L'AQUILA

These days L'Aquila is being much talked about, because of the G8 meeting - a major annual political event which was moved there, from originally foreseen La Maddalena, Sardinia, in a show of remembrance for the terrible earthquake which devastated L'Aquila not long ago. The city has a long experience of earthquakes in view of its location on a seismic area.
I visited it and had one night there (also in La Maddalena, by the way!) around 15 years from now. It was night number 2 and last of a weekend around Rome, which had already taken me to Terni and Rieti. I remember it as a quiet medieval and barroque downtown standing over a valley to the west on a steepy hill, which I climbed upon arrival. I also remember the landscape from the train which took me from Rieti, passing through excelent and green rugged zones. And the view of the Gran Sasso, highest peak of the Apennines, in the north-east distance.