Campotosto the Second

Mario: "I thought you couldn't even put a gas nozzle into a diesel tank."

Marco: "You can if you jiggle it."

Today we visited an amazing natural park and almost blew ourselves up (in the opposite order).

But let's start with yesterday (it's more organized that way and therefore better).

I mentioned the April 6 earthquake in my last post. Since then, our hosts have told us there have been a number of significant aftershocks, both in L'Aquila and Campotosto. The most recent one was three days ago. One aftershock was so bad here that our hosts had to evacuate their house in the middle of the night and sleep in their car. (They have now bought a tent and put it up in their yard for future shocks.)

As a precaution, they told us to put all our documents and essentials in a bag by the door in case we need to leave quickly.

Now, for certain parents that may or may not be reading this blog, there is no reason to panic. It is likely the major quakes are over. In any event, our house has walls that are made of stone and are 3/4 of a meter thick. However, better to be safe and prepared than outside in the dead of night, without shoes, wondering which pile of rubble your passport may or may not be under.

Besides, we don't need to worry so much about natural disasters when it seems we can manufacture all manner of crises ourselves.

Picture it: L'Aquila, July 1 2009. A gas station. Two confused (and very pale) people are trying to figure out whether their Ford Land Frigate runs on gas or diesel. The man is sure the boat takes gas. The two spend some time struggling to jam the gas pump nozzle into the tank. They succeed. After about 4 liters of gas are pumped into a 40 liter tank, already about half full of an unknown gassy substance, the man wonders if the car might in fact take diesel. The woman is pissed. There are anxious moments, an appeal for help to a fellow motorist, some yelling and the loss of 10 euro (gas is pre-paid here). There is frustration (and more yelling) when it is discovered the car in fact takes diesel. Unspeakably tense moments (and yelling) follow in which the two wonder if the car is going to blow up on the autostrade. (It didn't).

After all the drama, we finally made it to Gran Sasso National Park. It was absolutely amazing, worth almost setting a rental car on fire.


The pictures don't do it justice. It is huge, completely untouched by mankind, and extremely beautiful. There are both majestic mountains


And large expanses of rolling green hills.


The only sound in the park is the sound of cowbells and sheep bleating... And of course the sound of Fords blowing up in the distance.


I would have liked more time to hike around here.

Tomorrow is the Festa della Madonna in Campotosto, which I am happy to say does not involve anything remotely combustible. It promises to be a Cultural Experience.

Happy Canada day to all back home!