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Mountains of Italy

"Monte Prena and Monte Camicia"
"Wildflowers"
"Alpine Geraniums"
waiting it out  in the car

 wild flowers


I love this dramatic picture my husband took
The most incredible bowl of beans on earth!


Gran Sasso National Park is situated in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is off the beaten path as far as mass tourism is concerned but a beautiful place worth visiting. It is one of the largest protected areas in Europe, the majestic mountain massif dominates the landscape and is the highest mountain in continental Italy south of the Alps. (information taken from Wikipedia)

We stayed there last week and savored the wonders Mother Nature offers.
I painted a few paintings in my sketchbook, but I mostly enjoyed the overall beauty of this incredible place. In any case, a trip anywhere in Italy is always a wonderful gastronomic experience. This region is particularly well endowed. It has superlative wines, meat and dairy products. 

It is hard to capture the humbling nature of this park through pictures but I share some of the photos I took with you nonetheless.  




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Comments

  1. Polly Birchall15 July 2014 at 20:23

    Thank you for sharing this special journey with us, sounds like you had a lovely time and enjoyed seeing your sketches

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    Replies
    1. Celia Blanco17 July 2014 at 07:43

      Thank you Polly! I had too much fun, I'm happy you like my sketches!

      Delete
  2. martine paquet15 July 2014 at 21:08

    Your sketches and photos are wonderful Celia. Thank you for sharing this journey in a beautiful part of Italy.

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    Replies
    1. Celia Blanco17 July 2014 at 07:43

      Thank you Martine! I hope your foot is better!

      Delete
  3. Joan Tavolott15 July 2014 at 22:00

    Great photos! Glad you are off relaxing somewhere scenic!!!

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    Replies
    1. Celia Blanco17 July 2014 at 07:44

      It is a great place to relax, Joan, thanks for the comment!

      Delete
  4. martinealison16 July 2014 at 03:20

    Bonjour chère amie,

    Merci pour ce très joli billet qui nous fait partager de très heureux moments... des moments artistiques. J'aime vos aquarelles remplie de couleurs aux tonalités sauvages de ce lieu magnifique.
    La capture photographique de votre époux est sublime. je suis entièrement d'accord, comment ne pas être complètement heureux en un tel endroit où la gastronomie du terroir est réunie.

    Je vous souhaite un bel été.
    Gros bisous ♡

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    Replies
    1. Celia Blanco17 July 2014 at 07:46

      Thank you for your sweet comment Martine, I am happy you like my sketches and appreciate your visit! Hope you have a nice summer too!

      Delete
  5. Lorraine Brown16 July 2014 at 11:32

    Sounds like your weeks holiday had all the fantastic elements required, beautiful scenery, beautiful food and some time to create

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  6. Carmella Tuliszewski16 July 2014 at 12:57

    Lovely journaling sketches for your book! And I love the hearing about your travel experiences through beautiful Italy.

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    Replies
    1. Celia Blanco22 July 2014 at 07:03

      Thank you for your supportive comment, Carmella! A warm hug to you!

      Delete
  7. Kev's Art16 July 2014 at 13:52

    What a wonderful time! Lovely loose sketches, they are just the best souveniers!

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    1. Celia Blanco22 July 2014 at 07:04

      It is so true, I appreciate your visit and hope to see some new art from you soon!

      Delete
  8. Debi Hinshaw17 July 2014 at 13:15

    Thank you for sharing your wonderful sketches and photos. Italy looks like such a gorgeous place! The bean soup looks so yummy!

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    1. Celia Blanco22 July 2014 at 07:06

      I'm happy to be able to share the areas of Italy people aren't as familiar with. Thanks for the visit and comment, Debi!

      Delete
  9. Helen H Trachy18 July 2014 at 05:32

    Your pictures are great, Celia! Seems you had a lovely time. I love the mountains with their colorful and cheery shapes . I'm also a great fan of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wine. :)

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    1. Celia Blanco22 July 2014 at 07:07

      You are a connoisseur, Helen! Thank you so much, a big hug to you!

      Delete
  10. Debbie Nolan18 July 2014 at 20:17

    Dear Celia - gorgeous sketches and beautiful pictures. What a glorious place to stay for a week. Now could you please share those beans with me - look scrumptious. Have a beautiful day friend and thanks for sharing.

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    Replies
    1. Celia Blanco22 July 2014 at 07:08

      Thank you Debbie, I would love to!!

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    2. Celia Blanco22 July 2014 at 07:08

      I would love to, Debbie, thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  11. Unknown19 July 2014 at 14:21

    That looks like so much fun! All of it! Even sitting in the car painting! I love the artwork that came out of this trip, and I can only imagine what beautiful memories you've gathered, which will all come through in your future paintings too! My favorite is the geranium piece!

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    Replies
    1. Celia Blanco22 July 2014 at 07:10

      I have fun looking back at my sketches, wish I could have done more but did enjoy myself! Thanks for the encouragement Katherine!

      Delete
  12. Anonymous20 July 2014 at 20:17

    Great sketches, Celia, you had a wonderful trip! I love the colourful mountains! And the food and wine look delicious.... hungry now.. :)

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  13. Tito23 July 2014 at 12:47

    Ciao Celia, complimenti per i deliziosi acquerelli (non ho mai dipinto in auto, è un'esperienza da fare, magari in certi bei posti in inverno). Ho visitato un paio di volte il Gran Sasso e Campo Imperatore, davvero spettacolare la nature di quelle zone. Bello il tuo reportage, buona continuazione!

    ReplyDelete

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