13th May - Cisternino and the Square

Breakfast at Muscato - coffee and a croissant.

We extract the car from it's accommodations and head to Cisternino just 15 minutes out of Martina Franca 

We try to park using the parking app -a disaster! - Mike handles it in a manner unbecoming! 

We relocate - we find a strange thing - free parking in Puglia. 

We walk and we walk uphill - uphill and uphill - we eventually see an obscure sign and a hidden entry way that leads us into the small historic centre of Cisternino - we wander a little - we are a little underwhelmed! 

We return to Martina Franca and rest. We hate the idea of parking in Puglia and decide that we will see if we can take a bus to Alberobello tomorrow.

We rise - We sit in a cafe at the top of the main square - I watch and I watch. 

A local - he is retired - stylishly dressed - he leans forward with one arm against the corner pillar of the square to ensure that he has some protection against any failure of his sense of balance - he casts his eyes over the tourists - I wonder what he is thinking - he pauses a while and slowly moves on.

A group from a small bus tour sit in the cafe beside me - Americans all - mostly single retirees - they are polite and nice to one another - they compare their travel experiences - they are subtle in their competition to be ranked "the traveler most experienced" 

Couples drift along the square - there is a distinct tendency for the female partner to drift away from the straight path under there influence of magnetic attraction of the shop windows - slowly the male changes his direction to follow - it is the way of all long term mature relationships.

As it watch it seems to me that it is no longer only bum bags that distinguish the tourist from the local but also lanyards and backpacks and iphones hanging around necks and walking poles attached to wrists and white sneakers - the tourist is evolving! 

A couple slide along - he is cool - hands behind his back - jumper around his waste - she is business like - there is something to see! - "mustn't look to enthusiastic" thinks he as he dutifully follows along.

A neatly but casually dressed mature male strides out - he tries to hide his failing knees - he thinks he is successful but the observer is not fooled for even an instant - the aging male cannot disguise the ravages of time!

The retiree - he always had artistic tendencies thinks I - he sits in the cafe beside me - he sketches the square in front of him - he is loving this - his wife returns from a shopping spree - she is keen to show her acquisitions - she is an experienced partner - she quickly recognises his lack of interest in her purchases and departs to add to her collection of holiday acquisitions - he returns to his sketching - he will show it to her with pride as they dine later in the night. She returns - she chats away - it is a one sided conversation - eventually he acknowledged her return with a nod of his head!

The voices are so so different - the rhythms so different - the volume fluctuations typically Italian - the experience delightful - I listen some more - somehow the Italian voices are getting louder and louder - are they really getting louder or is it just the delayed effects of too many gin and tonics? 

People wander by - men dressed in shorts - they try to convince themselves that they are not cold - the observers know that they are deluding themselves.

People so stylishly dressed - so much thought has gone into how to look good on holiday

Single women - confident - know their limits - they display a clear understanding of what they will do and what they will avoid - their experience shows! - why would a married old man even notice them - feel sorry for them - of course I know the answer - male arrogance!!!!

A night to remember - Bernie is moderately sober - one gin and tonic - " not much gin in that" says she - I try mine - the reverse is true - perhaps I got both shots - time for our second drink - she orders a sparkling water - ah - a problem with the language - her sparkling water arrives as a beer.

Mike is not so sober. 

We wander further towards the second of the squares - there are restaurants everywhere - suddenly there are smiles - the waiter and waitress from last night at a different restaurant greet us - they work here as well! - their boss joins us - he is the master - there is not doubt where we will eat. 

Tables are arranged, quilts provided and a heater brought into our proximity - the service and the environment a delight. We feel like getting up and spruking for them on the street.

We are ready to depart - the owner offers to get us back to there main square in a golf cart - we refuse!

We wander into the churchb in front of the restaurant. Mass is underway 

As we head back Bernie is attracted by yet another clothing shop - go in there Bernie" said I - "the shop promises that you will come out looking like that" - the shop was not telling the truth! 

Onwards back to there main square - along comes the restaurant owner in his golf cart - he stops - big smiles and high fives! 

As we approach the main square we come to the 5 Senses restaurant that looked after us last night - the waitress and waiter have relocated - the waitress poses with Bernie. 

A delightful night!

We take a bus tomorrow to Alberobello