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The village - Bolognano, where my parents were born and left in the 60’s and my sister has now settled, is in the region Abruzzo - a mountainous region on the Adriatic side and in the centre of Italy. It is renowned for its mountains and isolation with the Appenines mountain range. Abruzzo is the home of Centerba - a liquor made up of 100 herbs, montepulciano wine, deer and the l’acquila (eagle) and vast national parks - and it is home to the crazy DiGiantomasso ancestry! Bolognano has about 350 inhabitants (although it is part of a much larger Council area). It is surrounded by national parks and its origins go back to medieval times. It is a classic hilltop village with houses literally on the edge of huge cliff faces that oversee the river Orta which makes for breathless views. At present there is still snow on the mountains. Not many tourists come through Abruzzo. It is still difficult to navigate unless you have a car as public transport is scarce in the villages. There’s a pharmacy, post office, small shop and council offices. There is a mix of old and very young with employment at the local winery or in local industries. Some leave the village to find work in the cities mostly in the north. Although, there has been a population boom over the past five years with the birth of around 10 children and the kindergarten has swelled to 14, it is still low - indicative of a country which has one of the lowest birth rates in the world. For more information on Bolognano: www.bolognano.com