Via Francigena nel Sud Day 20: Celle San Vito - Troia - Giardinetto

Road to from Rome Day 20: Celle San Vito - Troia - Giardinetto 33 km

Today marked a change of status for me: I set off in the morning as a member of the Road to Rome group, a senior member one might say, after 20 days walking, but I arrived in the evening as a perfectly ordinary pilgrim, alone, tired, and with a flat battery in my phone. What happened? 

The Road to Rome group splits in two at Troia, as the walkers head toward Monte Sant'Angelo while a group of cyclists speeds ahead along the Via Traiana, the inland route to Bari. I don't fit into either group, as I want to take the inland route but I don't have a bicycle! I have calculated, however, that if I walk 30-35 km a day, skip a rest day, and take a few shortcuts (or local buses), I can still manage to meet up with the others in Bari on October 7! 

So for the next week I will be going my own way and reporting from the Via Francigena south of Rome as an ordinary individual pilgrim, rather than a member of a privileged group which is received by the local authorities as honoured guests; this will presumably make  more interesting reading for walkers interested in attempting the route alone or as a small group rather than as part of an organised event! 

Before leaving the group this afternoon, however, I did have another half day taking advantage of the special reception they enjoy. On the road outside Celle we were met by members of the local Lions' Club bearing a themos of hot espresso and a tray of biscuits. Further along, we encountered two horsemen who escorted us to a winery, Cantine Pirro, where we were introduced to owner Stefano Maria Pirro and offered four wines to taste: a Falanghina and three wines made from the local Nero di Troia grape, in white (very interesting!), rosé and classic red versions. Nero di Troia is a grape that was until only a few decades ago used primarily as a vino da taglio to add extra body and alcohol to lighter northern Italian reds, but has now come into its own, and is used alone to make a variety of wines. But the vine will still refuses to grow anywhere except the countryside around the town of Troia! 

After sampling four wines accompanied by a light lunch, we returned to the Via Francigena and some of the most beautiful scenery we have seen so far! 

Or perhaps it just looked especially good after all that wine! 😁🍷

Upon arriving in Troia, I said goodbye to some members of the group and arrivederci to others whom I will meet again in Bari. Then I sat in the square waiting for the city's famous cathedral, built in 1083 - 1086, to reopen at 4:30. It was worth the wait, although the most beautiful parts are actually the façade, side walls with their Romanesque carved figures, bronze doors and rose window, all of which can be seen from outside! 

Once I had seen the inside of the cathedral I hurried along on my way, as I had another two and a half hours of walking ahead of me and the sun now sets at around seven. The first part of the walk out of Troia was beautiful, with vast expanses of farmland and giant windmills ahead of me and the town of Troia retreating into the distance behind. 

There was not a soul about, and the crumbling old abandoned farmhouses with fig trees growing through their windows added a melancholy note to the landscape. 

Eventually some inhabited farmhouses began to appear, which was actually worse because of the yapping little dogs, not all of which were tied up! Just as dusk was falling, I spotted the warm, cosy lights of my inn by the road, Posta Guevara. This is a place that not only rents clean, comfortable, inexpensive rooms but has a swimming pool, a school of the culinary arts and a restaurant with an excellent reputation - though by this time I was too tired to enjoy any of these! I retired to my room, which has a rapid Internet connection that actually works reliably (hence thevlarge number of photos in today's entry) and a table perfect for writing in the diary of the Ragazze in Gamba and eating the giant omelette sandwich I was issued this morning - back when I was still a privileged member of the Road to Rome entourage!