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While travelling through Abruzzo, today I’m taking you to Tempera!
Alright, I admit it: this isn’t exactly a place we stumbled upon by chance…
maybe because my parents live here?
Still, even here you can make wonderful discoveries.
It was only last year (one of those strange things in life) that I found out that just a short distance from my home there is a little corner of paradise.
The village itself?
Not really.
Unfortunately, the earthquake deeply scarred the area, which still looks like a war zone today:
rubble everywhere and a sense of emptiness, since almost no one lives here anymore.
So what then?
Walking along the road that borders the village, we look at the Vera River,
the same river that until recently powered the old mill…
a real mill, just like the one from the Mulino Bianco commercials!
(You’ll forgive the reference, but the memory of Clementina and the little baker is still vivid.)
We discover a small path that follows the river and enters the lush vegetation that surrounds everything here.
There it is!!!!
This is where paradise begins!
Just a few steps are enough to forget that houses, shops and churches are nearby…
you suddenly find yourself immersed in a timeless world, where the vegetation even hides the sky,
and the rays of sunlight that manage to filter through create shimmering reflections on the water,
which grows wider as we continue.
After about ten minutes the path opens up
(or rather, the Vera River widens more than the path itself).
We find a sort of tiny “beach” (a big word for such a small spot)
from which you can step into the water…
and we get a brilliant idea:
why not ford the river?
Here the water is shallow, only ankle‑deep!
So we arm ourselves with rubber sandals and a towel and prepare for the adventure.
It was wonderful, but also “painful”.
Because the water isn’t just cold – it’s freezing… around 6 degrees.
After a few steps your feet start to go numb and then… oops…
the water gets deeper…
By the time we reach the other side, it’s up to mid‑thigh,
and climbing up the bank is not as easy as on the opposite side.
We pull ourselves up using the trunk of a fallen tree and get out;
our legs are bright red as circulation returns, we’re shivering,
but it was incredibly fun.
We explore this side of the river, but there are no paths to follow.
So, once we’ve warmed up again, we retrace our steps and return to “our” side of the river.
We continue exploring and soon cross a small wooden bridge (so cute!!!)
and find ourselves in a fantastic valley.
And here the mystery is revealed…
we have followed the river all the way to its springs… the Vera Springs.
Here the enchantment reaches its peak:
towering trees, stunning vegetation and – wonder of wonders –
a beautiful waterfall formed by the main spring.
This is the perfect place for a relaxing walk,
to enjoy nature, to dive into your thoughts and rediscover yourself…
and I only found it recently…