July 24, 2024 - Daily Distance: 22 km - Total Distance: 45 km

The heat from yesterday made us set the alarm an hour earlier: by 4:30 AM, we were already up. To shorten the stage, we decide to start by walking along the SP109: 5 km of asphalt await us, fortunately covered in the early hours of the morning. The downloadable track in the gallery suggests an alternative route we should have taken: it’s 1.5 km longer but avoids the road.

Our spirits are high, and we start the day with what will become our morning ritual: a photo with our fingers indicating the day of the journey. Today is day two!

We set off downhill toward the Tavoliere delle Puglie, which will accompany us throughout the day. Once at the bottom, we turn back for a final look at the walls of the Swabian-Angevin Castle: goodbye, Lucera.

The SP109 is not very busy at this hour, and luckily, the road has a wide shoulder, so vehicles keep a safe distance. Often, truck drivers greet us as they pass by, curious about these three hikers with backpacks, heading who knows where. Whenever possible, we leave the asphalt to walk through the surrounding fields.

After the much-anticipated 5 km, we join the Pozzo delle Capre - Fiume Triolo branch, or rather, the dirt road that remains of this ancient cattle track. A quick note: the branches were secondary routes that connected the main cattle tracks. It’s no coincidence we’re using this route to pass from the Celano-Foggia track to the Tratturo Magno.

As soon as we start walking along the branch, we encounter the first surprise: a marker for the Via Francigena del Sud. Once again, an old cattle track has been repurposed as a route for a modern pilgrimage trail.

The wind helps us keep a good pace: we might make it before the heat becomes unbearable. Between conversations, we spot a massive structure on the horizon. We start speculating about this mysterious fortress and search for it on the maps... but it seems not to exist! The mystery deepens, and as we begin crafting stories about this strange apparition, the camera's zoom lens reveals the truth, shattering the illusion: it's not a castle, but an enormous stack of rectangular hay bales. What a disappointment!

We carry on, and from the top of a hill, we finally admire the full width of the branch. Even though only the central dirt road is accessible, the long, wide strip of the cattle track remains clearly visible... and it's a fascinating sight.

Along the way, we come across a flock of sheep: they still exist! One of the shepherds, interestingly, approaches us... in a car. He tells us about other walkers who passed by the day before along the Via Francigena. We explain that we’re following the cattle tracks to reach L’Aquila. For once, we meet someone who knows what we’re talking about and, more importantly, understands the area. He warns us that further ahead, the cattle track is blocked by an olive plantation. We’ll later discover that, fortunately, the owner has left a gate for pilgrims, so crossing won’t be a problem.

We continue, following the gentle ups and downs of the cattle track, until it veers left to reconnect with the Tratturo Magno. We, however, go straight toward today’s destination: San Severo. The dirt road accompanies us until 4 km from the finish, where we are forced back onto the SP109. Once again, wherever possible, we cross the fields to avoid the road.

As we approach the city, we engage in the first of what will become a series of almost daily skits. During today’s stage, as with yesterday’s, we haven’t found any water sources along the way, so I suggest stopping at the first available bar. Silvia counters, suggesting we wait until 1.5 km from the finish. A small negotiation ensues, which is finally resolved with a compromise: we’ll stop at the first bar right after the city’s entrance sign. And so it was: a break... just 1.5 km from the finish!

Track of the day