July 29, 2024 - Daily Distance: 18 km - Total Distance: 153 km

Today we follow a pattern that will soon become routine: the first phase is getting onto the tratturo, the second is walking it, and the third is reaching our accommodation. However, along today’s route, the tratturo has almost completely disappeared. Neither maps nor satellite images show any clear traces: we rely on a simple general direction to follow, and that will have to suffice.

The stage is short, only 18 km, so we pack our bags leisurely. The hearty breakfast offered by the B&B hosts doesn’t help speed things up. But underestimating the route is a mistake: though the distance is short, we face continuous ups and downs (more ups than downs!), and it will take longer to arrive than expected.

Fortunately, the landscape is beautiful, and a fresh breeze keeps us company. For a brief stretch, the stickers of the "Cammino della Pace" reappear. The path winds through vineyards and stubble fields in a pleasant hilly landscape, with the majestic Maiella standing tall on the horizon. Our thoughts drift back to our starting point, a week ago, in the Tavoliere delle Puglie: how far we’ve come! We are now nearly halfway through our journey.

In the distance, a Canadair is busy putting out a fire that has ravaged the side of a hill. It’s the same fire we had seen from afar the day before.

Exhausted from the sun, we reach Furci... or rather, the bar in Furci! The patrons look at us curiously. One of them dozes off despite the chatter around him. After several hours and multiple passes in front of the bar, we find him still there, in the same position, while everyone else has left!

The evening ends with a traditional dinner at the restaurant "La locanda del brigante." A great choice. I take advantage of the evening to ask for a favor: the B&B where we’re staying doesn’t have a stamp to mark our “credential” as proof of passage. I ask if by chance the restaurant has one. My request seems to surprise everyone: everything is digital now, and no one uses stamps anymore! However, after a moment of thought, the owner remembers he has one in his car. The whole place pauses as the hunt for the stamp begins. The ink pad is dry, but no worries: it’s re-inked with a marker! In the end, we get a stamp that’s worth double... and the other customers sigh in relief as the table service resumes!

Track of the day