After arriving in Melfi on Sunday night, Tracie P, Georgia P, and I took one of the most amazing road trips of our lives: starting Tuesday morning from Melfi, we drove to Venosa to visit Aglianico del Vulture vineyards; then through the vast endless wheat fields of the Basilicata plains; on to Gravina in Puglia (where we stopped to nurse) and then to Gioia del Colle (Puglia), where we took the autostrada and then superstrada through Taranto, over to Brindisi, arriving in Lecce around 5 p.m.

I have much to say about the experience and what we saw. But the most amazing thing was the color of the earth: as Tracie P put it, striations of black, gold, red, brown, green… The Aglianico grapes are at full ripeness and I imagine the growers will be picking soon.

Much more to write and many more photos to post… but now it’s time to take the ladies to the beach… :)