Guardia

Sept. 16th Sunday

Whenever I would tell someone I wanted to go to Guardia by bike they would say "Oh Guardia is so beautiful but don't go by bike.  It's all uphill".  Well I still, for whatever reason I don't know, have to set these challenges up for myself.  I guess it makes me feel good that I am not giving in to the age thing.  So on my one speed bike me and Jonathan set out to Guardia after getting a lunch invitation from Maria Pia's friend, Marilina an English teacher from Guardia.  We'll always accept an invitation to eat at someone's house.
There were hills and then there were bigger hills. I had to walk part of the way pulling the one speed through a few small towns and many vineyards.  One town actually meant city of wine.  I drank all the water I had brought.  Found a stream, filled up my water bottle from it, drank some, then Jonathan said "I wouldn't drink any ground water in Italy".  Oh well.  I'm fine and it tasted good.  But not as good as the cluster of grapes I snagged and ate to quench my thirst.  All the grapes in the Benevento area are at their peak and ready to be picked.  I'm just now seeing trucks and tractors pulling trailers overloaded with grapes going down the streets.
So as we got to Marilina's house I discovered I had a flat tire.  She said she'd bring me home-no problem.  It was about 10Km (13 miles) so walking was not what I wanted to have to do.
For lunch we had some kind of beef stew cooked in tomatoes, big flat pasta rings with sauce, rabbit cooked in tomato sauce, sausages and salad.  The meats were cooked in tomato sauce that Marilina bought from Maria Pia.  Sauce I probably helped to make.  After lunch Marilina brought me and Jonathan a couple of miles up some more hills to the center of the town so we could walk around, take pictures and would pick us up in an hour to take ME back home. Jonathan wanted to go further on his bike to the next town.
The town of Guardia was built around this huge castle which now is at least half abandoned and the other half has been turned into apartments.  The abandoned apartments were all open and looked like no one had been there for at least 50 years.  And many had  VENDISI on the door.  FOR SALE.  Guardia was on House Hunter International recently because of the amount of places for sale for around 10,000Euro.
As I had mentioned before, Clair bought one and was still in the process of finishing it when it was filmed and shown on tv.  The castle was filled with really narrow alleyways, all stone and the few places that were lived in were nicely decorated with flower pots and window boxes filled with flowers.  It took all of the hour we had to walk down to almost the bottom and around a few corners and then find our way back up to where we were getting picked up.  I definitely want to go back and spend a whole day exploring more of Guardia.
P.S.  Jonathan went on further, got a flat himself and walked home with his bike.  It was about 25 miles and he got home about 1 a.m.