July 28, 2024 - Daily Distance: 25 km - Total Distance: 135 km

At 5:00 AM, after a fabulous breakfast in the B&B’s tavern, we're already out the door. We have 25 km ahead of us, so we set off with determination. A long descent will take us to the tratturo we had to leave prematurely yesterday. We start with 4 km of asphalt, mostly on secondary roads. In the distance, we catch our first glimpse of the Adriatic Sea, and then the sun rises with a beautiful dawn among the sunflowers: it’s one of those magical moments that punctuate the journey along the tratturo.

To get onto the tratturo, we need to cross a small stream. Once again, we find that vegetation has blocked the way, but by now we’ve had plenty of practice. Elena shows us what she’s learned and bravely demonstrates how to create a path through the underbrush, even perfectly mimicking the roar of a lumberjack worn out by 12 hours of hard work, which is crucial for enhancing the realism of the situation: a top-notch performance!

The tratturo path is a nice dirt trail with a gentle incline. We find the first signs reminding us that we are on the Cinturelle-Montesecco tratturo: since the satellite images this time were not clear at all, I am proud of having guessed the route correctly! The "Cammino della Pace" signs reappear... a mystery...

At the top of the rise, we come across a sort of marble lectern. Maybe it's a plaque—who knows what it’s meant to commemorate! We walk around it curiously... but it’s completely blank! No writing, no designs, no carvings. Who knows what it’s doing there.

We get back on our way. Today, the gentle breeze eases the heat: perhaps we’re getting off easy! Let the games begin. We become poets! I won’t add details, as Pascoli, Leopardi, Carducci, and others must be turning in their graves over what we’ve come up with.

Another novelty of the day: halfway through the route, we cross the town of Montenero di Bisaccia, so we look forward to a stop. The tratturo heads straight through the beautiful calanchi area.

Before entering the town, we spot a large yellow bench from the "Big Bench Community": I’ve never understood their purpose, but I admit they are quite striking.

Soon after, we come across some fountains. It’s the first time we’ve found water in the middle of the day. Once in town, Silvia would prefer to keep going, but at the first bar, there’s a mutiny: full breakfast is a must!

When we set off again, we need to leave the tratturo and head to San Salvo for the night. To stay on the tratturo, we would have had to ford the Trigno River, which is too risky without a bridge. It’s mostly asphalt, but it’s downhill and on secondary roads. Thanks to the sea breeze, the effort today is barely noticeable.

We come across a pyramidal structure along the way. We wonder what it is—it looks like a sanctuary. Later, we find out it’s a chapel attached to a retirement home.

At the end of the long descent, we reach the bridge over the Trigno River: the official entry into Abruzzo! Silvia looks under the bridge and says, “We could have forded this!” I take a look too and understand why my friend occasionally finds herself in trouble...

After traversing a particularly unpleasant stretch of national road, we pick up some dirt roads that will take us right into San Salvo.

Shortly after entering the town, there’s the bar: beer! A caregiver is having lunch with popcorn and stops to chat with us, sharing stories about her life. Listening to her, we realize there are some really tough jobs out there. She doesn’t complain much. The other bar patrons are quite a sight!

We’re practically at the sea, so I insist on having a fish dinner. We’re lucky: the food is great and the price is modest. Afterward, we’d like to go see a show in the square featuring the "du bott’", a typical Abruzzese instrument, but we’re all so tired that none of us has the energy left... we head to bed.