Beautiful mountains. Vineyards. Ancient ruins. Delicious food. Mediterranean climate.

If you were told all of these features can be found in central Italy, you’d probably think Tuscany.

Guess again.

These words describe Abruzzo, a region in Chieti Province southeast of Tuscany and on Italy’s Adriatic coast. And in the words of travel writer Jordan Clary of Encinitas, “Abruzzo has everything Tuscany has to offer but for less money.”

With the value of the dollar down against the Euro and costs of traveling up, that’s what we like to hear.

“I would say that this is a part of Italy well-worth visiting for a number of reasons,” she said. “One, of course, is economy. It’s more affordable than some other areas, and it’s a very authentic experience. I think the Abruzzo region still feels a bit like Old Italy.”

Other excuses — um, reasons — to visit this lesser-known region is its “rich combination of history, art and stunning natural wonders,” Clary said.

What made Clary’s October 2007 Abruzzo tour unique was her mode of travel — a vintage Fiat 500, which “looks a little like a brightly colored metal mouse. It’s a classic icon of Italy.”

Clary took the trip at the invitation of a group of Abruzzo promoters who also have a thing for the Fiat 500s. She was chosen for the trip because she writes for several different magazines, including some that reach Asian audiences.

Any trip to anywhere in Italy is made with great expectations for a fine gustatory experience. Was the writer disappointed?

“The food was simply amazing,” Clary said.

Her favorite discovery?

“That’s hard to say. When you’re wining and dining through Italy, what’s not to like?”

But pressed for an answer, Clary named Villa Maiella Ristorante in the town of Guardiagrele, south of the main city, Pescara.

“Chef Peppino Tinari offers up some of the finest gourmet fare in the region,” she said. “He serves home-baked bread, sautéed mushrooms, fresh green salad and Italy’s famous Montepulciano wine.”

Another uniquely Italian attraction in Abruzzo is the agrituristica, a small farm/bed-and-breakfast where tourists can visit and experience true field-to-table cuisine.

“Agriturisiticas are required to produce at least 76 per cent of everything they serve,” Clary explained. “This means the vegetables come from their own garden, the eggs are probably laid by their own hens, and they may very well raise their own meat.”

Clary dined at Azienda Agrituristica in Rosello, about 25 miles due south of Pescara.

“It has a warm ambience — dark with heavy wooden tables,” Clary said. “The place is lively and, as in all of Italy, the wine flows freely.”

Clary came to travel writing circuitously.

The transplanted Ohio native, who has lived in several California cities over the years, went to China in 2004 to teach English. She eventually began writing about the country of two billion for airline magazines. When she returned to the States in 2007, she was a regular contributor to those magazines and others. She now works almost full time as a travel journalist and also teaches college-level courses online.

Clary did more than eat during her trip through Abruzzo; there was the shopping.

“In the small town of Pescocostanza, you’ll find goldsmiths who craft a delicate 18-karat gold pendant called a presentosa,” she said. “This gold piece resembles a star and is surrounded by filigree arabesques. In the center is either a single heart or two hearts joined by a crescent moon and symbolizes eternal love.”

Goldsmiths have been in business in Pescocostanza since the Middle Ages, and many of the local goldsmiths have been following the family tradition for generations.

Another favorite stop was the small town of Rocca San Giovanini along the Adriatic Coast.

“It felt like a very much like a Medieval village,” Clary said. “It’s also a great place for wine and dinner on a traditional trabocchi, one of the wooden piers that also serves as a restaurant and where you are sure to enjoy some of the freshest, tastiest seafood imaginable.”

Hmmm — we’ve returned to the food again — but it’s inevitable when you’re discussing Abruzzo.

“In Chieti Province, the people simply went out of their way to show you their hospitality,” Clary said. “They have a certain vibrancy about them, a zest for

life that includes wonderful food and wine with everything.”

For information about seeing Abruzzo in a Fiat 500, visit www.italyby500abruzzo.com.