A Bandit's Farewell Tour of Italy

I had a very long day yesterday.  What should have been a simple train journey from Bari to Locorotondo became an Italian epic.  A train arrived on time at Bari Central station, but after the passengers got on, the guard helpfully informed us it was a delayed earlier train going somewhere different.  Our train finally arrived fifteen minutes late and took us only a few stations to Rutigliano, where this train's guard told us that we had to transfer to a coach because of repair work caused by the fact that robbers had stolen some of the overhead electric cables for the copper.  The bus took us to Conversano, where we got another train before having to change again at Putignano, finally arriving in Locorotondo a mere forty five minutes late, where our good friend and neighbour Paolo was waiting to pick me up.

The delays did allow for some interesting encounters.  At the start of the journey I chatted with an old guy who lives in Noicattaro and proudly told me about the local table grape growing industry.  Then I ended up translating into English the problems with the train to a very confused young Chinese tourist who told me her name was Ho. Ho resigned her job as an auditor in Beijing to go travelling for two months and she is "doing Europe" on her own with a steely determination.  She has two days allocated to Bari and will spend them doing day trips to places of interest and that days target was Alberobello.  Good luck Ho!

Finally at home I quickly prepared the bike, said hello/goodbye to everyone and set off for Nocera Umbra to spend the night with our friends Carole and Kevin.  I hadn't measured the distance before I set off and was stiff and saddle sore when I got off in Nocera's central piazza 380 miles later.  It was lovely to catch up with Carole and Kev over a pleasant supper in a local restaurant. 

As I rode through the Italian countryside it occurred to me that this is my old Suzuki Bandit's last journey in Italy as it is probably too ancient to brave the trip again.  And so today I must plan the remainder of the farewell tour.