Week 4 – Bike tour, sightseeing and more shoes

• Saturday – Adrienne’s cousin Pauline arrived from NZ after a very long trip, so we went sightseeing – after pizza and prosecco in Ostuni piazza of course.
• Sunday – the community bike ride for Santa Rita – a brilliant day – we joined about 120 folks from San Vito and rode about 8 kms to a big Masseria.

• In case there were any problems we had the local ambulance bringing up the rear!

• We arrived at the Masseria and joined in the mass – with a difference – we were on hay bales with all the animals gathered about. The priest even welcomed the visitors from Australia, so honoured guests.

• And you know you are in Italy when one of the kids was playing up during mass, Gino’s wife, Luisa, gave him a slap, squeezed his check,  and then a good dressing down – the kid’s father came over and joined in – on Luisa’s side!!
• After mass came the morning tea Italian style – a complete scrum, (Italians don’t do queues), but wow – bruschetta,  fabulous fresh cheeses and salamis from the Masseria, local wine, (of course), it could not have been better – a very special day.

But some very sore bums the next day – you may not forget how to ride a bike, but after 40 years the bum does!!

• Yesterday we went to Lecce – “The Bologna of the south” – very impressive baroque city – all visitors will get a trip here.

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But to the most important activity for the week – more shoes – we made the daily sales budget for the the Geox shoe store in Mesagne this morning – 3 pairs in one sale.

• We are about to have Adrienne’s language school classmates over for dinner, and then on Friday Gino and Luisa are coming to make pizzas in the forno. Adrienne is going to make a pavlova – will blow them away – photos in the next edition.
• Ciao for now