“Friendship is wildly underrated medication.” Anna Deavere Smith
On Friday, after arriving in Rome on Thursday at the finish of the Via Francigena, I hopped a three-hour bus ride to Pescara where my friend Tony picked me up at the station for a quick weekend visit at his home in Città Sant’Angelo.
Tony and I met through his dear friend of 42 years and my travel agent/friend of 18 years, Judy (contact me if you want her number for your next trip, she is the best!), when I was visiting Italy in 2010 with my friend Matthew.
Matthew and I flew into Rome and we were headed to the Amalfi Coast when Judy insisted that we make a stop in Napoli and stay at a hotel where Tony was the GM, The Romeo. So we did. We had only planned on staying one night but we were so impressed with Tony and his love and passion for Italy that we rearranged our trip and stayed two nights. Tony set up an excursion for us to go to Capri and the Blue Grotto. A must see if you are ever in Southern Italy. He also took us out for authentic Napoli Margherita Pizza. I could still kiss him for that pizza. OMG Divine!
Anyhoo, I’ve seen Tony a few times over the years. In 2012 we watched the NYC Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade together and then had dinner together several years later while we were both in NYC.
But people, I have not been a good friend. I’ve been to Italy many times since and have not gone to visit him. Shame on me. This time, I made sure to contact him in advance (which doesn’t mean much since I literally book tickets two days before the flight) to let him know I would be hiking the VF and would love to see him while I was traveling through Italy. So we made arrangements. It was a marvelous reunion catching up with him and learning more about his life.
Tony is very worldly. He is the definition of a global citizen. He was born near Bari, Italy, raised until the age of ten in Torino, and then his family immigrated to Brooklyn, NY where he attended Middle School, High School, and University. He has lived and worked all over the world.
Tony is one of the kindest, gentlest souls you will ever meet. Most everyone calls him Uncle Tony because he is always watching out for the people he loves. Just look at this face. ❤️
I wrote briefly in my last post about our first dinner together but it was so good I have to share it twice. As soon as he picked me up at the bus station we went to his friend’s house for a mussel party. Not only seafood mussels but lots of Italian men with muscles. Ha! We ate the most delicious homemade food and there was a TON of it. Mussels with pesto, tomato & onion, stuffed mussels, mussels with pasta…then there was homemade focaccia bread, dessert, and a digestive drink straight out of the freezer, that about put me on the floor. Burn baby burn. 🔥
The wonderful thing about visiting Tony is he immediately makes you feel welcome in his home. He has every little detail covered to make sure your stay is as comfortable as possible. Everything is spotless, he provides bath towels, hand towels, bidet towels, good-smelling shampoos, and even house slippers. It was the perfect place to recuperate after my voyage. I felt so pampered which was especially nice after hiking 1,000 km (621 miles) over the last two months.
Plus, Tony has a pool…and oh goodness, did I enjoy this?!! Everyone needs a friend with a pool. I laid out to get rid of those funny hiker tan lines and also read my book under the olive tree. Seriously, folks, this is stuff they write in the movies…”Oh, I spent the afternoon reading under the olive tree by the pool.”
Andrea even made homemade pasta and tomato sauce for lunch! Are you kidding me? I never wanted to leave.
Tony took me and some of his long-time friends who were also visiting from Finland to the tiny town of Città di Silvi to see the stunning views of the Adriatic Sea and the mountains at sunset…and to enjoy an Aperol Spritz! The sunset created some stunning pastel colors on the horizon and I’m sorry to say, photos could never do it justice. Go visit!
Sadly, the weekend flew by, but Tony and Andrea would not let me leave without trying the famous Abruzzo dish of Arrosticini…meat, sheep/lamb skewers. These were delicious and definitely worth a try if you love marinated meat on a stick. Yum! I was advised that to eat it authentically like the Italians, you must place the stick of meat facing sideways to your mouth, bite into the meat and slide it off the end of the stick piece by piece. No forks, otherwise, that would be cheating.
Tony’s spent his career working for luxury hotels in the US, Slovenia, and Italy. He had a vision and a dream for his retirement years that would include all of the knowledge he had gained but in a way that works for his lifestyle. In 2008, he bought a piece of property with an abandoned home and began a demolition and rebuild project. He was able to reuse most of the bricks and many tiny little mementos from the original home. Including this stone with the owner and builder’s names on it as well as the year. His home is a labor of love and you can feel it as you move from room to room. It is absolutely beautiful.
Today, his dream has come true. He also shares his home as a Bed & Breakfast for those visitors who want a comfortable place to stay while traveling in Abruzzo. It is appropriately named, Hill Panorama B&B.
He opened the doors in 2015 for his first reservation. This is not just any B&B but a top notch B&B. He has thought of everything to make sure the guests are comfortable. From the layout of the house, to the sheets and towels. Everything has a specific meaning and detail to make you feel welcome.
Abruzzo doesn’t get as much love as some of the other regions in Italy but there is definitely a ton of things to do and see…not to mention it’s a perfect place to relax and see how true Italians live.
Tony’s home, Hill Panorama B&B is located in Città Sant’Angelo which in 2018 Forbes named #6 on their list of top places to live in the world. And in 2020, Forbes moved it up the list to #5. Tony was ahead of his time.
If you ever stay at Tony’s Hill Panorama B&B, you are lucky. He’s one of the best people I know and will welcome you as one of his own. I’m grateful to Judy for introducing us and sharing him with me. ❤️
You can also check out his Facebook page, here. Tell him I sent you…unless you are a messy guest, then keep me out of it.
Here are some highlights of things to do and see in Abruzzo if you do decide to make the trip.
As Tony says, “Italy is the perfect place to visit because you are only two hours away from the sea to the mountains (and vice versa) no matter where you are.” He also thinks June is the best time to visit because everything is in bloom and the colors are spectacular…but if you love winter travel and skiing, apparently Abruzzo has some incredible slopes with views of the sea.
Goodnight and much love & gratitude from Italy! 🇮🇹
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More photos from my visit.
Oh the sunsets from his patio!
He made me breakfast every morning…complete with a view!
Tony also has several lavender bushes on the property. He gives guests their own sachet of dried lavender. He thinks of everything! I was thrilled to receive one because it was perfect for my stinky backpack.
In October, Tony and his friends harvest the olives and press their own oil. It’s on my bucket list to come back and help with the harvest! 🫒
