Abruzzo: Italy’s undiscovered tourist haven
Friday, 3rd July 2009
Cactus' Marzia Buonaroti reveals the delights of her home region, and explains how the recent influx of British tourists and property-seekers has been a welcome development.
I have always been keen to speak and to get to know new languages and cultures, but English has always been at the top of the list.
That’s why, whilst growing up, as summer kicked off, I wondered why, amongst the huge numbers of tourists we have in my quaint and cosy town near Pescara, few of them were British. They probably preferred to visit more famous areas such as Tuscany or Veneto, or, perhaps, my region, Abruzzo, was not advertised properly (as I think it was the case). So, I had to abandon the idea of hanging out with interesting British people and improving my English skills, unless I managed to save money for a little trip to my beloved Great Britain.
Yet, during the past four years, something suddenly has changed: walking along the main avenue in my town three years ago, I ran into two boys asking for some information in English, who said they had just arrived in town with their family and they were not the only Brits in town. I was over the moon to be able to hang out with some British people and learn more about them. And I have to say, the first thing I learnt was the growing number of British people buying properties all over Abruzzo, a beautiful area full of unspoilt nature, quaint and medieval villages and bright beaches. In fact, Abruzzo, located right in the centre of Italy, boasts the biggest national park in Italy close to the highest mountain chains of Gran Sasso and Majella - famous for cheap and beautiful ski resorts just one-hour drive from the coast. It is not difficult to imagine why this region has become more and more popular among British people who can enjoy skiing and fascinating mountain landscapes during winter, as well beaches and several Italian traditional festivals all around Abruzzo during summer.
Brits turned their attention to this undiscovered area when they learnt that many cheap and ancient properties are available in small lovely villages near the coast, where locals always welcome the tourists with a warm and friendly “ciao, come stai?”. Since this new trend has crept in, both locals and tourists have seen the benefits of this holiday cultural exchange, becoming aware of how delightful can be getting to know “the other”.
Meeting lots of British tourists made me understand more deeply their interest in travelling as well as foreign languages and cultures, in spite of being always labelled as the worst language learners. Is that the truth or just one of those superficial clichés stereotyping most countries worldwide? It is probably true that British people are not very encouraged to learn a foreign language, but of course, it is hard to blame them for this - any other population would probably be as “lazy” when it comes to languages when their native language is spoken worldwide. The truth is that, even if some British people tried to speak the locals’ language, they would end up speaking English as all the locals would want to practise their own language skills! However, spending a little of my time with some British people, I was able to discover their desire to learn our “enchanting” Italian language, which, as they said, makes the Italian seem to sing when they speak. Unfortunately, in Pescara, Italian courses aren’t very popular or cheap, so the only way for those tourists to learn the language is to be continuously surrounded by locals, which can be quite tricky if you do not have any knowledge of Italian at all.
They usually tell me how nice it would be to speak a bit of Italian, because there is no better way to explore and appreciate other nations’ culture than learning their language. So, why not take up an evening course or book a study holiday in Italy to discover more? Whenever you go to Italy, even though you suddenly find yourself in the middle of nowhere, you will always find someone or something capable of capturing your attention, which is what matters at the end of the day.
Tags: abruzzo, pescara, language, course, languages, italy, festival, italian, learning, culture
Posted by Marzia Buonaroti 2009-07 under Experience Cultures,
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Posted by Bodach on 07/09 at 12:20 PM
I very much agree with this post. Making an effort to speak the local language can often turn a good holiday into a great holiday. By doing so you show respect for the local culture, which can automatically place you on friendly terms with your hosts. I have experienced this many times throughout Europe.
I also agree that Abruzzo is a fantastic region of Italy. A place where the Abruzzese say you can ski in the morning and swim in the afternoon. The fact that I have blog, http://aboutabruzzo.com , dedicated to the region shows my bias. I speak a little Italian, and the Abruzzese I have met (and some are now good friends) have always been willing to allow me to try to communicate in Italian.
I also agree that Abruzzo is a fantastic region of Italy. A place where the Abruzzese say you can ski in the morning and swim in the afternoon. The fact that I have blog, http://aboutabruzzo.com , dedicated to the region shows my bias. I speak a little Italian, and the Abruzzese I have met (and some are now good friends) have always been willing to allow me to try to communicate in Italian.
Posted by Abruzzo on 01/20 at 10:18 AM
This is great article and Abruzzo is a very special region, the Majella National Park in particular.
I visited Abruzzo for the first time three years ago.... I am still here.