We had planned to head off through Albania, Macedonia, and Bulgaria to Romania but the more we looked at the weather the more the temperatures went up to the 36/37 and when you’re touring and trying to visit and walk that’s no good. So, it’s all change and we decided to head North where it’s cooler.
So we arrived back in Brindisi almost 7 weeks after we were last there and things started to look like a mistake as, after docking in port, we then sat on the ferry in complete chaos surrounded by lorries all facing in different directions. it took a long time to get off…!
But that was only the start of the trouble. As we eventually rolled off we were held in a vast queue with a huge number of Bulgarian lorries and then the police searches and checks started. They took our passports away for some long time so it looked as if something serious was going on. After almost two hours we were finally allowed to leave and got onto the motorway only to pass about 30 police cars and vans with sirens blaring closely followed by three military transport helicopters all on their way to the airport. Things looked bad. it was only when we finally got to a hotel late that night that the receptionist told us that it was the preparations for the G7 Summit which was about to start very near Brindisi!
It then turned out that the hotel restaurant was closed but this turned out to be stroke of luck as we landed up in the old town of Ruvo di Puglia in a great pizzeria where the pizzas only cost 5 euros and a half litre of red wine 6 euros all accompanied by the cheerful sounds of the village fiesta with bangs and hooting.
Next day we drove North until it got cool and this took us to near San Marino. The search for a decent campsite came up with the village of Pennabilli so it was entirely by chance that we landed up with a stunning view overlooking the two rocks of Penna and Billi where we then stayed for four days. Here’s the view from our van both in the day and during one of the three amazing sunsets we watched.
We went for beautiful walks after realising that we’d actually walked here with our walking group 16 years ago but we must have been so tired that we’d forgotten it (and it also poured with rain so we may not have seen the view at all).
Pennabilli is a great place. It has two castles, one monastery, and it turns out that the Dalai Lama has been to visit it twice so it has Tibetan prayer bells and a small stupa too. it turns out that a monk from the village went to Lhasa in 1763 and met the then Dalai Lama who allowed him to build a monastery there and the friendship between the places has lasted ever since.
On top of that we happened to coincide with their annual street performers’ festival. Apparently in 1993 the Italian government banned busking so the reaction in this village was to positively invite buskers in and it soon became an annual festival. It was so much fun! For all of 10 euros we heard lots of international bands playing rock and roll, folk, calypso, blues harmonica, an accordion duo, and we saw comedians and three amazing guys from Togo on the tallest stilts we’ve ever seen dancing and doing terrifying acrobatics in the square.
We danced in the streets and didn’t get back til 1am and then sat under the stars listening to the nightingales sing. So before we left I did this quick sketch of our lovely view.
Next stop Florence to spend a couple of nights with a friend. We had a great time there walking a lot including down from Fiesole.
And we visited some old haunts of mine. I was 18 when I lived with a family here at 55 Via Ricasoli just round the corner from Piazza San Marco. As I gazed at the door bell names a man of my age arrived with his keys and sure enough he knew the Rugis and remembered them well. His parents lived in the same block and he’s gone on living there. Maybe sometimes the world doesn’t change all that much.
This morning we got up early to walk into town and beat the tourists to it.
So, we’re now in Udine and we don’t yet know where we’re going tomorrow. Here we are on the map. And we’ll keep you posted!
