At 6am I wake up, at 6:30 I have packed up and I am on the road again. That is a new record time! Just leaving the bags on the bike and eating beforehand has saved me indeed a lot of time.
I cycle for a bit and then stop in a nearby village, enjoying a quick breakfast on a bench. Just when I'm about to leave, two pedestrians spontaneously stop and invite me for a coffee to a nearby bar! Nino and Deirdre who both live in Rome are visiting relatives in the area. We chat for a couple of minutes, they seem quite intrigued by my plans. Very touching when Deirdre wanted to leave me her phone number ... in case I got in trouble!
Via Benevento I continue my journey. I'm getting replacement for my lost chain lube in the local mall (I should really publish a list of lost/forgotten items, just to keep track of it) and I fail to get a replacement for my spare headlamp which has also gone missing, mysteriously. Then, when I replenish my drinking water in the local park, suddenly a police car and 2 police motorcycles pull up next to me. Ooops, am I in trouble? Why didn't I get Deirdre's number!?
Turns out they just want to chill in the park and after a brief interrogation chat, the policemen insist on taking a selfie with me. And then I'm asked to take a picture of them, posing. I guess it's really not that busy in Benevento today, crime-wise...
Continuing across farm fields I look for a place for the night. Once more I'm challenged by dogs, this time three at the same time running towards me ... without making a sound.... in the middle of the countryside. Have I invaded someone's property again? I turn around and look elsewhere.
Only later I realize my mistake when I see the "dogs" running across the fields in a playful manner again: they're in fact foxes (hence the lack of barking).
It's now my 3rd day without a shower, cycling in 30+ celsius heat. I'm sticky as fuck and I just cannot stand it anymore. After setting up camp at the edge of a field I use one of my precious water bottles to treat myself to a 1.5 liter shower. Yup... MUCH better!!
The next morning at 5 o'clock, the first tractors are on their way. I guess it's time to get up... :/
Foggia!
Eventually! I have planned my next route through a bigger city, Foggia, so I can find a hostel or a CS host that accommodates me. And I'm lucky: Michele accepts my request to stay for 1 night. Even though he has grown up in Foggia (we're staying at his parents' home), he's a real Bari enthusiast, having studied there, and he gives me plenty of tips of food to try when I visit. And then he has yet another suggestion:
- "Why don't you go to Gargano before Bari?" he asks.
- "Gargano..."? I'm clueless
- "The national park. It's beautiful. I'm going there too, in a few days. It's not too far from here".
A quick look at the map confirms that in fact it's not too much of a deviation (also pretty flat approach :D) and I conclude that the next morning I will in fact be heading in direction of Gargano!
Before that however we're enjoying a night out in a local Foggia bar where the large Peroni is 2 EUR, discussing politics, (Southern) Italian mentality while enjoying some fast food.
Also did I ever mention that the very best thing about Italy is the beer bottles being not 500 but 660 ml?