The road to Bari.

We had mixed ideas about how to spend our last few days in Italy. But decided since the drive from Rome was about 5 hours and likely to take us even longer, we would abandon my plans of getting to Pompeii and instead head over to the Adriatic coast.

We stopped at Cassino, with Monte Cassino perched high above. The book bags book group had included Patricia Grace's "Tu" on the reading list last year and so I had still had fresh descriptions of the battles and loses the Maori Battalion had there. We chickened out of taking the winding steep drive up to the abbey, rebuilt after WW2, as I had enough driving mapped out for the day, but took a break and a van lunch with stunning views of the area. The van noted the outside temp was 39 deg. 

After a rest up we headed off, driving through a different rural area, less populated and more agricultural than we had previously seen. We had hoped to camp 1/2 way but were unable to find any suitable spots, so despite the day growing late, pushed on to the coast.

Arrived about 9:15 pm, but the camp heather had set the gps to wasn't open yet for the season, despite her phoning ahead. So after much confusion, phone calls and weaving our way around narrow town streets we arrived at our actual spot for the night. The gate guy had stayed up, and despite only speaking Italian and smelling strongly of vino, tried to convey the layout, amenities, bathroom requirements, pool location etc. and then kindly escorted us to a far gate at the complex following our gesticulating queries about if we were near the sea. Yes, just through that gate which would be unlocked at 7 am ( not at all the message heather thought he was saying...). So by 11 pm we settled for vodka and blood orange juice with roasted peanuts for supper and settled in for the night. 

In daylight, we could see we were at a gorgeous camp, surrounded by gnarly old olive and fig trees, with a stunning coast just 200 mt down the path. 

Spent the rest of the day parked at a breezy spot on Trani, whiling away the day before we headed for the late ferry - with a 10 pm departure.