Cinzia and Fabrizio (hosts of Gatta ci Cova) share with us the story of their end-of-summer trip.

It was a tour of that South where old and new mix and amaze you with the freshness and practicality of its solutions in present day awareness.

The first stopover was at Tonio and Monica’s farm in Macchia Valfortore in Molise on Lake Occhito. They had applied to join WWOOF and after seeing what and how they do it, we opened the association’s door with a welcoming bow (when it needs be, it needs be).

On the way to Francesco’s in Maratea, we made a few historical and culture-oriented stops in Sepino and Paestum, which made it clearer where we come from historically speaking. 

Once we reached Francesco’s, our experiences, our stories and our lives mingled with his with a unique simplicity. Tales of full lives that leave no room for feeling sorry for oneself, and then my 64th birthday and a cake with candles (a gift from Cinzia, Francesco, Thierry, Rita and Obri whom I hadn’t seen for decades).

Leaving Francesco was hard, but the route through Basilicata and the great change of scenery up to the Ionian Sea and a visit to the archaeological sites of Metaponto were waiting for us. After Taranto, we reach Salento and down there, towards the tip of the heel: Piccapane and Giuseppe. Desolation, for dozens of kilometres, among olive trees that have died because of xylella. But when we arrived at Giuseppe’s, the joy of seeing each other again lifted our spirits.

A few days at his place allowed us to get to know a great buzz of agricultural and cultural initiatives in the sphere of Giuseppe’s friends, a strong and deep bond with his land, and what a land! I do not know what it depends on (perhaps the richness of minerals in the soil) but Giuseppe’s products had an extra something, almost as if they were already seasoned. In between the lines of this short story there is the wonder of getting to know people who are very different from me, but for this very reason very interesting, there is the pursuit of more sustainable lives that cross paths and enrich each other. There is this beautiful partnership that allows you to experience all this at first hand.