THE LAST DAY IN CASTELNUOVO

After the festivities of the night before the Americanas were a little late in getting their breakfast on this last complete day in Castelnuovo; folks straggled into the restaurant in bits and pieces. We spent the morning talking and walking around the grounds of the hotel. After lunch we headed back up the hill as a group where we would continue or tour of the town, led by our tireless leader, Dante.

The first thing we confronted in the piazza was the weekly market. Fortunately we got there before it departed early in the afternoon.





While others shopped I took some time to do this only sketch of the town.



Dante led us through the winding streets of Castelnuovo with a fixed destination in mind. My cousin Joan had a small bag of her father’s ashes, determined to leave them on a Castelnuovo hillside, and Dante knew just the spot.









To reach the location Dante had in mind we had to go through a private lane. He approached the woman standing in her yard looking at a hoard of strangers coming into her lane. After he explained who we were and what our mission was and she welcomed us into her yard and directed us to the back of her house. When I looked up I was, for just a moment, envious of my uncle’s ashes.










As we headed back to the street our new friend came out of the house with a plate of fresh figs from one of her several trees. They were wonderful, and, as a special treat we were invited to pick some of the figs ourselves which we enjoyed on our trek back through town. We were a tired but happy group of cousins when we gathered once again for our before dinner wine and conversation in the lounge. The food in Italy was fantastic, and none was any better than what we were served in Castelnuovo.


I must confess to falling in love in Italy. Our waitress Maria won my heart, but sadly she had a boyfriend, and Patience made it clear that we could not take her home.



Tomorrow morning we leave for Foggia and the train to Rome.