an overdue trip to pescara
The first time I went to Abruzzo with my wife was back in 2017, and for some reason, every time we went to Pescara since then, it was during the summer nights and my wife loved it! She loved the vibes of the Lungomare (Seafront), with all the people walking around, all the restaurants and all the discos. But the thing she loved the most was eating a fior di amarena, coconut and ferrero gelato while she was walking right next to the beach nearly at midnight. However, she was always curious to see Pescara during the day, and two years later, in 2019, in one of our trips to Abruzzo, one morning she told me she had already planned part of the day. You may be guessing the destination, exactly, Pescara!!
So, I drove all over the Lungomare di Francavilla (Francavilla Seafront), I always enjoy driving while I see the sea and after that, we connected with the Via La Nazionale (La Nazionale Road) until the Ponte del Mare (Sea Bridge). We left the car in one of the many slots available around the area and started our visit. First, we walked through the Ponte del Mare, which is quite a particular bridge because it’s also a pedestrian and cycle track with a panoramic view of the city of Pescara, its port, the Lungomare and if days are clear enough (which is quite often in Abruzzo), it’s also possible to see the Maiella and the Gran Sasso.
Then we walked all over the lungomare where it’s possible to find many restaurants, lidos and during the night there are plenty of discos with music for every taste.
La Nave di Cascella (the Cascella Ship)
After a half-hour walk, we got to our second stop, the Nave di Cascella (The Ship of Cascella, also known as the Fountain of Cascella) which is not only a meeting point but also one of the iconic places of the city, as it refers to the Seafaring History of Pescara. We sat by the fountain and rested for about 10 minutes. That moment was actually quite nice and relaxing. In front of us, we had the sea, the place wasn’t crowded and there was a fresh breeze.
After that, we walked through the main square of the city known as Piazza Salotto or Piazza della Rinascita (Salotto or Rinascita Square). In the surroundings, there are a lot of coffee shops and that was our third stop. It’s impossible not to have the famous cornetto with a cappuccino. The cornetto is one of the most common ways to have breakfast in Abruzzo (you can also eat them at any time of the day, especially after partying!). They are croissants filled with sweet spreads such as Nutella, white chocolate, custard cream, jam and much more. Not to be missed!!
Right after the square, there is Corso Umberto. A fully pedestrian path with plenty of shops. It also connects the main square of the city to the Pescara Train Station. But there was one side street of Corso Umberto that caught our eyes, its name is Via Firenze. As Corso Umberto, Via Firenze is also plenty not only of shops but restaurants and cafes as well.
It gave us such a nice vibe seeing this colourful street with people drinking coffee or having the aperitivo and talking among each other in their own language which in Italian is called “dialetto” (there are many in Abruzzo), we felt like we were in an Italian film!
This is only a part of Pescara, we are really looking forward to coming back and keep exploring this lovely city.
Arrivederci!!
The view from the Ponte del Mare
May 04, 2020