Richo and DC

Feeling nervous about news of ongoing strike action on the trains, we head to the train station early to head straight to Bari, for a sight-seeing day (they definitely outnumber our days of walking)

I had read a book on Puglia in the early days, and it includes a chapter telling the story of San Nicola, so it was great to visit the Basilica (with a stamp obtained at the bookshop), and wander the old town.

Bari to Mola di Bari

24 kms; 7.25 hours, inc lunch break.

20deg, as per the forecast, but it did not feel like that, and most locals were wrapped up in their puffer jackets.

Highlights – A fairly good day on the VFS, with seaside views.

Out through the narrow streets to the coastal promenade. Past the theatre and grand buildings of Bari, the SUP boarders and the wrapping up of the fish market. On this Saturday morning the promenade is busy with joggers, fishermen, people walking together, those walking their dogs, and a Yoga group.

The promenade continues long past the main part of Bari.

The footpath eventually narrows, but continues alongside the road on our right, and the sea on our left. We have a brief stop for a drink at San Giorgio, then continue past the fish stalls and onwards towards our lunch stop at Torre a Mare.

After our lunch stop, the road cuts inland, initially for a section along the secondary road next to the freeway – it is noisy but only the occasional car passes us by.

Then into the fields of olive trees and vines.

We see the first of the old Trulli, stone buildings in the fields of lettuce and fennel.

Ancient olive trees are a frequent sight today.

Top tip of the day – Stone walls now surround most of the fields, lining the paths; do not scrape your pack, with it’s pack cover on, against the stones when taking it off for a break – they are sharp and will cut through your pack cover (doh).

We arrive at the outskirts of Mola di Bari with the last of the day’s light and head to our accommodation.

Dinner – Hostaria

Stay – Beans Street Affittacamere. On a quiet pededstrain street in the old town.

With the idea of fitting in some tourist sites with walking, I booked a few nights at an apartment in Barletta. The plan – some pack-free walking along the sections of the via Litoranea along the coast, and train to return (they run really frequently along this route).

I had read about the beauty of some of these old towns along the coast, and figured that the walking would also be scenic. However, I had not been able to find a lot of information specific to this trail towards Bari. Other advantages of an apartment for a few nights – eating our dinner at an earlier time that suits us, and the washing machine

We caught the bus from Cerignola to Barletta – it starts to spit soon after setting out on the bus, and within minutes of arriving at our apartment accommodation, it starts to pour.

We made the trip to the supermarket in the rain, but it stopped later on for an evening wander.

Barletta to Trani 15km,

16deg, sunny, mild breeze

We like Barletta, with its castle, and old town.

We enjoy our visit to Trani, with it’s cathedral, harbour and waterside piazzas, and grand buildings.

The trail between the two towns though – nothing really going for it other than it gets you from point A to point B.

After our visit to Trani and lunch, we head to the train station to return to Barletta, still with a plan to walk the following two sections the next day: Trani through Bisceglie to Molfetta, a 23km route along the coast, with train pre- and post the walk.

At the station our plan soon changes as we watched train after train being cancelled or delayed that early evening, and announcements about an unscheduled strike the following day (foiled again).

We spend the day in Barletta instead, wandering the old streets, a visit to the castle, the museum and a delicious, relaxed long lunch.

Followed by some Canasta – progress DC 4, Richo 2.

18kms, mostly agricultural paths, until the outskirts of the town; a few spots with mud.

4.25 hours.

4-11deg; sunny, no wind.

Once leaving the town the path leads you straight into the olive fields, and they are a hive of activity. This day is in stark contrast to the previous days – olives and vines had been seen occasionally, but now they accompany us until the outskirts of Cerignola.

The vines are a range of autumn colours as they continue to drop their leaves.

The olive groves are busy with harvesting, the sound of the machines shaking the olives from their branches, and the tractors taking the olives to the trucks. Every now and then someone wants to know where we are from, and what we are doing? One man tells us that we are not going the right way – the road is the direct route and will save us 3-4 kms from the route in the app.

Even though it is a little shorter today, we arrive feeling really tired. The route into the town feels like such a long slog, and a bit of a shock to us after multiple days of quiet small towns, limited traffic, and the peacefulness of the fields. We don’t take a rest when we should, instead trying to just get it over and done with.

We are staying just near the cathedral, one of the largest in southern Italy.

More rain due tomorrow, and we need to make some further decisions about what we are likely to manage going forward, what we want to prioritise, and still get to Santa Maria de Leuca in the time we have available, covering what we can, and still smelling those roses along the way.

My plans included stages along the coast going into Bari, and heading inland after Monopoli to walk stages of the Via Ellenica (the path from Brindisi to Matera) towards Brindisi, through Alberobello, Locorotondo, Cisternino, and Ostuni.

Stay – B&B Piazza Duomo

Eat – Pizzeria Scorpion dal 1980 – excellent pizza at a fantastic price.

Buonasera

2-11deg, sunny, but the chill in the breeze means we keep some layers on while walking today.

20kms, a bit wet underfoot in places but no mud on the gravel roads. We are really glad we did not take this on the day before as it is very exposed out in the fields almost all day.

Highlights – A scenic day once into the agricultural fields until Stornarella, then the amazing murals throughout the town of Stornara.

6.25 hours, including a long lunch break at a restaurant in Stornarella.

The first surprise as we head out of the town is the green hills of the Apennines now have a fair covering of snow.

We leave the road after a couple of kms and are into the fields.

Through the fields today we see – artichokes, fennel, parsley, brassicas, broad beans, spinach, and other seedlings too small to identify. Many of the fields are ploughed and you can see that the black and brown deep soil is often chock-a-block with rocks. I liken it to a picnic bar – then all we can think about is how much we want a picnic bar.

While we see the occasional car and worker, it is again a really peaceful day in the fields with the sound of the starlings, our footsteps and the click of the sticks.

In Stornarella we hoped to find somewhere open for lunch, but all the bars seem to be closed, or closing. A woman at one bar points us in the direction of a restaurant that is open, despite the late lunch hour – we never would have seen it ourselves. We take our time with a delicious lunch at Ristorante Godot, and they send us on our way with a handful of chocolates.

After lunch the last stretch is along the bicycle/walking trail adjacent to the roadway stretching straight out between Stornarella and Stornara. Many drivers seem to treat it like a racetrack.

The second surprise of the day is how amazed we are by Stornara. I had read about the murals in Stornara but we are still amazed with how impressive a sight they are.

We locate a few on our way to the accommodation for the night, then head out in the evening to see what else we can find.

A sample of the murals we located, both that evening and heading out of town the following morning.

Stay – B&B Piazza Matteotti – as recommended in the guidebook, with a VF stamp.

Eat – we picked up some pizza slices from Excaliber pizzeria.

A dopo.

20km, a few small hills, lots of fields, and plenty of mud in the latter part of the trail. 5.5 hours, with breaks, and sticky mud.

12-16deg, mild breeze.

Highlights – the big sky, and the colours of Ordona.

After dropping by the supermarket we head out of town. Initially on bitumen along a very quiet road, the town disappears from sight quickly. Past fields and more ruins, after our first rest, the road changes from bitumen to gravel, with a few puddles.

The trees and weeds by the roadside have fine filaments of spider webs, and many other filaments flutter in the breeze across the road. We see some as the light shines on them – we see most trailing off each other.

There is a long section along a road by the freeway, with the occasional car or truck, but plenty of room to move off the road. It is after we turn off that road, and onto some agricultural roads/paths that we hit the mud. It is sticky, clinging to our boots, and slows us down. When you step back onto gravel, the sticky mud picks up the loose stones – our boots are weighed down by mud and stones. We try cleaning them off in puddles, but each time there is more mud ahead, especially when we reach the newly planted fields of spinach.

During the last stretch towards the town we think we are free of it, but more awaits us.

While not as scenic as the previous day out of Troia, and there are some sections with traffic noise, it is overall very peaceful. Most of the day we are accompanied by the sound of the birds (starlings) over the fields. The familiar sound of olive harvesting is present before we arrive at the freeway; in another field the olive trees look in decline.

Stay in Ordona. Winter has arrived.

The forecast for the following day is very cold, persistent rain and strong winds, with a thunderstorm.

We settle for another day in the very cosy BnB. We have layers for cold, but cold and wet with strong cold winds is another matter.

In the end, the day-long rain doesn’t eventuate but the cold and severe wind keeps us hunkered down for most of the day, and the thunderstorm appears in the early evening.

We do venture out a few times for a wander around the small town. We even briefly thought about a visit to the archeological zone (a couple of kms outside the town) but a few minutes outside put that foolhardy idea to rest.

When I head to the supermarket for some cornflakes, it is 8deg; a couple of hours later, when we go for a walk around the town, it is 7deg – one of those days when it starts cold and just keeps getting colder.

There are a few people in their cars, but, apart from school pick-up, very few out on the streets. A couple of dog walkers, and a few people on their way to the butchers, or supermarket.

There is a man with his truck, circling the town and calling out the products he has to sell.

Through the middle of the town there is a pedestrian area, that to me feels like I am on the set of a western. While the wind blows a couple of pieces of rubbish, and someone’s doormat, down the deserted street, I almost expect to see tumbleweed.

Stay – La casa di nonna Lina – a beautiful little apartment, with a washing machine, and an official stamp. Recommended in the guidebook.

Eat – We had dinner at the very large, seafood restaurant, Sapori di Sicilia. Otherwise, snacks, fruit and panini made up from the supermarket.

It remains cold the next couple of days, but dry.

The knee issue that stopped us, and then has kept us going slowly, now appears to have resolved – hoping we can really push forward through Puglia. Let’s see what the weather has in store.

A domani.

After a few tourist days visiting Benevento and Foggia, and taking the very scenic train trip between the two through the Apennines, we return to walking. We have only snacked on the VFS in southern Lazio and Campania, but hope we can cover most of Puglia on foot.

Part 1 – Troia to Giardinetto.

13 kms, 3.5 hours.

15deg, cloudy, a bit of mud, a few spits of rain.

Highlights – views across the plains and the Appenines.

We arrived in Troia by bus from Foggia by 9.30. The bus driver has some music on – mostly some easy listening, seventies and eighties, including with a bit of Prince in there. The opening notes of “Sweet child of mine” begin, but the bus driver is clearly not a fan – he skips through to the next song. “Where do we go now?” – that is surely the soundbite for Pellegrini.

We walked straight into the piazza with the cathedral with its magnificent facade, its Rose window, and various animal carvings that range from mischievous monkeys to a stunned dog-like creature that looks like it woke up high above the ground but is afraid of heights and wondering how it got there.

I visit the information centre in search of a stamp; the cleaner is there alone but gets on the phone, and soon I have stamps in the credentials.

Out of the town and slowly down a steep slippery road. Once we are down the hill we step straight into the mud. By the time we step onto the asphalt road we have gathered a good covering of mud and stones on our boots.

Although very different to the previous days we have managed to walk, we really appreciate the scenic nature of today’s route, with the green hills of the Apennines off to our right, the brown hills of the ploughed fields, to our left and ahead – the colours change throughout the walk as the sun pokes through at times and then disappears. And the sky adds its own drama to the day.

There are quite a few abandoned old farmhouses, some right by the pathway, a few fields of solar panels, and the wind turbines. We walk on some quiet roads, some agricultural.

We arrive at our destination for the night and settle in for lunch.

Stay and eat – Agriturismo Posta Guevara (in the guide).

When there isn’t any sightseeing to do, my evening activity to work on my Italian listening skills is watching some tv. I avoid the news, and many talk shows, focusing on some quiz shows (including Affari tuoi, the Italian equivalent of Deal or No Deal) and dubbed episodes of Little House on the Prairie (Mary has just gone blind) and Colombo (entertaining in any language).

A short day tomorrow, probably in some rain.

Stage 23, part 2 – Giardinetto to Castelluccio dei Sauri

13 deg; Wet, and windy.

Yesterday we could see the town up on the hill ahead of us. Today, everything is shrouded in cloud, though we can see just far enough to see the closest of the wind turbines on the move this morning.

We prep ourselves for a walk in the rain, but another look at the forecast has the rain increasing rather than abating.

I check with reception if the bus that goes from Foggia to Castelluccio dei Sauri passes by this hamlet – no, only by car. He offers to drive us.

11kms, in constant wind and rain, and probably mud versus a 15 minute car ride – I accept.

We spend the morning in the bar/restaurant playing cards, have lunch (delicious ragu is an appropriate choice for a day like today) then head to our accommodation for the day. He offers to come and pick us up, but it is a short walk across the small town and the rain has stopped for a little while.

No photos today.

It is amazing how much better a pack can feel when the weight is dropped just a bit as we actually wear some of the warmer clothing, plus the rain gear, and without filled water bottles.

Stay – B&B Panorama; warm and comfortable out of the howling wind and rain – recommended in the guidebook. And a stamp.

Eat – Al vecchio casale

16 kms, 5.5 hours with breaks.

Still 20deg and warm.

More ups and downs, some mud, some rough tracks, some great views and Roman stuff – another fantastic day on the VFS.

Highlights – so many today; ruins, the section on the track through the forest, and the Roman road.

The day begins similar to yesterday, with a steep descent out of the town on a rough track.

Just down the path there are three dogs who are not so welcoming.

One piece of advice I received from a catch-up prior to the walk is that there will be dogs on the pathway. If threatening, either have a rock handy, or reach down to pick up a rock, or at least pretend to pick up a rock if one is not on the pathway – this is usually enough to send them on their way, otherwise throw the rock in their direction, of course not aiming to hit. Have your sticks ready as well in case you need a bit of a barrier.

There are plenty of rocks on this steep, dirt pathway, and DC sends a few in their general direction; they scurry off into the trees and though we can still hear them, we don’t see them again as we pick our way down first the steep, rocky, dirt track, then the paved (still steep descent) and over the Roman bridge at the bottom of the valley.

This is overall such a beautiful day; there are some long though quiet road sections, and the only bar we saw at the small towns we pass through was unfortunately closed. We haven’t organised ourselves with lunch, though we do have a couple of oranges and carry a tin of “emergency tuna” for such an occasion, or any other time that someone might be getting ‘hangry’ – today our big breakfast keeps us going.

There are gorgeous sections through shaded cuttings, plenty of fields, and a number of ruins, but the two real highlights come in the second half of the route. After leaving Fontanelle we soon find ourselves on a beautiful bushwalking track through the woods, with views across the valley, over the ferns and through the oak and chestnut trees.

We tread carefully through the next descent, with autumn leaves and chestnuts covering the stones, it is a bit slippery, and we really do not want to slip and land onto the very prickly chestnut casings.

After another road section we are on the final stretch to Teano, a stretch of Roman road. A dog has followed us for some time, just quietly keeping an eye on us.

Stay and eat – Monastero Santa Caterina (donation).

We have reached a decision point as we had lost so many days early on – keep walking through Campania but skip sections later on, or move forward from here and try to fit in as much of Puglia as possible.  Ultimately, the decision is made for us as DC wakes up the next morning with a bit of a strain in his back – perhaps gained in trying to protect his knee. We decide to return to a few days of sightseeing as we try to get back on our original timing schedule and let the muscle strain settle. We always planned to have a rest day in Benevento, then catch the train across the Apennines, bypassing a couple of long hard days. We also expected that the weather might be very cold by this time impacting the crossing. We have only had a taste of the VFS in southern Lazio and in Campania, but still hope to be able walk the length of Puglia.

Buona notte

17 kms, 6 hrs with breaks,

20deg, though a bit of a breeze. Wearing shorts and t-shirt and carrying those winter layers.

Quite a few ups and downs, some mud, some rough tracks, some great views – a fantastic day on the VFS.

Highlights – the views, and the various hidden ruins along the way.

We rejoin the route, and after crossing the river soon find ourselves amongst the fields of fruit trees – peaches, mandarines, and olives. The path follows the river and we weave around the worst of the mud and puddles.

Throughout the day, DC points out pieces of terracotta and tiles on the path- must be Roman he says; probably more likely the 1970’s I say.

It gets drier along the country roads, and each climb of the day is rewarded with views – across the hills, and back towards the coast.

We walk through a few small towns today, mostly with a sharp rise and then a sharp drop on the other side. There is a lot of time spent walking through road cuttings, shaded by the oak and chestnut trees, with ferns and cyclamen in the shade.

After a chat with a couple working in their olive field, we descend down a very rough and rocky path through the terraced fields.

Another town, another castle.

They needed Hercules to tackle the escaped lion in the streets of Rome the day before.

Cathedral (12th C)

Stay and eat – BnB La Rinascente (AirBnB). Great restaurant located at the BnB. And a stamp.

A domani

We are breaking this longer stage into two sections again.

8kms, mostly flat, a bit over 2.5 hours with rests – getting a little faster.

20deg, and in the sun early on – the brolly is out, and those layers for the November cold remain in our packs.

Highlight – Roman archeology

As the archeology area closes early on Tuesday (yesterday), our plan is to start the day with an opening time visit. This small site is definitely worth the visit. 

We follow this with a visit to the adjacent Allied war cemetery. More than 2000 graves, from this point along the Gustav line – we have already seen many references to the battles that took place during that time period, and the devastation in the towns and countryside we have passed through in recent days. Through the section of the cemetery I wander through, some graves are unknown, but most are named, men in their 20s and 30s, from Great Britain; I find two Australians, 21 and 22, from the Royal Australian airforce, in adjacent graves.

We pick up our packs and take on the busy road that starts the route today – a bit of a shoulder is available. Then passing farm land, and a field of solar panels, for a couple of kms. When we arrive at the town of Grunuova we are pleased to quickly find an open bar (cafe) for a drink, chips, and some escape from the sun. The barista takes a break outside, and asks where we are from. He asks various questions about the VFS, reporting that he sees others, some who stop for a rest, and others passing by. It is a dream to one day visit Australia.

After our break, we continue along the main street of the town, then onto a quieter road for a stretch shaded by oak trees. We exit this stage at Castelforte, having a delicious lunch before heading to our accommodation.

Ate lunch on arrival at (lower) Castelforte – Terra di Brigante; still busy even though it was a late lunch by the time we arrived. 

Stay B&B Sykelgrima – recommended in the guidebook. A lovely garden, and the pool must be great in the warmer months after walking. Has a VF specific stamp. Dinner provided. (Note, this is a bit off the route). 

Walked 8 kms only, from the Minturno-Scavi train station.

Overcast, top of 20deg.

Highlight – sunset by the Roman ruins. 

We kept the walking short today, partly as ongoing management of the knee injury after the hills yesterday, partly as time management as advice had been that the long stretches along the footpath on stage 11 may be a less enjoyable section of the route for some if needing to skip some sections (and we need to skip sections).

Before heading off, we have a walk towards the other old section of the town, with the castle and cathedral. We stick to sea level, following the promenade around and back. Even though we felt that we had a distant glimpse of the Gaeta castle from the Itri castle, we had not seen it all day with the walk in the hills, even on arrival in the town as it is hidden by a larger hill from that direction.

Our travel today involves a bus to Formia, then the train to Minturno-Scavi.

From the train station, it is a short walk to the beach promenade. It is amongst these streets that I notice an unusual site in Italy – a road named after a woman: Via Elsa Morante, a writer. 

First along the beach promenade, where everything is shuttered down, and we see only a few people, then, some local streets to work around the promontory. The next section takes us along a quiet road that while near the beach, is separated from it by private homes, private land and beach clubs – it seems like a long slog; we see only a few workers, and the occasional car passes us by on this road.

When we arrive at the river we have only two kms left to reach the accommodation for the night, right next door to the Minturno archeology site. We stop for a rest and a snack by the beach at the river’s edge. There are a few cars around and people fishing along the beach and the river.

A car rolls up in front of us, with an elderly couple (maybe 80ish) and he rolls down his window and in English says “Hello. How are you today?” Not sure how he felt so certain we were English speakers. A long chat follows, including how he spent many years working in Canada, where he has lived in Italy, how he is now an old man, where we are from and what we are doing.

We reach our stop for the night in time to set ourselves up in the garden and watch the sunset over the Roman ruins. A late dinner, and an unfinished game of canasta (too tired).

Stay – Il Postiglione – immediately next to the ruins; not in the guide, but they do advertise on the Via Francigena Facebook page. Discounted room and dinner available, with breakfast provided.

Buona notte