosyncrasies and quirks. Joining me
(03:53):
today is Cassie, who some of you may know from
your trip consultations, but you may not know that Cassie
also helps me with the Untold Italy app. She sends
out important update information and adds to the content so
that it's fresh and full of all the untold goodness
that you've come to expect. Cassie and her young family
have made their home in the Italian region of Robuzzo,
(04:15):
and she's going to share with you what she loves
about the region that she now calls home. Before we
jump in, I wanted to share some feedback with you
that I was delighted to receive from our listener, Michelle.
And Michelle wrote in via the app, and she wrote,
I just wanted to let you know how much I
am enjoying your app. Having notifications of scheduled strikes is
(04:38):
worth the price of the app alone. I've been listening
to your podcast since twenty twenty and I love being
able to easily find a podcast that I want to
hear again.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
By using the menu.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
I'm also finding the restaurant and winery recommendations very helpful
and spot on. Thank you for all that you do,
Kratzy Michelle. We're also through that you love the app,
and I agree being notified of the strike activity in
Italy can actually save quite a few headaches. And I'm
sure that you've noticed that we spend a lot of
(05:09):
time curating the information on the app. We want our
users to have access to the details that you're not
going to find in a traditional guidebook or even on
the Internet or AI tools for that matter. It's based
on decades of combined experience and on the ground knowledge.
So if you haven't downloaded the app yet, it's on
(05:30):
the App Store, Apple App Store and Google Play. You
can check out our Milan guide for free to see
what the content is like before committing to a one
off upgrade payment for the rest of the content, including
a Bruzzo with much more to come.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Okay, so let's now.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Dive into our chat with Cassie to hear all about
the wonderful region of Abruzzo, the place that she calls home.
Benonata Cassi, Welcome back to the Untold Italy podcast.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Hi, it's so great to be back.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Oh my goodness, it's great to have you back.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
On that podcast, especially now that we have not only
met in person.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
But we build it up together. A lot can happen
in six months at it.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Yes, very serendipitous.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
I love that word. So what's happening in your corner
of Italy lately?
Speaker 4 (06:20):
So August just happened. That was a whirlwind. Many people
probably have heard of Ferragosto in Italy. It's essentially when
the entire country just takes the month off. You can
really feel it, you know, in big cities in Rome,
because people actually exit Rome. So Italiicans that live in
Rome exit Rome and they come to small towns and
(06:41):
villages like the one that I live in. So our
little town becomes Rome during August and it is just
jam packed with all these people that come back to
their vacation homes or their old family homes. And every
night there's like a program, there's a concert, a festival,
something's going on, which is very fun and we definitely
(07:02):
enjoyed it. But we are happy school has started mid September. Yes,
kids go to school kind of late comparatively, mid September
is usually the first day of school. So yeah, we're
happy to kind of be back in the rhythm. Of
normal life, less crowded.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
I think those parties would be absolutely fantastic to experience.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Though they are, they're very the local events, the saga
like the food festivals are just they're so unique. I
feel like to Italy because only in Italy will an
entire festival be centered around like a potato.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
We betwe an onion one so funny. Although the chipola
ice cream was not delicious, I have to say.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
Oh, I've never heard of that. I'd have to try it, though.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
You know there's there's that one gelatto flavor would be
going back to.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
I recently had cream of rosemary and I must say
that was really great.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
That sounds delicious is actually wow. Okay, So before we
dive into all things abrutso, I'm sure our listeners would
love to know a little bit more about you, where
you're from, and how you came to be living in Italy.
We spoke a few months ago, but I think it's
worth well giving everyone a bit of a heads up
about your story.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Yeah, my story is a bit random, to be honest.
People always expect kind of a magical connection to Italy
or some family tie, but there's not. My husband and
I were born in Seattle, Washington. We moved then to
New York, and then in twenty nineteen we left New
York and we moved to the Czech Republic to kind
(08:40):
of half live with my family because my grandpa is
based there, but we used it as more of a
base while we traveled around Europe. Our daughter was then
born near Prague in the end of twenty twenty. When
our daughter was here in the world, we kind of
thought to ourselves, we should probably do something a bit
(09:01):
more stable for her, for our little family, maybe try
to find a house. We have been to Italy a
handful of times before that, and honestly, even before having
a kid, we felt this kind of like people were
obsessed with family in Italy. I don't think that's any secret,
but out of all the places I've traveled, Italy treats
(09:23):
children like gold. They love children, and it's not just
older people, like I've never seen. Every generation just know
how to handle kids like not just kids, babies. So
it's really it was incredible always to see, and so
I thought to myself, well, I want to be in
an environment that makes raising a child maybe a little
(09:43):
bit easier, because it is going to be difficult. So
that's kind of one of the big major reasons why
we decided to buy a house in Italy because we
just like the culture and how, you know, family and
child oriented. It was in terms of landing, specifically in
a brute so we definitely wanted to be somewhere that
wasn't super touristy. So Tuscany is beautiful, but there are
(10:07):
a lot of foreigners that buy houses there. That's also
no secret. So we wanted to go a little bit
off the beaten path but still not be too far away.
A lot of people ask us like, why didn't we buy,
you know, a house in Sicily or something like that.
For me, Sicily is just a bit too isolated, Like
I still wanted to be on the mainland of Italy.
(10:29):
Being on an island there was, you know, just some hesitations.
You're on an island, and the Bruzzo is not super
far from Rome or Naples, which we really enjoyed because
logistically it's you know, those are two major transportation hubs,
so if we need to take flights or take trains,
it was just nice to know that we're not super
far away from those In terms of for our personality
(10:52):
fit and why a Bruto works for us. It has
the best of both worlds because you love the mountains
and you know that manage the city. So to be
in a region that has both on either side, it's
just there wasn't much more that we could ask for.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Yeah, I mean, you are really living the life that
a lot of people kind of a dream about these days.
And I think you've managed to create something that's really
really special. And I love the thinking behind it because
you've really thought very hard about the logistics but also
the type of environment.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
That you want to live in. It it's a really
lovely thing.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
And you know what, this is really sad, but I
have not been to a butso it's one of the
handful of regions that I haven't been to yet. So
I'm really excited to dive a bit deeper into the
region with you today, Cassi.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
So how about we paint a picture.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Of where it actually is in regards to Rome and
the other major cities that people might know about.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
Yeah, and you're saying you've never been there, Like that's
a common thing we hear even from Italian travel Italian
So it is kind of a corner of Italy that
I feel like is a bit you know, forgotten, hopefully
not for too long, but it's not super far from Rome.
I think that is, like I said, something that I,
you know, just value because of logistical reasons, but it
(12:16):
the Bruzzo region is adjacent to the region that Rome
is located in Salazio. The capital technically of a Bruzzo
is Laquila, but it's actually not the biggest city, so
I'm sure there's some history behind why that's the capital.
So it's pretty much right in the middle of Italy.
So if you're looking at a map of Italy and
(12:37):
you're looking at central Italy, Laquila is right in the middle.
And so you have Rome on the west coast, and
then you have the coast of a Bruto on the
east coast. The biggest city on the east coast of
a Bruzzo is Pescata, and that's also where the airport
is located. I think that's also something that a lot
of people don't know, is that we do actually have
(12:58):
an airport here. It does tend to be a bit seasonal,
so like flights are mainly served within you know, the
summer months or spring, in summer and fall, but not
in the winter. It's also made up of four different provinces,
which also you know, extends from the north. So in
the north there's Teamo, and then we have Pescato and Laquila,
(13:19):
and then Kieri and Kihei is the biggest region in
terms of coverage, and that's actually where we live. Below
Abruzzo is Malisee, and then above a Bruto is Marque,
and those are also very lesser known regions in Italy.
So I'm not entirely surprised why a Bruzzo might seem,
(13:40):
you know, kind of hidden, because when you're surrounded by
these other lesser known regions, it's just kind of this
pocket of Italy that not too many we people know
what is going on there. In terms of landscape, the
central Italian mountain range called the Apennines Mountain Range runs
through Bruso, and then on the east side you have
(14:03):
the Adriatic Sea.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Like you said, it's the best of both worlds. You've
got the mountains and the sea. And probably mountains usually
provide a mental block for people when they're traveling, maybe
that they think, oh, we've got to get through these
mountains and so that's a little bit too hard. But
obviously then it does provide some beautiful landscapes to enjoy.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
Yeah, very true. I mean you have to somehow get
through the mountain. So there's a really long tunnel. I
want to say it has some kind of ranking of
whatever longest in Europe or something like that. But there
is a really long one that connects actually between you know,
between Rome, if you're going across to the other side,
there is a really long tunnel that goes through the mountain.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
I love going through those tunnels. The engineering of them
is quite astounding.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
Actually, it's incredible. Yeah, my favorite one. You don't read
the sign before entering the tunnel, and so then you
don't notice how long the tunnel actually is, and then
maybe like five minutes goes by and you're like, are
we still in this tunnel.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
You can drive through the tunnel the tray and go
through the tunnel as well.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
No, but from Rome, just because most people might start
their journey in Rome. From Rome, you can actually get
to Solmona by train, which is a town not too
far from La Quilo, which is the capital so too.
I believe it's two and a half hours from Rome.
You can also get to the southern part of a
butto from Rome, which is the route that we take
(15:33):
because we live in the southern part. So from Rome
you can take a train to Eastnia, which I think
is also about two and a half.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Hours time for a quick break, shorter than your morning espresso.
Speaker 4 (15:50):
And if you want to get from Naples that's a
bit closer. It's like two hours by train, So it's
not super far in the grand scheme of things, and
considering how big Italy is, it's a lot more attainable
than I think people think.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Yeah, it really is, like two hours is nothing. It's
two hours, just over two hours to Florence from Rome,
so yeah, it's not that different. I mean it's a
slightly different train, you know, on the bullet.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
Train, are you but no, no, yeah, it's a bit different.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
I don't know why. I'm definitely going like it's on
my least.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
My friend Maria Pascuale, who's been on the podcast a
few times with her family's from a Bruzzo and she's
always talking about how amazing it is. But I really
want to hear about it from your perspective as well.
So what are some of your favorite places in a Bruzzo.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
Yeah, so after bat I would have to say, I
have to choose the mountains over the sea, just because
I feel like there's always more diversity when it comes
to mountainous landscapes. So there are national parks and a Bruzzo,
and my favorite is the Granden Sasso, which I think
is the third largest national park in Italy, and it
spans over not just a Bruzzo, but a couple other
(16:58):
regions too. There is this high altitude plateau I think
is the right way to describe it, called Campo Imperatore
and it's at the almost the very peak of the
ground Sasso National Park. It has a nickname Italy's Little Tibet.
When you're there, I can kind of I've never been,
you know, to the other side of the world, but
(17:20):
I can feel like why they would call it that.
It's an absolutely magical place. I love it because you're
just like in this plateau with all you know, the
peaks surrounding you, and you have herds of sheep and
you know, some goats and cows and horses around you,
and it just feels very braw. I don't know how
(17:40):
else to describe it, but it doesn't feel like the
refined kind of pastures of the Dolomites, for example, Like
if you were to compare those two, it just feels
very different. And you have these like sheep dogs running
around with you know, their their herders, and I don't know,
it's just it's a it's an atmosphere. It's a very
(18:00):
rustic atmosphere thing. It's like the perfect landscape that encapsulates
like what a bruto feels like at its core.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I can't wait to see that.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
One of the things that surprised me the most being
Australian is we're used to really sparse landscapes where there's
not a lot of people or civilization, shall we say.
You can go of Australia and I know in the
United States where you can go for miles and miles
and not see a single car or house or person.
(18:29):
And what really surprised about the Dolomites was that wasn't
the case there. I was sort of expecting that, but
sounds like a brutso might be more of that, you know,
wide open space.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
There are a lot more wide open spaces. However, there
are a lot of small towns and villages and to
some people's definitions, just small cities. But that's I think
what a lot of people when they see the small
town that we live in, they think it's unique. But
to me, it's not unique. Like there's hundreds of them
just around us, and people just don't know about them
(19:06):
because they're not as famous, you know as the town's
in Tuscany, but they are still beautiful and gorgeous, and
they're on these hills. They're just like just perched up
on the very top and there's many of them. So
to your point, yes, there are a lot of vast spaces,
but at the same time, like I don't think you
would drive more than fifteen minutes without seeing, you know,
(19:26):
a town on the hillside or in the distance, so
you're still very much surrounded by civilization, which is also interesting,
like ancient historic civilization. Towns like Pacentro are part of
Italy's most Beautiful Villages in Italy, there's like this organization
and Abruzzo has tons of them within that organization, and
(19:48):
Pachentro is definitely a top favorite. It's one of the
most popular ones, definitely worth visiting. Random trivia fact, but
I think Madonna's grandparents were born that's something to yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
So I mean, like the tiny towns of Italy.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
They just and they're called the Boogie Poobelly aren't So
they are very special and it's worthwhile seeking. We'll pop
a link to that website into the show notes actually
because it's a really great resource to go and find
pretty places to go look at.
Speaker 4 (20:22):
Yes, it's kind of an interesting like bucket list for people,
like they want to see all of them in Italy,
Like if you have the time and resources to do that.
That's definitely a unique kind of goal to have when
it comes to Italy travel.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
And it's beautiful because the reality is that there are
so many of them, and some of them do a
better job of marketing themselves than others, And there's definitely
like a wealth of places to explore that don't make
those top lists. And it's not because necessarily they're lesser,
(20:59):
but it's just that they have and being marketed so well.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Yeah, I agree. And you know, in a time where
you hear stuff about Italy being overrun by like, you know,
just too much tourism, I think a lot of travelers
are beginning to seek you know, we all want like
that authentic experience, especially when it comes to travel. We
don't want something that's just served to us on a plate.
(21:23):
And those small towns, the ones that aren't getting all
that attention that they do deserve, Like that's where you're
going to find that authenticity that I think you know,
over time it's going to be a little bit more
difficult to find everywhere, especially in big cities like Rome
or Florence, and I think Gabruzzo still has a lot
of that to offer.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
And in Italy you do have to make an effort
to go and get that experience. So this is not
there's not something that's necessarily right on your doorstep, or
the infrastructure is not there to get you there necessarily,
so you probably do you need a car. I'd suggest
to go and discover those in a brutzo.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Yes, yeah, there are parts of a Bruto that I
think are set up for success as they are. So
one of them is like the Trabaki Coast, which is
the coastline. It's a historic part of a Bruso that
has these wooden fishing huts that are built like directly
on the water, and a lot of them are transformed
into restaurants, so you're literally eating like sitting above the water.
(22:27):
They know what they have, They're they're you know, not
taking advantage of it, but they're promoting that because that's
a very unique experience, and people flock to those other
hidden parts kind of closer to the mountains, just because
it is a little bit more difficult to get around
and get to. I do recommend renting a car and
driving in a Bruzzo is really not any more difficult
(22:49):
than if you were to drive around Tuscany. It's a
lot of country roads, so yes, you have to deal
with that, but it's a lot quieter, so you're not
dealing with like a ton of traffic or anything like that.
So yeah, definitely renting a car and driving around is
the best way to see it.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
What's a driving lot compared to say Pulia, which I've
found quite reasonable to drive around, not stressful at all.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Does it seem alone, I would.
Speaker 4 (23:13):
Say it's similar to Pulia. You're going to encounter kind
of the same habits of certain drivers that you would
in southern Italy, so kind of the honking and like
you know, the tail gatting that you're not going fast enough.
But wherever you are in Italy driving and if you
(23:33):
do encounter that, you need to ignore it, like just
let the other person go around you. You know, you
need to just do your own thing. But aside from that,
I mean you may run into the occasional like herd
of sheep in the middle of the road, so you
need to always just be aware of your driving. It
is not like the place that you should be driving
(23:54):
and be distracted, so always like keep your eyes on
the road. But yeah, it's I've never found it difficult
to know.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
So we have actually had someone on talk about food
in a Bruzzo, but I really love to hear your perspective.
What are the foods that you've loved to discover in
a Bruzzo, because I know you do love a food festival.
Speaker 4 (24:17):
I do, so I'm sure maybe on the other podcast,
we've talked about Odos Succini and I will bring it
up because it is just like so iconic I think
to a Bruzzo. Okay, So Stanley Tucci just went to
Bruzto recently and he had a part in the episode
where they're eating the Odos Touccini in my favorite spot
(24:38):
in Campo Inputrator and that was like, oh my god,
Stanley Tucci just sees right through me and he's doing
you know, exactly what you should be doing if you
do come to a bruzzo, and that is to eatoosuccini
directly in the mountains. It is such a simple food,
and I think it is a perfect representation of many
(24:58):
of the other dishes in a bruti. So because like
most of Italy, it's not about all these ingredients, it's
about the quality of food. So odos touccini is lamb,
and a Bruzzo does lamb so incredibly well. Before I
moved to Brutso, I actually didn't even like lamb because
all the other lamb that I've ever tasted was just,
I don't know, it wasn't for me. But then once
(25:20):
I had it here, I was like, oh, this is
what lamb should taste like. Like, so the ottos touccini
is made from the best of the lamb. It has
some puncetta and you don't even season it or marinate
it or any other type of you know, kind of
Western tactic. When it comes to grilling meat, you just
(25:41):
cook it over this like specific odosuccini grill, and then
it's just finished with salt, typically like really good salt.
And that to a lot of people, especially Americans, sounds
very simple, like too simple, right, like how could that
be delicious dish? But it just is, and if it's
done right, it's just absolutely wonderful. Aside from that, there
(26:01):
are a lot of, like I said, the local food
festivals that celebrate, you know, like specific dishes that could
be very like native to just like one town or
a couple of towns, which is incredible to see because
they will argue that, you know, theirs is very unique
to their town, when maybe even it has like one
(26:23):
or two different ingredients compared to the town just next door.
But everyone will say that theirs is the best, and
you know, as a visitor or traveler, you have to
agree with both of those separates. There is this one
pasta dish that is very unique to one down that
is actually eaten with your hands, which I find very
(26:46):
interesting because I've never really come across that in Italy.
So the pasta shapes are kind of like these big
rectangles and because of their shape, you're supposed to grab
it kind of like I don't know what you would
describe it, but you use the pasta shape to pick
up these pieces of sausage that are in the pasta
dish and that's how you put it in your mouth.
(27:09):
So you put the pasta and the sausage in your
mouth in one bite. Some instead of a fork, the
pasta shape is your utensil. I love it. Yeah, it's
very very unique, and like I said, like I haven't
really come across that in other parts of Italy. So
it's crazy to see that you can run into this
type of you know, unique tradition and heritage just because
(27:31):
you're in some random town and a brutso, but you
won't see it like anywhere else in the country.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Like a microcosm of nation. Is it almost?
Speaker 1 (27:40):
So it's like a little tiny nation that has its
own traditions and culture and ways of doing things. Yeah,
it's not patriotic. I don't know what the word is,
whatever patriotic means in regards to a small town.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
But they have so hyper.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Localized about the fed, they traditions, their way of doing things.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
It's fantastic. I love it.
Speaker 4 (28:03):
Italians are very proud just a Italy, but then a
lot of people don't realize how much further it goes.
Like people are very proud of their region, their province
and their town. So like you said, it's very on
it like a micro level when it comes to how
they do things, because how they do things in one
town is probably not going to be the same in
(28:24):
another town. But there's just better obviously.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
It's so funny though, when they get excited about it,
and then you'll sort of say, what about the grandi
padano when you talk to the people, the Parmesiano Riggiano people,
and they're.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
Like, oh, well, you know, yeah, so funny. Olive oil
is the classic.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
I've had the most funniest conversations about people olive oil.
They are so passionate about it. I love it so
much because they get like, this is the best, We
are the best because of all the polyphenols and it's
so much more healthy, funny.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
One more thing I wanted to add. H read or
heard about this, like the cuisine and a bruto, but
now that I've actually been here for a while, I
have been able to kind of identify it myself. So
the cuisine and a bruzzo is also unique because it
is not really influenced by other cultures. So if you
take like northern Italy for example, it's very heavily influenced,
(29:22):
you know, by Germany and Austria. It's neighboring countries in
the south, you have the cuisine that's influenced, you know,
by Africa and different spices just from like the southern
countries below Italy. So Bruzzo has really remained kind of
in his own little bubble, which you know can't be
said about other regions. So I found that really interesting,
especially after you know, traveling north and south, you can
(29:43):
see the difference in the cuisine here.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
So true, I think it's similar in maybe Markee in
Umbria as well, where you had that influence, and you know,
it is very heavy on the roasted mates, which is fantastic,
like we mentioned, and just back on that actually because
I'll never forget this is like not to do with Italy.
But I went to New Zealand where they also breed
(30:09):
some exceptional lamb, and I love it's being in Australian
you have to love lamb like it's actually required. Sorry vegetarians,
but I mean, obviously there are people that don't like lamb.
But having tasted that lamb in New Zealand, all I
could taste was the pastures that these lambs had grown on,
so I could really taste the heads and I imagine
(30:31):
that's what it's like in a Brutzo.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
It is. Like I said, it's just it's completely different
than anything I've definitely had in the US, because you know,
it's it's just not when people try to prepare it,
it's just not done. It's overly done because the lamb
itself is not good. So I think that's super important.
And you know, like you see all the lamb here,
and you see all the sheep and the goat and
(30:53):
the sheep herders. It's just, yeah, it's one big picture.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Let's take a quick break, boat brief and back before
you know it. Yeah, one of the big festivals I
know is the Transhumans festival, the Transfomans that when they
bring the goats and the sheep down from the pastures,
and it's a very important part of life in that area.
Speaker 4 (31:19):
Yeah, it is. Yeah. And so one thing that I
just thought of, the interesting fact is so we have
we have a sheep dog that's very native to a
Blutso they are kind of part of the Matamano dog breed,
which is from Tuscany, which also stems from the Great Pyrenees.
So we haven't a Bluto sheep dog. And you will
see them. They are just as important as like the
(31:41):
groups of the sheep and the goats and these magnificent
white dogs. Their coat is essentially like water repellent because
they're meant to just like be outside at all times.
There's outdoor animals. And something I learned recently is that
when they have a new puppy of the sheep dog,
they pair them at the same time with the babies
(32:03):
from the sheeps, the herd of sheeps, so the puppy
needs to grow up alongside with the sheep, which I
think is just lovely, don't I just yeah, I love it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
I mean, this whole connection to the land and the
seasons and going in rhythm with those is just such
a great part of the Italian life that we really
don't have in our Western society so much, do we.
It's something that I think when people go there and
they experience that, they feel a kind of peace almost.
(32:36):
It's very relaxing, Yeah, just to know that you can
actually simplify life down to the basics of nature that's
around you.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
Yeah, and you mentioned the seasonality, which was kind of
a huge week up call for us particularly. We had
to really get used to that it's not a big
issue if you live in a big city, even in
a Bruto, if you're like in Scara, you can get
anything you want anytime. But there are a lot of
small towns and villages in a Bruto where you know
(33:06):
your local store, even a chain supermarket isn't going to
have everything just year round because that's just not how
things work. So especially at like the farmers markets that
come through our town, a Brutto is very seasonal when
it comes to their produce, So that was definitely something
to get used to, but not a bad thing to
get used to. Like I think we should all be
(33:28):
eating you know what specifically in season that at that time.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
And I've got to say, if you I don't know
if you get strawberries and a BRUTSOI but in easily
if you get the little wild strawberries that come out
in the early summer, oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
Yes we have a plum tree. And then what I'm
most excited about are the chestnuts that are coming up
next month usually and those are just divine. But again,
like I learned to be excited for the chestnuts to arrive,
even though you know, if you live in a big
city you can probably buy them year round. But here
(34:04):
I'm like waiting for this tree. I'm looking at this
tree and I'm just excited for them to drop next month.
I know.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
That's so good to have things to look forward to.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
It's like children, like having traditions and rituals that you
do as a family, so you have things that you
always do together.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
And so maybe that's the connection with the land, is
you have the.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
Seasons and you have your family and you're doing things together. Definitely, yeah, Cassie,
it just sounds like just such a beautiful place, and
I think that, you know, I'm definitely going there at
some point. What's different between traveling in a broadsow Because
you've traveled a lot around Italy, what's the difference traveling
through a buotso rather than other regions that people might
(34:46):
know about, like Tuscany or even Pulia, which is pretty
close to you.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
So I think it depends what people want out of
their travels or trips. Like Pullia to me, is very
much a beach destination. It's a coastal, you know, trip
for it's a holiday that you want to go on
when you want to just like spend time by the sea.
Not to say there isn't a lot to see inland,
but to me, like where Pulia shines is definitely the sea.
(35:12):
So that being said, I actually just came back from
Pulia on a little camping trip before school started, and
it wasn't until really this time that I looked around
and I was like, Pulia is so flat. There are
no major mountains, you know, waterfalls or like big rivers,
And that was a very glaring difference for me now
(35:32):
that we live in a Bruzzo and like it's just
so green everywhere and there's hills, big hills, big mountains, waterfalls,
So that to me is definitely the biggest difference in
terms of like geographical landscape. I think a lot of
tourism in Pulia has picked up definitely in the last
ten years or so. Parts of it don't feel as
(35:57):
genuine as I'd like them to. However, that is really
only true if you visit like in the summertime, if
you go to pulling out Almadi, you know, in the fall, winter, whatever,
during those off months, it feels like a completely different
world and it feels you know, like probably how it
did twenty years ago. There are parts of a Brutto
(36:19):
where you can go in June through August and it'll
be pretty much quiet. Like there are some major landmarks
that you can go visit and you might be there
with like ten other people. So that to me is
like the biggest difference, because it's kind of getting harder
to find, like we talked about earlier, you know, these
(36:39):
true hidden gems in Italy because just so much of
it is being discovered and people want to go see
beyond just the top sites you know of the Amalfi
Coast and so on. So that is definitely the biggest difference,
is that you could still go to a major landmark
in a Bruzzo in the peak of summer and not
be shoulder to shoulder with people.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
And do you think it's because people don't know about
a Bruzzo or do you think it's there's another reason
why people maybe aren't going.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
Yeah, I think it's because you know, we've talked about
this too. It's not that well marketed to international tourists.
It's actually funny. I feel like since we've lived here,
I each year I've heard a bit more and more
English when I do go to those like more popular
places in a Bruso, which is nice to see, Like
(37:31):
I like to see that people are coming here and
you know, discovering it. But I think overall it just
hasn't had like its bam moment on the internet, you know,
on Instagram. I think it has been a long time
destination for people that have maybe been coming here for decades.
That's another interesting thing. Like a lot of people, a
(37:53):
lot of travelers that I run into in a Bruzzo,
they have been coming here since like the eighties or
the nineties, you know, and this is like their place
for whatever reason. So you have like these longtime visitors
and then you have these newcomers. So I'm hoping that,
you know, the combination of the two starts to build
(38:13):
up some more momentum with the tourism. And I even
see it in the initiative of like the Abruto Tourism board,
which I follow. They've even added like more flights to
our Pescada airport because they've seen that the number of
passengers is actually growing year after year. So I think
Abruto is starting to pick up on it. And there's
(38:34):
some initiatives like within Abruzzo that are happening in order
to make it happen, but overall, yeah, I think it
still remains more of a hidden gem because one of
the reasons also is because of the lack of kind
of train travel throughout the region. You can get through
a Bruto really well along the coastline because it just
runs directly alongside the water, but when it comes to
(38:57):
more of the inland gems, it is more difficult and
you do have to rent a car, and I understand
how that can eliminate a good chunk of travelers because
they don't want to drive in Italy.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
I think it's can be very interesting when people who
have their heritage from Abuto, because there are many many
people I know here in Australia and also in the
United States and Canada where there was a lot of
immigrants from Abrutso yeah, I'm sure there's a lot of
people that are curious to come back and find where
their family was from, because yeah, so it sounds like
(39:29):
a beautiful place and it's a shame to keep a
kidden so much.
Speaker 4 (39:34):
Yeah, that's actually a great point. I've heard of organizations
in a Brutto that help foreigners with finding their roots.
We have an airbnb here in our town and we
had a guest recently come because she was researching like
her great grandparents' house in a town over, and so
she wanted to stay in the area. So that was
really interesting to see because some people will literally come
(39:57):
to these towns in a bruto with nothing more than
like a last name and maybe some more names of
like some family members, and they try to connect, like
do you know this person? Do you know this person?
And sometimes they do find someone that's like connected to
them in some type of way, which is really interesting.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
I think you would need some Italian though, right, it'd
be hard to navigate that without speaking a little bit
of Italian.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
Yes, yeah, And I think that's another major difference visiting
a brutso versus like Tuscany, for example, since Tuscany is
no stranger to tourism. A lot of people I think
comparatively speak more English than they do in a Bruttell
you can, you know, get by with the hand gestures
and maybe Google Translate. But yeah, there is a lot
(40:47):
less English overall, I would say in a brutzo.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
So if someone's really curious but there might be a
little bit hesitant to go off the beaten path, then
go into a brut So how would you encourage.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
Them to choose to go to a place like I
would say.
Speaker 4 (41:01):
If you are the type of traveler that really values
an experience, not necessarily just checking off the boxes. Like
if you are someone that has never been to Italy
before and you want to go see the coliseum, go
do that. If you find that you love Italy so
much and you want to come back, you know, a
second or third time, I think those are the people
(41:24):
that are going to appreciate a Brutto more so. Kind
of the return travelers to Italy I would say, are
going to love a Bruzzo. Also, I think everyone says
this about their region in Italy, but I really do
find the people in a Bruzzo, So the local Italian
people in a Bruzzo to be more welcoming of tourism
(41:44):
because they are not used to it. So if you
go to a really popular restaurant somewhere in a Malfi
and you're going to complain that your waiter is kind
of rude or short, like, honestly, I kind of don't
blame them because they've probably had a really tough summer.
We're dealing with tourists, you know, it's just been busy
back to back. But you go to a restaurant somewhere
(42:06):
in a Brutto and people are genuinely curious about you know,
why are you here, how did you hear about this place?
How did you end up here? And I think that
attitude obviously is just a lot more welcoming. You know,
you're more inclined to go travel somewhere where people are
going to be a little nicer to you. So yeah,
I just love the embrace of foreigners in a brutto
(42:28):
because people are genuinely just curious.
Speaker 1 (42:31):
I think people come to Italy for that hospitality and
that genuine warmth exactly. And yeah, unfortunately in those big
tourist areas for the reasons that you very well articulated,
it's not happening as much. And so if you are
looking for a little bit more of a human connection
then definitely going off into places like a Bruso is
(42:56):
a great idea.
Speaker 4 (42:58):
Yeah, it gives you a chance to feel more like
a guest than just a tourist.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
I love that, you know, every time I hear about
a brutso, I feel like I definitely need to spend
some time there. And it's just about getting organized and
getting and planning it. Maybe starting Venice and go down
it could be a good one. I think we probably
need about a month for that though, hmm.
Speaker 4 (43:21):
I mean a nice thing. Go from Venice. You can
also take the train all the way down to Brutto,
which makes it convenient.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
It's so inspiring.
Speaker 1 (43:30):
I love hearing about these regions, and I'm so glad
Cassie that you're on our team because you know that
gives us so much extra ability to help people that
want to go to these smaller places. So Cassie is
one of our trip consultants and if you wanted to
check in with her, you can actually book with her
directly if you're really curious.
Speaker 2 (43:50):
About a Bruso.
Speaker 1 (43:51):
And she also created all the content in our app
about a Buso, so as someone who lives there, we're
really getting the local knowledge on the ground of the
places to go, do and see the app. So grat
Simili Cassi, thank you so much for being such an
important part of the Untold Italy team and for.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
Sharing your beautiful region with us today.
Speaker 4 (44:13):
It was my pleasure and I hope we can welcome
more and more guests over to Bruzso me too.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
Me too. Okay, thanks everyone, Ciao ciao.
Speaker 1 (44:26):
What a joy to discover Abruzzo through Cassie's stories and
personal insights.
Speaker 2 (44:31):
Her passion for this off.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
The beaten path Italian region that she calls home truly
shines through, from the breath taking landscapes of Gran Sasso
and Campo Imperatore, to the unique traditions found in a
Bruzzo's mountain villages and the delicious simplicity of Arostuccini enjoyed
up in the high pastures. I loved hearing how Cassi
(44:54):
and her family found a sense of belonging in a Bruzzo,
and that they were drawn in by its warm and friendly,
family centered culture and the local experiences that so many
travelers crave. There's something incredibly special about the way life
is lived in rhythm with the seasons in regional Italy,
and as Cassie shared, exploring a Bruzzo, especially by car,
(45:16):
opens up a world of charming medieval towns, beautiful coastlines,
and truly genuine connections with people that call this beautiful
region home. Now, if you're inspired to learn more or
plan your own adventure in a bruzso we've collected all
of Cassie's helpful tips, favorite places, resources, and more in
the show notes for this episode at Untold Italy dot
(45:37):
com forward slash two nine three for episode number two
hundred and ninety three, and if you're feeling extra inspired,
you can even connect with Cassie directly via our trip
planning services and we'll leave a link to her profile
page on the show notes as well. Gerazia Mile, thank
you for joining us on this journey into a Bruzzo
(45:59):
and for supporting Untold Italy. If you enjoyed today's episode,
we'd be so grateful if you could leave a rating
or review on your favorite podcast app, or consider upgrading
to our premium app for ad free listening and exclusive
travel content, including those very useful strike updates that I
mentioned earlier. Next week, we're giving you a behind the
(46:20):
ces peak into how we planned and built our new
tour of Northern Italy and I can't wait to share
that with you, But until then, it's chou for now.
Speaker 4 (46:31):
The Untold Italy podcast is an independent production podcast editing
audio production and website development by Mark Hatter, production assistance
and content writing by the Are They KG Clark, Yes,
there are two of us.
Speaker 1 (46:45):
For more information about untold Italy, please visit untold Italy
dot com
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