14th May - Alberobello and the Giro

Breakfast at Muscato - I lost my hat last night - I ask at the bar at the end of the square - no- no - no - I walk back towards Muscato a little disappointed - suddenly there is a  commotion behind me - the owner is yelling for me to stop - he has found my hat! - he is pleased with himself and I am pleased with him! - smiles and handshakes all round! 

As we breakfast we watch - young male business people - slim fitting jeans - a navy jacket - sockless with court shoes - the look is professional! - they exhibit the Italian style - they stand, chat and sip their coffee at the counter in the Italian way. They touch each other on the shoulder and back in the Italian touchy feely way. 

We watch some more - older men - younger men - man bags and man bags and more man bags - all stylish!

"Stress oh stress why have you forsaken me!" - we leave the rental car in it's garage and we walk 300 meters to the bus stop - 3 euros and we are on our way to Alberobello! 

The day? - Glorious!

As we made our way to the bus station we noted lots and lots of new small cars - we laughed at the side protection on some - we laughed some more when we saw one fully side protected but suffering a front bumper swipe mark! 

Soon we on our way - we had been surprised at the relatively good behavior of Italian drivers in comparison to their peers of days gone by - we now understand why - all the mad Italian drivers have gone to become bus drivers - we speed along - no we tear  along! - the narrow roads are not even a small challenge for this driver!

The driver makes us just a little nervous - we smile at the seat belt warning sign on the seat back in front of us - there are no seat belts!

We head on towards Alberobello .

We are dropped at the station - it is a 20 minute walk to the pick up point for our tuk tuk tour.

Up and up among the Trullis' - we reach the spot to meet our tuk tuk - a pleasant guy - you are 20 minutes early - you wait in the cafe - I tell the guide you are there - I look at Bernie - she is happy.

We sit in the cafe - tour groups and more tour groups pass by - groups containing our peers striding out - we are a little jealous of their fitness! - groups of school children in matching colored hats - for ready identification by teachers and guide? - they pause at the direction of their supervisors - it may be a briefing on what they are to see - more likely though it will be the reading of the riot act!

Vale Ewan Moncrief 

The young guide greets us - pleasant young fellow - enjoys the job - he breaks the tour into for sections - both Trulli parts of the old town, the new town and the immediate countryside - the canned English commentary comes through a modern Bluetooth speaker - he interrupts the canned commentary often - he stops for photographs - recommends views - he talks about the Giro - he is surprised that it is well known in Australia - he distinguishes between old and new Trullis - new? - the cone stones are whitish - old? - the cone stones are grey! - he points out cherry trees - he points out kiwi vines - he shows us the macedonian oaks that only grow in this part of Italy

The route is enjoyable - we cannot imagine a better way of seeing old Alberobello - the driver drops us off at the bus terminus.

We wait for the bus - a bus pulls up - Bernie approaches the driver - "no buses to Martina Franca" says the driver - "cancelled because of the Giro!" - "only option is the train" says he - we accept his recommendation - the railway platform 10 meters away - the ticket machine amazingly user friendly 

The sun is out - it is a beautiful day!

We wait an hour and the train arrives on time to the minute - soon we are in Martina Franca - we emerge from the station - there is no where to go! - the Giro will pass by here later in the day - we try to skirt the blockages - we eventually succeed! - we try to call an Uber - the app searches and apologizes and apologizes again - it cannot find us a driver - we decide to walk - I look at Bernie - she looks tired - I had better not tell her that Google maps is telling me it is a half hour uphill walk! - "we will take it easy and so often" says I.

Indeed we do stop often - the trooper that is Bernie puts one foot in front of the other and trudges on - "everything seems to be uphill" says she. 

We reach the outskirts of the old town and continue our trudge through its narrow back streets - past washing hanging over us - past men sitting on their front door steps have a smoke.

We eventually reach the Square of September 20 - the crowd is just starting to develop to see the Giro past - we decide to stop for a drink and a bite - we spend an hour sitting - we chat with the owner - he cheerfully reminds us not to forget our hats.

We head for our accommodations and it's doorway on Corsa Italia - we are blocked - the Giro will traverse the Corsa in 20 minute time - we join the second row of the crowd and wait - as we wait we look up to our balcony commanding the Corsa just 20 meters away - what a place it would have been to watch the peliton pass by! - the motor bikes - the police with screaming sirens pass by - the breakaway flashes by - too fast for my camera finger! - the crowd cheer - the peliton passes and crowd roars! - this time I capture some of it's components.

The peliton is hardly out of sight when an official car suddenly stops beside us - what is he doing! - an official jumps out, grabs hold of a giro sign, cuts the zip tie holding it to the city signpost and deposits the giro sign in his vehicle - the organisation is amazing! 

Within 5 minutes of the peliton passing the Italian population has retaken charge of the road and things return to the normal state of chaos.

Nap time! 

We rise and head to the bar at the top of the square . We photograph our hire car resting in the square - I wish! 

We order gin and tonics and sit watching the square.

There are locals  - locals and more locals - stylish locals - young stylish locals - old stylish locals - everyone out enjoying the end of summer -

It is  20:00 - it is still early - still daylight - a great time for them - "look at him" says Bernie - "ah they are so stylish" - the dogs bark - the locals chat - the tourists in a distinct  minority.

"He got it wrong" says Bernie - "should have had sneakers with that outfit - not court shoes"  - "look they are sisters" says Bernie.

The locals stand and chat - our gin and tonics have been consumed - Bernie wants to eat - I suspect we will be moving towards a restaurant sooner rather than later.

"There is  papa out walking: with friends"  says Bernie - "I suppose momma is at home having a grappa and  cooking spaggetti" says Bernie - I suspect the gin and tonic has had an effect on her for she is wrong! - there are lots of papa's and momma's out strolling arm in arm.

We enter the Frantelli Brothers Beer House - as we sit it fills with locals - we close our eyes and listen to the sounds - they are magical! - individuals - couples - families - all producing wonderful noises - communication is rife but we understand not a word - we dine on local specials that seem to consist  entirely of meat and potatoes. 

We retire hurt and climb the staircase that never ends up to our room for the last time!