We arrived in Italy on June 4th, overnighted in Fisole and Spello, and briefly visited Perugia and Assisi before meeting the rest of our hiking group in L'Aquila , gateway to the Abruzzo National Parks. The seven of us also included George and Paula Clow, Wendy Thomas, and, of course, our incomparable guides Mario Acciai and Vittorio Natali. We had great times on the trail, ate memorable meals - especially our daily picnics, and had a number of wonderfully unforgettable experiences, such as the lunch and concert with master bagpiper Guido Innetta, and our wildlife encounters, a family of wild boar and a large bear. The tour ended on June 15th with a visit and picnic on one last mountaintop, Montecassino. Afterwards, the group scattered and we drove on to Bari to catch the Dubrovnik ferry.