Staying in the earthquake town

Sunday 15th September
Marilena wanted to see Monte Cassino Abbey (which I had visited nearly a decade before on my tour of Italy on the motorbike - click HERE to read my blog about that tour). However it would have involved a full day's driving and so we decided to break our trip at the town of L'Aquila; you may remember there was a devastating earthquake there 10 years ago. We were accommodated in a comfortable B&B for the night.

Some of the beautifully restored old buildings in the main square in L'Aquila.

In the evening we went out for supper and a stroll around town. The renovations to the city following the earthquake were obvious everywhere and it was very evident that these repairs were being undertaken sympathetically. Indeed many of the old buildings looked stunningly beautiful. There seems much more to do but they're clearly doing it right! The city is going to look fabulous when it's all done.
Sadly, depite the lively evening street scenes full of people, music and conversations, the meal was a disappointment. We must have chosen a 'tourist' restaurant where price trumped quality. We didn't let it worry us too much however; the breakfast next morning more than made up for it!