Invitation To Italy, Vignettes-9

Chapter 25 Puglia, Italy’s “Heel”

It’s a land of contrasts with barren plateaus and fertile plains; poor farms and wealthy estates; modern buildings and ancient stone structures.

Manduria … some of these olive groves are a thousand years old and older. … Some look like modernistic statues; others could be a substitute for a Rorschach ink-blot test.

… the ladies insisted we take more and more potatoes, but there was just no way they would accept any money. Jim tried to just lay the money down somewhere, but the ladies would not permit it, so Jim helped them gather potatoes

Brandisi … We reserved a place to park on the top deck of the SS Valentino, and sleep and eat in our RV — there was no need for an overnight ship’s cabin from Italy to Greece.

Chapter 26 Sardinia

It was a glorious 30 minute ferryboat ride to Sardinia. The view back to Bonifacio, with the colors of the cliffs, the buildings, and the deep blue sea, was exceptionally beautiful.

We found Sardinia to be a land of contrast: there is a Sardinia of large villas, luxury hotels and yacht harbors; a Sardinia of mountains, shepherds and farmers; and the archeological Sardinia with four to six thousand year old ruins.

… women in confining black dresses, … long knitted black shawls … sunbathers wearing half of a tiny bikini.

Chapter 27 Sicily

Palermo … on the list of places that must be seen again, or in our case, for almost, but not quite, the first time.

… in Agrigento the fruit and vegetable vendor, with his donkey-drawn cart, was singing his own special song, advertising the goods he had for sale.

Taormina … the Teatro Greco. … the Sea far below, with snow capped Mt. Etna silently smoking in the distance high above the stage, this is a genuinely exhilarating site.

So just like armies of the past, the Humberds crossed the Straits of Messina and continued their journey through the fascinating country of Italy