For the last weekend we headed north into the Abruzzo National Park. Despite our best efforts we spotted neither wolf, bear, or chamois, but when a hike became tougher than anticipated a lone vulture checked us out. Luckily we still looked lively enough.

Otherwise the weekend became a blur of curvy mountain passes, icy lakes, and impossibly steep villages, all of them labeled "villaggio piu bello" (most pretty.)

The usual list of places we touched, or what I remember:

• Lago di Barrea
• Monte Marsicano for hiking
• Opi
• Pescocostanzo
• Passo San Leonardo
• Caramanico Terme
• Sulmona
• Confetti Pelino
• Anversa degli Abruzzi with Gole del Sagittario
• Scanno