Friday 17th May

Friday 17th May

Today after the morning ritual of fruit and breakfast, we took off for a ‘short’ (!) journey to Caramanico where there are thermal baths and a spa. Our mission was to buy treatments for Daniela and Stefania for their respective birthdays on May 18th and 29th. When we finally arrived at Caramanico we found the thermal baths and the spa at La Reserve to be closed with little or no explanation why. There was a schoolchildren’s music competition going on but no activity at all at the spa or the attached hotel or at La Reserve, further up the street.

So, we retraced our steps and took the route back to Cugnoli. We stopped at a wonderful gelateria in San Valentino and then drove on to Scafa. Here we came to a stop as the road had been closed. We did not know why but after we got out of the car, we soon found out that the Giro d’Italia bike race would come through the village in the next hour or so and the road hade been close in anticipation of this. The police were holding back the few people, at this point who were waiting. As time passed the sponsor cars came though, more police, vans selling souvenir t-shirts, hats and whistles and support vehicles. Eventually after about 2.30 p.m. the first, leading group of cyclists flashed past to some cheering from, by this time about 100 or so people and a large jam of cars who had gathered to watch.

The Giro d'Italia flashes past

A little while later, the main group of riders passed and after that the final group. Then it was over!! The whole thing took only a few minutes and each group passed in seconds! And was cheered by the small crowd. Nevertheless we got a commemorative t-shirt, cap and whistle although we bequeathed the two whistles to two young children who were there to watch. The Giro d’Italia was started in 1909 and this was the 102nd time the event had taken place. It is only a few years younger than the Tour de France which takes place in July each year. The Giro d’Italia is often a precursor to the Tour de France and forms part of the 3 event cycling ‘Triple Crown’ which includes the Giro d’Espana.

After the riders had passed the police soon opened the road and we were able to continue our journey back to Cugnoli.

When we arrived back, rather later than we had intended, we helped Stefania prepared her pots of jam and bottled tomatoes for sale at a local shop. This comprised of placing a colored paper top on the jars, securing it and tying raffia around and securing a label onto the finished product. Nothing too scientific but a job that Stefania does not lie so it was great that we were able to help her with it and I hope that she will find other jobs that we can do to help her or to give her more time for herself.

Dinner was at 7.30 p.m. at the request of the German couple who would be leaving in the morning to continue their vacation in southern Germany. They are from the former East Germany from a town called Halle, near Leipzig.