I love maritozzi. And this summer, because I went to Pescara, I managed to go back in the temple of maritozzi con la panna, sweet bread-rolls with raisins, filled with whipped cream. And I am talking here of Cremeria Bresciana.
If you have half-an-hour to spare, walk from central station to the sea, and just before piazza Salotto, take the last alley right, turn right again so that you end up on the parallel street of Corso Umberto, and there you are. They also have a covered terrace in the back, nice fot not-too-cold rainy days. Or just hot days, although the airco is on in summer.

Since you are there anyway, I would then walk further on Corso Umberto, until you hit the beach, because just there you'll see one of the nicest modern fountains I know in italy. Now, as you might have noticed, Italy is full of white marmer and travertin fountains, isn't it? But this is a modern one, called La Nave - the Ship, made by the scupltor Cascella and really worth the extra walk.

Then you can go to the beach, or walk back to the station. And if you choose for the latter, the moment you are about to cross the road after Piazza Salotto, turn right instead until you hit Caffé Venezia. This is my last discovery of the summer as the ideal place for an aperitivo. Just order your favourite Martini, Mimosa, Bellini, or, if you belong to the non-alcohol drinking sort, one of their delicious aperitivi analcolici made of fruit juices. And ask for the savoury accompaniments to it.

You can just skip your lunch, after it. Which is just as well, because I do not have yet a great address to lunch around the corner, but I will do my best to find one next time I am in Pescara.

Now, if I really need to get personal at this point, I will tell you what else I do there. I go have a look at the marvellous tiles and bathroom shop next to Caffé Venezia, under the porches. Because estetically responsible views are one of the points that distinguis the human sort from the beastly. Then I would go into a shopping splurge in the shops on the way back to the station (you should always firts eat good thing and then go buy new clothes, so you won't get discouraged from eating something nice because you just got this great pair od trousers, which are almost perfect, if you just manage to lose a couple kilos. No, lady, great clothes never distracted me from great food.) What helps is that I was there just in the midst of the summer sales.

And then, I would reward myself for not spending all my money in clothes with a loooooong stop at the Feltrinelli bookstore. Just to discover I had enough points on my fidelity-card to get one book free, and I had to decide fast, because it never happened me before, and they were about to close for the afternoon and I got in the end this very intersting, scary, informative Opus Dei work.

Abruzzo, land of olives, saffron, wines, candied almonds, what more? You won't believe it, but try and add beer to it.

I just discovered that next to the production of industrial beers as the Peroni brand, Abruzzo is home of an interesting brewery in Spoltore, just above Pescara: Almond bier. http://www.birraalmond.com/

The reason of their name is that they started up in the premises of a former almond producer. A hommage to the past of their region. So in the same space where once local women used to select almonds, now their children and grandchildren produce an eccellent beer, appreciated by the most famous Italian sommeliers. Their Grand Cru is especially recommended for the festive celebrations in December.

The reason I mention them, is that I find the recipe section of their website very interesting. Several traditional abruzzese recipes revisited with beer as an ingredient. So next time you want to entertain in Abruzzo style, surprise your guests with beer. They will love it.