25 October 2024—Driving Day from Alberobello, Puglia, Italy, to Valtopina, Umbria, Italy: This wass a rather long drive, but it was also a beautiful day. It was bright and sunny in Alberobello when we left, although the sun was not as decidedly shining. It felt a little cooler to me than yesterday, but still, I was comfortable in shorts, tee shirt, and a light windbreaker if necessary. We had breakfast in Alberobello (just a latte macchiato and a cornetto/croissant), and left. Along the way, while still in Puglia especially, we saw some old trulli on large farms. Some trullli were likely also used for B&Bs, agriturismo (farm B&Bs), and so on. They are not decorative on farms as they have been in Alberobello, but they are still conical shaped and charming, in my opinion. I’m sure that long ago charm was not the prime concern. They were likely functional structures and residences for some people. Puglia landscape is composed largely of olive groves and some vineyards. The olives do not appear to have been cultivated yet, although the green ones are interspersed with the ripened dark olives. The grapes have been harvested by now. However, the vines live on, many of them covered with protective netting probably in defense of potential threatening weather during the winter months. As one moves through Bari, one sees still a lot of stone, now formed into “fences”/boundary markers. The fields appear to be neatly plowed, the harvest finished, and the fields idled until spring planting. The dirt is a deep reddish-brown. Dad is still not feeling well. He continues to feel tired and exhausted, and he is troubled by belching and burping, sometimes lasting for several hours, especially after he tries to eat something solid. He managed to drive, however, even though I know it wasn’t easy for him. We stopped often at the rest stops on the autostrada. I love looking around in those because I am amazed at the amount and variety of foods they sell. Today, we stopped at the first Sarni (the name of this particular service center’s food service) still in Puglia and came across PataPop (potato polpette), fried calzones, croissants plain and with various fillings, sfogliatelle, pasticciotti, fazzoletti con wurstel (sort of like a split sausage wrap, fried, and with French fries tucked inside along with the wurstel), pizza, huge sandwiches and panini, and so on. I tried the PataPop, but it was not at all like the ones my mother made. I was looking for the same texture and flavors, but this PataPop had its own characteristics. I was pleasantly surprised, just because I had not followed the path we’d take on Google Map, with the presence of the Adriatic Sea to our right for a good part of the drive. The Adriatic looked quite calm today, and boasted a soft blue color. Dad thought it was just because of the haze. Nevertheless, the landscape changed gradually but dramatically as we got closer to Umbria. We saw the Apennines once again (I love the mountains), and we saw beautiful folding green hills, farmland, and vineyards. We also began to see differences in the houses along the road side and in the hills, with many being single family structures versus some of the old, old apartment-type dwellings we saw from where we came. And, yet, perched high up on the hilltops, we began to see the now-familiar fortified towns and defensive structures themselves that called us back to medieval times. Gettting to the B&B in Valtopina was a bit tricky because by now it had become dark—very, very dark. The road to the B&B was actually pretty much a dirt road/partially paved in areas. There are no lights in the mountainside in which the B&B is nestled. The GPS no longer worked in such a rural environment. We ended up going too far up the mountain and had to turn around, except that was not an easy task, given that the roads were narrow, unpaved, steep, and there was no signage to indicate the edge of the road. Once again, I prayed we’d get to our destination safely, and once again, the Good Lord kindly obliged. The hosts made dinner for the three families in residence tonight. They made chicken and broth for Dad, but he could only eat a few bites. He tucked him before dessert, and I stayed to visit with everyone for quite some time. Here’s to a good night’s sleep, for Dad especially, a better day for him tomorrow, and hopefully a visit to one of the beautiful towns nearby.
Our Travels 