Andre and Wendy: Country walk and Cisternino

12,300 steps and 50 kms driving at 50 kms/hr or less most of the time

Started today with a walk that we found in a booklet we picked up at an information center. It was supposed to be 5KM, but I know we didn't actually do that walk, but it was still beautiful. I have no idea what tiny town we parked in, but we did a walking loop around some very small stone fenced country roads with lots of trulli homes. Many of these trulli homes are in bad shape, but some are still being lived in. This is more the real life than the whitewash homes we saw yesterday in Alberobello. We saw farms, with cows, sheep and goats. We were greeted by dogs barking that weren't too happy to see us, not too many visitors walk these roads I don't think. Lots of olive trees. Just a fun morning exploring some small roads on foot. We were waved at by the few cars that we met, and had a nice conversation with a man near our car on our return. He was so sweet, wanted to know where we were staying, how long we had been in the area, where we are going next, and did we like it here. Once he knew we were Canadian he was so happy to have a talk with us, very cute.

Walk done and we drove to another little old town in Cisternino. The place where we are staying had given us a list of where to park in towns, so we used this list for Cisternino. We arrived at the parking lot and there were about 10 cars there and a line up outside the building. We assumed the line up was to pay for parking, no it was the post office! How anyone would know it was the post office I have no idea, no signage at all. Anyway a huge parking lot, but no need to pay.

Walked up through old town, it is very small. Walked the little pedestrian streets, lots of white houses here. In Italy many places close for a couple of hours in the afternoon, we saw lots of closed up shops, not sure if it was because it was Saturday, or if it was their break time. We decided to have lunch in one of the squares, we both opted for pasta again, I am going to have a break from pasta once we get home, but here it is just so delicious. They do not put all the veggies and things in their pasta sauce here, mostly tomato that is delicious.

Walked around town again after lunch and decided to head back home. We are now the only car in the huge parking lot except for the 2 campers that are parked in the back. Not hard to find our car...

Back home, the owners are outside working in the gardens doing spring clean up, which we will be doing when we get home. Another load of laundry done, hoping one more load will do us later in the week before we head home.

Supper tonight will be the sandwiches we packed for a picnic today which turned out to be lunch in a restaurant. Along with some wine of course...