Pope to Puglia Day 13 and 14 Teano to Alife – 24 km Alife to Faicchio – 19 km

We swept down to the valley from the Irpinian hills toward the Matese and Vitulano mountains and the Apennines.  We found rich farmland, olive groves, some vineyards and heard the grinding sound of tractors tilling the soil and the buzz of weed whackers clearing aggressive weeds.  A valley teaming with life.

Alife is an ancient town, originally inhabited by the Samnites before Romans conquered it in the 4^th century BCE.   It’s on the flat of the land, not perched on a hill like almost all the other towns we travel through. The accommodations in Alife were on Viale Dei Caduti Di Lavoro (Street of the People Who Died Working).   A name full of social irony. Our hostess for the evening, an enterprising lady named Antonella, who spoke in rapid fire Neapolitan with hand gestures to match, energetically slicing and piercing the air, while explaining the nuances of our apartment, did not care for the name. 

Faicchio is at about 1000 m altitude, tucked into the foothills of the Apennines that loom over the town on all sides.  As the day wore on gathering clouds and claps of thunder indicated a coming storm that broke loose just as we entered our room for the night.  Good timing.