We set off and crossed back over the border into Puglia, driving for hours until we crossed over into Molise.
The politeness and consideration of the Southern Italians was with us to the very border. We were pottering along in the car when, having just overtaken another car, we heard a bit of a bang. We were wondering if we had left something on the roof, or maybe something had fallen on the car. Neither of us could see anything from the wing mirrors so we shrugged it off. Meanwhile a white car behind us started flashing his lights. Again and again he pulled out and flashed. In the end we pulled over. This chap leapt from his car and somewhat full of adrenalin started speaking to GS at top speed. I feared that we were being car hijacked by some random mafia person seeing the UK plates or that we were in the middle of some insurance ruse and that our Italian friend was about to claim a missing limb or whip lash injury bordering decapitation. GS was struggling with the speed and animation of our flasher so I strapped on my big girls pants and waded in. We noticed that he had a bit of a smashed in wing mirror and deduced what the noise had been. I was mid high horse ‘we can exchange insurance details but you ain’t pinning that on us- don’t drive into cars’ speech when what he was saying finally began to filter through.
He wasn’t chasing us to hijack us/ attempt some insurance fraud but was chasing us to apologise for driving into the side of our car shaving off the top layer of dust and offering his insurance details to us. We/ I were somewhat embarrassed.
Somewhat chastened by the ease with which we had returned into full legal Rottweiler we were soon on our way resolving to change and become better humans like those we had encountered.
We let him overtake us and watched him as we drove ahead, clearly visible as the white car that seemed to be magnetically pulled towards overtaking cars.
We had wandered around sleepy Termoli then found a little restaurant over looking the port for our last plate of spaghetti clams.
We drove up through the Abruzzo, and onto the Marche border. The thunder and lightening of Puglia had been replaced by grey, heavy rain and sodden land. But you could see that to the right were miles of pine trees, sitting on sand dunes, and beyond, untouched seas. Sometimes just a few rocks stood between us and the pristine, unspoilt beaches we drove past. We will be back.
We stayed one last night in a washed out resort in the pouring rain. It was kareoke night and I thought we might round off the trip with karaoke in the same way that it had started in Rome. But it turned out the entertainment was focused on primary school children so after a few attempts at following the vigorous actions we quietly withdrew to the safety of our room. Then it was final long push back to Tuscany.
We had had a lovely time, a rare chance to step outside our lives and tour a new area of Italy, whilst leaving much to discover next time.
But life was catching up with us fast. We had been gone too long. With the return to Tuscany came the news that my beloved father was very, very poorly. A few days to hold my breath with the family gathered from England and Rome, and then I it was time to tear back to England to be by his, and my mother’s, side.
2 Comments
Wow what a wild ride of emotions. Those photos are breathtaking. So easy to feel like you’re being attacked in those situations. I’m glad it was a positive outcome in the end.
Thank you Emily! Yes, I felt very guilty for jumping to the wrong conclusion. Do have a scroll back – you will see from start to finish how wonderfully welcoming the Italians were to us – we are used to it from our friends and neighbours in Tuscany- but were just random strangers in the South. I’m so grateful for you taking the time to read my blog – if you like it do please like and share. Don’t give up on that Italian Dream! It took my a decade to get my dream job in Rome – and I had the best time ever. It IS worth it. Love P XXX