Pope to Puglia Day 38 Otranto to Vignacastrisi – 26 km

We left the Aragonese castle behind. A beautiful blustery, wet day, first along the coast, now marked by steep cliffs, and then back in olive groves and vineyards and thorough small towns (less than 1,000 inhabitants) with extraordinary churches. This is the last of our 20+ km days, a distance that at the beginning of the walk would have been debilitating, today it was a breeze.  Human progress.

The landscape is littered with Masserie, the old, fortified manor homes, many dating to the 16^th century, surrounded by vineyards, olive groves, cultivated fields and animal pastures.  Many of them are now abandoned, the economic system that supported them eliminated, but some have been converted into attractive resorts.  We stayed in one, Masseria San Domenico, back in Savelletri, that was one of the best hotels/resorts we have ever frequented.   It is another example of the resiliency of Italian culture.  Not to mention the most exquisite dinner we are having in Vignacastrisi, population 1,700, at a restaurant that anywhere else would be a 3-star Michelin.  Such is life.