ADVENTURES IN PUGLIA

Nov. 23, 2024
Pangea Africa, Trani, Italy

Lettomanoppello

The hill towns in Abruzzo had been fascinating, but I was tired of being cold. I was glad to pack my things and hit the road. I left Lettomanoppello about 9:30 and headed down the mountain. Google Maps took me on a circuitous route through new territory. There was frost on the ground in shady places. For the past week, all roads had led to Pescara. I finally reached the city and continued south. Now, all roads led to Bari.

The Adriatic at Vallevo

Just south of Pescara, I passed through a couple of very long tunnels. Each one was kilometers long. The tunnels passed under fairly low hills that roads could easily have climbed. I concluded that the tunnels allowed the communities above to avoid disruption. I was once again travelling on the coast highway, SS16, and I was concerned that I might be battling traffic in a canyon between condos all the way to Trani. Fortunately, this was not the case. By the time I had reached Vallevo, I had left the condos and hotels behind and I could see the Adriatic again. I stopped in Vallevo to shed a jacket and admire the scenery. I saw a few scattered fishing huts along the coast.

Driving Through Puglia

Population got sparser and sparser as I drove into Molise and finally into Puglia. The countryside grew flatter and field crops edged out vineyards and olive groves. I could see the range of mountains known as Gargano off to my left, jutting into the sea, as I entered Puglia. It made me curious, but I was done with mountains in this season. I had left time to stop somewhere for lunch, but there were no roadside restaurants and the towns were off the highway. Not until I reached Cerignola did I see anything that invited me to stop.

I misjudged which exit to take to get to the interesting part of Cerignola and just ended up stopping on the side of the road long enough to eat some bread, cheese, and salami. I knew I was going to be early for my 15:00 check-in time, but the host had told me she was out of town, so I figured I would be OK. Before I got to Trani, I passed the seemingly new town of Barletta. If I had wondered where all the residents of the empty hill towns had gone, Barletta was a good candidate. Hundreds of modern, multi-colored apartment blocks comprised its skyline. I wondered what industry employed all those people. Apparently, the area is known almost exclusively for producing food and was a historical producer of salt. What could be more Italian?

Living Room & Kitchen of My Apartment in Trani

My Bedroom in Trani

Shortly after passing Barletta, I arrived in Trani. The outskirts were modern, but my apartment was in the old section near the harbor. The parking was atrocious. I could barely squeeze my car down the narrow streets. I drove around for about ten minutes before finding a place to park and that was four blocks away. Despite all the cars, the neighborhood was quiet. Most of the buildings were about four stories tall. My apartment was about a block from the water.

Neighborhood in Trani

I had been thinking that three nights might have been too many to spend in Trani, but my misgivings faded when I entered the apartment. It was deliciously warm and attractively decorated for Christmas. Unlike the last place that didn’t even have coffee or a tea towel, this place greeted me with a basket of cookies and chocolate. I decided that I might just take a day trip to Bari instead of moving there and take advantage of the comfortable pad in Trani.

 

The Public Garden in Trani

After schlepping all my gear the four blocks to the apartment from my parking space, I took a walk around the neighborhood. I headed down to the shoreline and followed it to the public gardens. They stretched as far as the marina. The cathedral was located on the other side of the marina. I wasn’t wearing my back brace and didn’t want to be out after dark, so decided to leave exploring the cathedral for the next day. I did enjoy wandering around the marina, the most scenic one I had seen since Turkey, and back across a big, empty plaza to my neighborhood. I nibbled on the goodies provided by the host and ate some of the salad I had bought in Pescasseroli. Then I settled in to practice the mandolin and write.

The Marina in Trani

Nov. 24, 2024
Pangea Africa, Trani, Italy

It was Sunday morning and I took my time, washing my hair and rebraiding my hair. I ate breakfast in the apartment and then set out about 10:00. My car had survived the night parked on the narrow street. I took off for Castel del Monte. I drove for about 40 minutes through low hills covered with olive groves, gradually gaining elevation.

Castel del Monte

Castel del Monte was constructed by the Holy Roman Emperor and king of Sicily, Frederick II, in the thirteenth century. It was a tall, octagonal building on top of a hill, surrounded by eight octagonal towers. It was an impressive structure with an incredible 360 degree view and was visible from the sea. The castle had been abandoned for centuries and had been plundered for its luxury building materials, some of which were even used to build a later royal palace. The new unified Italian government bought the castle in 1876 to preserve it for public use. They landscaped the surrounding hillsides with pine trees. I had followed a gravel path embellished with sculptures up the hill from the parking lot.

Entrance to the Sculpture Garden

Castle Interior

Castle Fireplace

Breccia Framed Multi-Media Presentation

The castle, even in its plundered state, was impressive. The ceilings were high and vaulted. Immense fireplaces had provided heat. The original hoods were mostly gone, but part of one remained. Marble benches ran along the walls. Mullioned windows provided natural light. Most of the castle was built from limestone, but the doorways and decorative columns were made from breccia, a reddish conglomerate stone. A multimedia presentation was projected on the wall of one of the first floor rooms.

View from Castel del Monte

I toured the castle and then walked around the top of the hill, enjoying the view. Just as I arrived, a large group of motorcycles descended on the site. I would have liked to eat lunch in the restaurant, but they were setting up for the big party of motorcyclists. I sat in the car, trying to decide where to go next. I would have gone to Bari, but all the attractions were closed until Tuesday. I decided to go to Ruvo di Puglia.

The Castle Courtyard

I drove for another half an hour through olive groves and vineyards to Ruvo di Puglia. Ruvo di Puglia has an old town surrounding a cathedral. Outside of the old town, newer buildings crowded narrow streets. I wanted to park on the outskirts. I set Google Maps to locate a parking lot near the train station. When I got there, I couldn’t find a place to park. I turned down a narrow side street and found a parking space within a block. I left the car and walked towards the cathedral.

Cathedral in Ruvo de Puglia

Ruvo de Puglia

It was Sunday and the cathedral was closed. There were a few restaurants open around the cathedral square, but I realized that I had left my purse in the car. At that point, I also realized that I had neglected to note where I had parked. That made me very nervous. I knew where I had tried to park, so I headed there and hoped I could recognize the street where I had parked. Fortunately, some rubber stripping on the pavement looked familiar and I found the car. My purse had slid down between the seat and the door. Everything was fine, but restaurants would have been closed if I had gone back. I ate the last of my foccacia with some cheese and salami and then drove back to Trani.

By this time, it was about 15:00. I parked near the castle and cathedral in Trani.

Trani Cathedral

Both the castle and the cathedral were closed. I walked out to the end of the breakwater and took some pictures. The cathedral looked remarkably intact for an eleven hundred year old building exposed to sea air. It was encased in scaffolding and some sort of restoration project was underway. Unfortunately, I could find no information about what they were doing. The Romanesque cathedral was impressive and sported a sixty meter high bell tower.

The Trani Breakwater

It was cold and I didn’t want to wait an hour and a half for the cathedral to reopen. I headed back to my apartment and spent the evening doing laundry and working on my various projects.

Nov. 25, 2024
Pangea Africa, Trani, Italy

I would have spent the day exploring Bari, but nothing was open on Monday. I wasn’t feeling very ambitious, anyway. I left the house about 9:30 and drove over to the cathedral where I knew there was a large parking lot. I found a parking spot easily enough but discovered that I had left my coin purse in my laundry bag after doing laundry the night before. I couldn’t buy a parking ticket. I drove back out of the cathedral area and found a spot on a nearby street. Despite the fact that no one was visiting the cathedral or the castle, the parking lot was busy. This was due to the courthouse which also opened onto the same plaza. The courthouse building was in the process of being plastered to preserve the stone and the sides were covered by scaffolding.

Trani Cathedral Crypt

After parking, I walked back to the cathedral and entered via the crypt at plaza level. It was a light, pleasant space that housed the remains of St. Nicola. It was the first time I had seen a crypt filled with pews. I then climbed a stairway into the nave of the cathedral, which was exceptionally lofty and had a wooden ceiling. The Trani cathedral was completed in 1099 and is known as the “Queen of Cathedrals.” Its location on a promontory jutting into the sea also sets it apart and makes the marina incredibly scenic. I was the only person in the cathedral.

Trani Cathedral Interior

After inspecting the cathedral, I proceeded to the 

Castle Interior

Trani Castle. Federico II of Swabia, the 13th century Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily moved his capital from Palermo to Foggia because it was more central to his empire and made it easier to defend. Born in 1194, he was King of Sicily from 1198, King of Germany from 1212, King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor from 1220, and King of Jerusalem from 1225 until his death in 1250. Often at odds with the papacy, he was excommunicated four times. He built a network of castles for the defense of Puglia. While Castel del Monte was primarily a residence, the castles at Bisceglie, Trani, Barletta, and Andria were primarily for defense. Trani was used as a prison for much of its existance.

The Trani Castle

In the 19th century, reformers insisted that all prisons be provided with a chapel. One was constructed in the courtyard of the castle, used for a time, and later converted into a holding area for prisoners facing the death penalty. After the death penalty was abolished, it became a barbershop and then was demolished during the restorations following the conversion of the castle to a museum. The remains of the chapel are now stacked in a corner of the courtyard.

Stone Cannon Balls

Castle Battlement

I walked through the castle, through vast audience halls and areas used to house artillery. A pile of stone cannon balls rest in a corner, but the guns are gone. Margherita, the first queen of unified Italy, was beloved by the people of Puglia. She was quite an art collector and her collection of paintings were on display in the castle. Her popularity is still evident in the most popular pizza in Italy which bears her name. There is still a beach named after her (Margherita di Savoia) in Puglia.

Painting from Margherita's Collection

It was only 11:00 when I left the castle. I wanted to eat lunch somewhere around the harbor before returning to my apartment, but it was too early. I threaded my way through the old section of Trani to the main shopping street and strolled along that. There were some open restaurants, but it was still too early. Eventually, I found my way down to the harbor. I stopped into a cafe and killed an hour drinking a cappuccino and responding to messages. Then I went looking for a restaurant. I was in the mood for pizza. I finally found a pizzeria. They had a lemon pizza that looked amazing but I learned that pizza is not for lunch in Trani. It is only served at dinner.

View Across the Marina

Lunch was a bigger process. I found an enclosed restaurant (It was cold outside.) that advertised lasagne. It had a nice view of the marina. The lasagne was tasty, but not warm all the way through. It was hard to keep anything warm in the cold weather. Even a six ounce coffee got cold before I finished it. In Italy, they charge you a cover for bread and silverware. The bread comes in a bag and is prepackaged. It is usually far more than one person can eat. This bread was amazingly good. Italian bread has no salt in it and is often rather tasteless. This bread wasn’t sour, but had a texture similar to sourdough and was made with egg in the dough. I rolled up the bag and tucked what I couldn’t eat into my backpack for later.

I was back in my apartment by 15:00 and really enjoyed lounging around the apartment, practicing the mandolin and writing. I ate the remainder of the bread with cheese and salami for dinner.

Nov. 26, 2024
Tipico Resort, Alberobello, Italy

Dawn in Trani

The cappuccino I had had in Trani the day before had kept me awake until 2 AM. Still, I woke at 7:00 in time to see a small slice of the sunrise over the Adriatic between the apartment buildings. I hated to leave the beautiful apartment in Trani, but it was time to move on. I was out the door by 9:30. The parking was so terrible that I really didn’t get a chance to pack the car properly because someone was blocking the street while she waited for me to leave. Fortunately, I had already set my phone to navigate to my next stop.

I wormed my way out of Trani and took a short drive up the coast to Bisceglie, the location of Frederick II’s next castle. Bisceglie was even more crowded than Trani but I eventually found a parking spot adjacent to the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. I paid to park for two hours.

Bisceglie

I worked my way through the warren of alleys and archways in the old city to the castle. It wasn’t open, but I circled it and took a few pictures before heading for the cathedral. The cathedral, at least, was open. It was a simple cathedral but it had a nice crypt displaying an ossuary with the remains of St. Nicola. The chapel dedicated to the Virgin was much nicer than the rest of the church.

Bisceglie Cathedral Interior

Bisceglie Cathedral

I continued down the hill to the harbor. There wasn’t much of a marina. There were a couple of docks full of sailboats and some colorful fishing boats anchored in shallow water. I walked back to the piazza via a different route. I passed a park that was closed while a massive sewer line was being installed across it. Many feral cats lived in the park. They eyed me curiously, but wouldn’t let me approach them. The piazza was filled with old men hanging around. Everywhere I went, I saw crowds of old men hanging around plazas in the mornings. It seemed to be a routine for retired men. I sat on a bench for a few minutes, but felt out of place.

Bisceglie Harbor

Bisceglie Castle

Bisceglie Cathedral Crypt

It took about 45 minutes to drive to Bari. Bari is the capital of Puglia and it is a big city. I had set Google Maps to take me to a parking lot near the castle. Somehow, I took a wrong turn and ended up in the new port. Parking was good, but it was three kilometers from the castle and further than I had time to walk. I got out and looked around, but decided I needed to find a parking spot closer to my destination.

Malecon Near the New Port

The New Port Facility

There was no parking very close to where I wanted to go, but I found a spot about a kilometer away on the other side of the castle. I paid to park for two hours and made sure I knew where I had left the car. I walked along the malecon (lungomare in Italian.) I passed a McDonald’s and thought about stopping for food and the restroom, but the restaurant was absolutely packed. There must have been thirty people waiting in line to order. I didn’t have time to deal with that, so I kept walking.

The Bari Castle

After walking through the city center, I came to the castle. It was in much better repair than the one in Bisceglie. This castle had never been abandoned and plundered, but it had been renovated several times. The museum had a lot of multimedia exhibits. There was also a hall filled with plaster casts of carvings from the cathedral.

Plaster Cast

Castle Courtyard

Video Projection

 

Bari Cathedral

Downtown Bari

I walked through the old city to the cathedral, but they were charging seven euros to enter. I had seen enough cathedrals that I didn’t feel the need to see that one. I needed to walk back to my car. I retraced my steps. It was 14:00 when I got to the McDonalds. The restaurant was much emptier. I only had half an hour to get back to my car and the only way I was going to get anything to eat was to get McDonald’s to go. I got a burger, fries, and a mineral water and ate the fries while I walked back to the car. I had just enough time to eat the burger before my time was up. Then I pulled out and drove another hour through olive groves and vineyards to Alberobello.

My Trulli Room

Alberobello is famous for the unique architecture of its trulli houses. Trulli are stone huts with conical roofs, many topped with fanciful spires. They look like something from Middle Earth. They are very small, sort of an original tiny house. These days, most of them have been turned into short term rentals. I rented one for the night. It contained a small bedroom and a bathroom. Shelves were built into the stone walls. It was very cozy. I was exhausted and fell asleep as soon as I dragged my bags to the unit from the rather distant parking.

VILLAGES IN THE APPENNINES

Nov. 18, 2024
Agritourismo Maneggio Vallecupa

I left Pineto at 9:30 and drove down the coast to Montesilvano. There was a bank there where I could withdraw funds without paying a fee. Montesilvano was an organized, modern city. I was easily able to park near the bank. From Montesilvano I headed to Pescara. I had been seeing signs for Pescara for days, but the city was unimpressive. From there, I turned inland. I passed the hill city of Penne to my left. Eventually, my route merged with SR5 and I followed that for an hour or so until I realized that I was going to arrive at my destination too early to check in.

The Sanctuary at Santa Maria del Monte

I saw a sign for a museum and turned off the highway. I followed a narrow road up a steep hill to the Sanctuary at Santa Maria del Monte. The church was closed and surrounded by barriers. It looked like it might have been declared unsafe. I walked around the tiny hamlet for a few minutes and then headed back down. I followed another sign and eventually arrived at the crumbling, virtually abandoned village of Bolognano. I parked in front of another barricaded church and got out of the car. The town clung to the side of a steep hill. The only open business was a pharmacy. I saw no one under 75. There were more cats than people. A garbage truck was collecting trash. The garbage men couldn’t get the truck into the town. They had to walk through an archway into the maze of alleys. They came out carrying only two small bags of trash. It seemed everyone had left to live in more modern housing. I drove back down the hill and continued along SR5.

Church Interior Bolagnano

Bolagnano Scenery

Bolagnano Archway

Plaza in Bolagnano

War Memorial in Goriana Sicoli

I continued down SR5, passing through the town of Popoli. I almost regretted not stopping there, but I wanted to wait until later to stop for lunch. I finally stopped in Goriana Sicoli where I saw an accessible parking lot. It was easy to park, but there were no restaurants open. A group of old men stood chatting in the parking lot. No one else seemed to be around. The town was in better condition and there was some construction going on, but it still seemed mostly deserted. I sat in my car and ate the salad and remaining falafel balls left over from dinner the night before. I had been driving through the mountains for some time. The forest was mostly deciduous trees, some with colorful leaves. Shrubs with seed pods that looked like dandelions, looked like blossoming trees when backlit by the winter sun.

Deciduous Forest

From Goriana Sicoli, I climbed up over an exposed ridge. It looked like the moors in Scotland. There were more trees on the far side. At the upper elevations, I saw traces of snow along the side of the road. I was relieved when the road descended into a deep valley. I had been driving through the national park for quite a distance, but I saw no parking lots or trailheads. The scenery was spectacular, but there was nowhere to pull over. There was no other traffic on the road. At one point, I just stopped in the middle of the road and took a picture.

The Restaurant at the Agritourismo

The weather was looking quite threatening by the time I reached Pescasseroli. I found the agritourismo easily. It also looked deserted. I entered the restaurant, and a friendly woman checked me in and gave me a key. My room was in a building across the parking lot. There were eighteen rooms in the hotel building. A light rain began to fall as I got out of the car. It was warm inside and the bed was reasonably comfortable. Best of all, there was a common area with comfortable chairs. If it rained the whole time I was there, at least my back would survive. I took a short walk up the road and petted a couple of ponies. It was cold. I went back to my room and took a nap. When I woke up, I walked over to the restaurant, but there was no one there except for the owners eating dinner. I went back to my room and munched on peccorino and banana chips.

Nov. 19, 2024
Agritourismo Maneggio Vallecupa

When I got up, something had spread garbage all over the parking lot. I asked the poor young man tasked with cleaning it up what had done it. He said it was animals, not the dogs. While there are bears in the area, I suspected foxes.

I had a nice breakfast in the hotel restaurant and then headed to the Pescasseroli tourist information office in search of a trail map. It was closed. The private outfitter that offers information was also closed. I went to the National Park Headquarters. They were open but didn’t have a trail map. They referred me to the (closed) outfitter. I found a map online, but it was difficult to use because the numbers associated with the trails did not appear on the map and the streets had no street signs.

Hiking to Colli Bassi

I did manage to locate a nearby trailhead by trial and error. It was a short hike through grassy meadows to a steep drop off. It was threatening to rain but only drizzled a little. The trail was not well marked and disappeared completely in places, but it was hard to get lost in such an open area. I walked the mile to where the trail ended and took a few pictures. Then I headed back. It was too early for lunch.

The End of the Trail

Lacking anything better to do, I decided to drive the twenty-five kilometers to the town of Bisegna. It was a pretty drive through the fall colored scenery. Just before I took the turnoff to Bisegna, I saw a red fox walking along the road. The road was deserted. I started up the hill to Bisegna and then I saw an actual marked trailhead. I stopped. The trail went uphill from where I was back towards Pescasseroli. The grade was gradual enough that, while I could feel the altitude, I was able to keep up a normal walking pace. Soon after I started hiking, I heard cowbells. It turned out that they were actually horse bells. The local horses were short, but sturdy. They looked like fourteen hand draft horses. They were curious but wouldn’t let me get close enough to touch them. There was quite a large herd of them. The farm where I was staying had a herd of small ponies that were led out to pasture each day.

Free Range Horses

Beech Forest

I passed the horses and continued uphill through a deciduous forest for a couple of miles. As I climbed higher, I began to see traces of snow. Most of the trees had lost their leaves, but I did see some juniper with lots of berries. The area was known for bear sightings, but I figured they must have been hibernating at this season. The area also provided habitat for wolves. I saw many bear crossing signs as I drove. I turned around at the two-mile mark because I had already walked a couple of miles, earlier, and knew that six miles was about the limit for my back. I spent the return trip pondering the fact that I was likely to need back surgery before I became eligible for Medicare. My back was starting to limit almost every aspect of my life.

They Looked Like Small Draft Horses

 

Maple Tree in Bisegna

Bisegna Street

Once I returned to the car, stopping to photograph the horses some more, I continued up the road to Bisegna. Bisegna clung to the side of a steep mountainside and reinforced my belief that Italians are cliff dwellers. The town appeared deserted. Not one business was open. I walked through its narrow streets and admired the view from terraces. The oldest building seemed to be a twelfth century tower. The newest building was a church built in 2000. It, too, was closed.

Bisegna's New Church

12th Century Tower

The restaurant at my agritourismo (farm stay) was only open from 12:30 to 14:30 and it was 15:00 by the time I returned. The owner offered to make me a sandwich, but I’m not a big fan of sandwiches. Even the grocery stores were closed between 13:00 and 16:30. Not a single restaurant in Pescasseroli was open. I sat in the comfy chair in the common area of the hotel building and read until 16:30. Then I went to the grocery store to provision. I bought foccacia, salami, cheese, cookies, peanut butter, mineral water and salad. Unfortunately, I later realized that I didn’t have a fork.

The heavens opened just as I returned from my hike and it began to rain in earnest. I was happy to stay in my toasty room and munch on my goodies. I cracked a single serving box of wine and settled down to write.





Nov. 20, 2024
Agritourismo Maneggio Vallecupa

According to the forecast, there was 100% chance of rain. I ate breakfast in the hotel restaurant and had a long conversation about our various travels with the owner in Italian. She was quite the talker and I was the only person around. She had travelled a fair amount in Mexico but didn’t like Playa del Carmen where all the Italians go. I once had to take a tour in Italian while I was there.

I spent an hour or so paying bills and reading email and then set off to explore some villages. It was too wet a day for hiking. My raincoat was falling apart and I didn’t trust it to keep me dry.

The Village of Opi

My first stop was only about eight kilometers away in the village of Opi. It was raining when I got there, but too windy for an umbrella. I parked at the beginning of town, which was a good thing since they were working on the sewers and had the main road torn up. Opi was definitely not deserted, although everything was still closed. I even saw a charging station for electric cars. It was your basic Italian cliff dwelling village. I climbed up the steep streets and took some pictures. It was drizzling, but not too unpleasant. The temperature was 9 degrees Celsius or about 48 degrees Fahrenheit. It was windy. I explored for about half an hour, but was glad to get back in my warm car. I continued on to Villetta Barrea.

Tower in Opi

Stairs in Villetta Barrea 

Villetta Barrea was much bigger than Opi. Like Opi, nothing was open, but there were plenty of people about, even in the rain. I parked below the town and climbed up a steep staircase to the old part of town. Then I climbed another staircase that started out gradually but became increasingly steep as I ascended. There was a great view of the city and surrounding areas from the top. It continued to sprinkle, but the wind kept me pretty dry. The church of Santa Maria Assunta was closed. It had been destroyed by an earthquake in 1915 and rebuilt in 1926. The main portal (designed by Bernini, my favorite sculptor) and the original altar were preserved and reinstalled in the new church.

New Cobbles in Valletta Barrea

Much of Villetta Barrea was fairly modern. It had expanded as a result of the tourism brought to the region by the national park. The newer cobblestones often had fanciful patterns. Villetta Barrea is bordered by the Sangro River and uses it to generate electricity. I visited the nice park (museum closed, of course) next to the flume for the hydro plant.

Flume in Villetta Barrea

Marsican brown bears can only be found in this small area of the central Appennines. They are critically endangered due to persecution by humans. They are making a gradual comeback, but there are signs everywhere urging people to drive slowly so as not to hit them on the roads. They are generally shy, but are active at dawn and dusk. Marsican bears go somewhat dormant in the winter but do not actually hibernate like other bears. They may even leave the den on fine winter days. As I neared Villetta Barrea, I started to see wolf crossing signs.

Lago Barrea

From Villetta Barrea, I continued down the road past Lago Barrea to the much larger town of Barrea. It was raining harder and the size of the town was somewhat intimidating. I wasn’t going to stop, but then I saw a really good parking lot. Hill towns are not known for good parking. I decided to stop. Barrea overlooks the reservoir of Lago Barrea that was formed by damming the Sangro River. The lake is a pretty blue green color, even on a nasty, rainy day. I walked up the road to the main plaza of Barrea along the belvedere overlooking the lake. The view was spectacular, but a cold front was approaching with a vengeance and the wind was so strong that it caused me to stagger. It must have been blowing 70 knots. Leaves were flying everywhere. Shockingly, the bar on the main plaza was actually open. I dashed in out of the wind and ordered a cappuccino and an arrancino, a breaded and deep fried rice ball with ham and cheese in the center. It was the first hot food I had had since leaving Pineto and the first hot food in a restaurant since Pesaro.

View from the Belvedere in Barrea

Plaza in Barrea

Arrancino

The main road wound uphill through the newer section of Barrea. I was thinking of going to Castel del Sangro, but it really started to rain. By the time I reached the top of the pass, it was pouring and visibility was very bad. Since I was unlikely to see much or get out of the car, I decided to turn around and head back to Pescasseroli and my warm hotel room. I spent the rest of the afternoon planning my next steps and writing.

Nov. 21, 2024

Rental Unit in Lettomanoppelo, Italy

I was greeted by a noisy tortoiseshell cat when I stepped out of the hotel. She insisted that I pick her up and snuggled under my chin, purring, all the way across the parking lot to the restaurant. It was nice to get a kitty fix.

Pescasseroli

I left Pescasseroli after breakfast and drove back over to Villetta Barrea where the road turns off for Scanno. I had all day to kill, so stopped and took a short hike in the mountains above Villetta Barrea. I walked uphill until I was certain that the recommended portion of the hike was long past. Then I turned around and walked back to where I had parked in Villetta Barrea, bemoaning the lack of an actual trail map or real map of Italy. Google Maps got me where I was going (until later in the day, anyway), but failed to give me any sense of the direction of things. The maps in my guidebook were too general to be of any use. The compass in my car always seemed to tell me I was going the opposite way from where I felt I should be going.

Hiking Above Villetta Barrea

The Pass Above Villetta Barrea

After leaving Villetta Barrea, I drove up above the town and headed up a pass over the mountains that led to Scanno. The scenery was spectacular. The trees displayed fall colors, the sun was out, and I soon climbed up into alpine scenery. I kept an eye out for those snowy peaks I had seen from Atri, but didn’t see them anywhere. Whenever there was a place to pull over, I stopped and took a picture. Finally, I reached the pass and headed down the other side, arriving in Scanno about 13:00.

Stairs in Scanno

 

Escher Drawing of Scanno

Scanno was a largish hill town, exceptionally steep, with warrens of stairways and walkways passing under arches. Building across streets and alleys had been common in Scanno. I parked in the first place I found on the main road and then walked through an arch into the pedestrian section of the town. Scanno had been the inspiration for M.C. Escher’s drawings and I could see why. It was a fantastic and confusing place. Eventually, I came upon the main street, which was tiled, rather than cobblestoned and looked slippery. Most things were closed, but I quickly came upon an open restaurant and stopped for lunch. I ordered grilled lamb which came with roasted potato wedges and grilled zucchini. It was the first meal I had eaten since Cesenatico other than a pizza. Eating is one of my favorite things to do in Italy, but the pickings had been slim. The lamb was plentiful and delicious.

Scanno Main Street

I walked around the town for a while after lunch and stopped into one of the churches. While Sulmona looked close on the map and I had booked my lodging thinking it was close to Sulmona, I realized that I was still over and hour and a half away. I didn’t linger too long in Scanno, since I had told my AirBnB host I would be there by 16:00 and I wanted to arrive before dark.

My Lamb Lunch

The drive between Scanno and Sulmona followed a river down a narrow gorge. The water was an unreal shade of blue and the scenery was incredible. The road was very narrow, but I managed to stop and snag a photo or two on the way down. I was stopped at a roadblock and required to produce my license and registration. They asked me where I was going and then took my documents off to enter data in some computer. When the policeman returned, he asked me where I was born and seemed satisfied when I told him California. The whole process took about 15 minutes, which put me behind schedule. I passed the turnoff for Introdacqua where some friends of mine had moved, but didn’t have time to stop.

Lago di Scanno

Sulmona was a much bigger town than I had expected and traffic was heavy. Despite having chosen my lodging for its proximity to Sulmona, I was still an hour away. I followed SS17 to SR5 and was fairly certain I was going back the way I had come several days before. Since I left Ancona, all roads had led to Pescara. At Scafa, I turned off the highway and headed back into the hills toward Lettomanoppello. It was more of a town than I had expected and Google Maps had no idea where the address was. My host had come down with a virus and was too sick to meet me. She couldn’t find me on WhatsApp to send me directions. After driving through streets barely wider than the car, I finally found a place to stop long enough to get directions from her. Apparently, only Apple Maps knew where to find the place. It still took me three tries to locate it and getting the car through the gate was a challenge. Once in, there was ample parking behind the building.

The House in Lettomanappello

The unit appeared new but was sparsely furnished. Once again, there was no comfortable place to sit. Even the bed had an iron headboard, making it difficult to lean against. There was no wifi password posted and the host didn’t know what it was. The heat had been turned off. The wind was howling outside, and I needed three layers and two pairs of socks to stay warm. Without internet, I couldn’t work on my blog. I did some writing, munched some bread, cheese, and cookies, and settled down to read.

Nov. 22, 2024
Rental Unit in Lettomanoppelo, Italy

The landlady hadn’t sent the password when I woke up, but I did receive a message from her asking me to open the gate for the workmen. Apparently, there was only one remote. It had been very windy all night. Shutters were banging and equipment blew around the property. I had had to put in earplugs before I could sleep. I stepped outside to open the gate and the door blew closed. It locked automatically. I had nothing. My wallet, car keys, phone, and warm clothes were all locked in the house. It was sprinkling and still fairly windy. I huddled under an overhang and tried to figure out what to do. The landlady’s phone number was inside on my phone. She wasn’t expected to come and would probably think I had gone out if she messaged me and I didn’t answer.

While trying to figure out what to do, I saw a figure at an upstairs window. I manage to attract his attention and tried to explain my predicament in Italian. I thought he was with the workmen and hoped he would have the landlady’s phone number. He came down after a few minutes, but he didn’t have the landlady’s phone number. He seemed to have a hard time understanding me and barely spoke, himself. I began to wonder if he had something wrong with him.

Eventually, he led me to the contractor. He was more communicative and he had the landlady’s phone number. He called her and she said she’d come, but she had to come from Pescara. He said it would take her half an hour. The workmen were renovating another unit on the first floor. I was going to wait in the unit’s kitchen, but the man from upstairs indicated that I should come upstairs where it was warmer. After sitting there for a few minutes, I realized he was watching English television. I asked him if he spoke English and he said, “Yes.” Actually, he didn’t speak English very well, either, but it explained our difficulty communicating in Italian. It turned out his name was Claudio and he was from Norway. He was in Italy because he could make more money in Italy than in Norway. He and three other men were sharing the apartment above mine. None of them seemed to be working on Friday.

My Unit in Lettomanoppello

I sat there, refusing food and drink (I had just had breakfast.), for nearly two hours until the landlady showed up. She was very nice about the whole thing. Fortunately, she seemed to have needed to come to talk to the contractor. She found the password for the WiFi which was located in the storage area. She was very surprised at the mess made by the wind. All kinds of debris had blown under my door during the night.

It was nearly noon before I got organized enough to leave the house. It had stopped raining and I decided to go to Introdacqua to see where some friends of mine, who were unfortunately in Germany, had moved. It was about an hour’s drive from Lettomanoppello. I retraced my track to Sulmona and then headed up a valley with snow dusted peaks on my left side, which was confusing, since I was sure than the bulk of the mountains were to my right.

Introdacqua

When I got to Introdacqua, I found a parking lot near the city hall and parked easily. The sun came out and it felt warm. I decided I could leave my raincoat and umbrella in the car. It seemed the storm had passed. I walked around the town, which was built on a steep hillside. I wanted to take some photos for other friends who were curious about where our friends were living. Everything was closed, including the church. I climbed to the top of the town and discovered a tall tower up there that had been used as a lookout and defense of the town during the Middle Ages.

The town was originally settled by people sent to the area by the monks of the Abbey of San Clemente in Casauria to till the land. It is called Introdacqua because it is located at the end of a valley between two waterways. You could hear water running everywhere. A spring was running freely. About the time I got as far away from my car as I could get, a cloud filled the valley and it started to rain. The snow-covered peaks were quickly obscured by the cloud. I hurried back to my car.

Spring in Introdacqua

Church in Introdacqua

 

The Tower in Introdacqua

Houses in Introdacqua

My original plan had been to visit Sulmona, which was only a few kilometers from Introdacqua. However, Sulmona just seemed big and crowded. There was a lot of traffic. I passed through it three times and had no desire to linger. As I left the valley where Introdacqua was located, the sun came out again and the scenery was lovely. Big dark clouds were boiling all around the mountains and more snow was falling at high elevations.

I stopped at a grocery store in Scafa for provisions and was glad I did because the sky looked very threatening as I climbed up to Lettomanoppello. I stopped and filled the car with diesel in preparation for the next day’s drive to Trani and then went home to work on my blog.