Computer says 'no' again

Umbrian countryside

We left Matera with a mental image of the blue building we should be looking for in Bari to book a passage for Greece. We had seen the photo on two blogs – Bari likes to keep things subtle and there was no sign anywhere for a big shipping ferry at the port and we were thankful people had helpfully shared their experiences of what to look for.

Bari also likes to make a puzzle of its roading network and before we had even hit the main chaos of roadworks and closed roads, we were in a quarry surrounded by clouds of dust and large noisy trucks. We followed a big truck that looked to be leaving and arrived back on the correct road.

Eventually we arrived at the port and squeezed past trucks from Bulgaria and Romania to find the mystical blue building – it was just like the photo – no logo or signs.  We parked right in front, but our expectant expressions changed when ‘computer says NO’.  No passages available for days.

Truffi houses, Alberobello

We re-booted, decided not to go to Greece but spend some time in Puglia. Lonely Planet said “Alberobello”, so off we went, satnav said “go up narrow street with badly parked Range Rover”. Two heads hanging out the windows checking the clearance – only just enough room before having to reverse back down a restricted entry street.  My job was standing in the street stopping traffic as I was in loco reversing-camera (which is a piece of %#*&^, Stuart says).

I was already off Alberobello and that was before I saw the parades of tour coaches and vendors of tat. All the tat seemed to be the same, and surely of a nature that no one would want.  

To be fair, Alberobello is unique with lots of Truffi houses cascading down the hillside. The Truffi houses are round with roofs made of flat overlapping stones. To avoid a large tax the roofs must be dismantled every so often (don’t know time frame) and rebuilt. Their appearance is somewhat hobbit like. 

Alberobello

We were looking for a bit of time out from travelling so off we set for the Adriatic coast.

We stopped for lunch near a beach in one truly abysmal town that had every layby filled with rubbish. We heard a vehicle pull up behind us. Nec minit, there was a knock on our door and three expat Kiwis living in Aus were chatting with us.  Our truck has large lettering -  New Zealand, Australia and Great Britain on the back and that caught their eye. Goodness knows there were NO other tourists, Italian or otherwise, within a 50km radius of the hideous place.

We stopped for a re-stock at my favourite chain, Lidl, there was a savvy stray dog who followed shoppers to their cars. It was obviously a move that had paid off in the past. Full up with good priced wine and beer plus assorted cheeses, we hit the highway. I kept seeing prostitutes on the roadside, I can’t imagine the life they must be forced to live, made even more miserable when standing in rain.

Lucera

Lucera was marked on our maps and in the Camperstop book as a town worth visiting. It is an old town with a large 14C castle and regulation Duomo. We found a good spot in front of the castle, sidled up to a large German Carthago motorhome as their unchosen friend, and made ourselves at home for the night with some nice basil and ricotta ravioli served with asparagus for dinner.

Jane paddling in the Adriatic

Still searching for the slice of paradise, we gave the coast a couple more chances but unfortunately we didn’t find an undiscovered gem, or any gem, come to that. 

The sea was a lovely temperature, but I was dismayed to see the amount of plastic washed up on the shores of the un-groomed beaches.

It was a very long drive to Norcia, the distance wasn’t great but it took a long time as there were no major roads in the area. The truck rattled and shook on the potholed roads and when we finally saw the turn off it was blocked. We had to carry on for another hour to the next turn off, we passed the reason for the road block – earthquake damage. Houses had collapsed down the hillsides and shipping containers were protecting the road from slips. When we finally reach the esteemed Norcia we found it red-zoned, and there were props and scaffolding holding up the ancient churches and medieval walls. Norcia is famous for truffles and salami made from acorn-fed local pigs which were on offer in the remaining shops. Temporary houses and temporary shops had been erected to accommodate the people affected by the earthquake.

Spoleto

We ticked off a few more pretty Umbrian towns with their ancient stone walls, immaculately swept marble streets and restored churches, and diners enjoying dinner in the warm evenings.  Assisi was the last one.

It was hot as we climbed higher and higher to the Basilica. Sweat was trickling down my back as the temperature went past 30 degrees on my way to see St Francis’ tomb. We were not by ourselves that hot Sunday afternoon as tour buses disgorged masses of sightseers and pilgrims. But wait, there is more – more churches higher up and a fort or two as well. “I read that the view is really good from the top” himself said.

St Francis was born in Assisi in 1181 into a wealthy family before renouncing the pleasure seeking lifestyle to live a humble life in imitation of Christ. The glorious churches and robust souvenir industry we saw in Assisi are an ironic comment on Francis’ values.

Street scene

Chianti in Tuscany is calling and we have a little time up our sleeves given that Greece is off the agenda so we will head in that direction and see what it throws at us.