Well if that wasn't a good night's sleep nothing is. Gradually the animals [and humans] stir and make their early morning noises. The bell clanging sheep are driven back out and the guinea fowl have an argument while donkeys bray in the next field.
Ali goes to say goodbye and is given a quick tour of the villa and animal pens. Having read about these masserinas only a few days ago it has been a real treat to stay on one.
Carovigno is fairly quiet as we drive through and soon we join the busy dual carriageway towards Bari. We have good views of the blue Adriatic sea and there is a lot of development near the coast. As we go north the colours change from red soil and olives to brighter green vines and yellow grasses. We also see a number of abandoned and derelict farm houses.
On our travels we've become used to young women in lay bys plying their trade, but usually they are dressed in relatively normal clothes and sitting on plastic chairs. Near Bari there is nothing as subtle; strutting the roadside in high heels, black lace basques and underwear [not actually under anything] of the flossing thong variety, they'd make a Bunny Girl look ready for waiting on royalty. Like we have Park4night and Camperstop, do lorry drivers' satnavs have a POI list for these laybys? Park4nicate and Hump-Her-stop? We may snigger, but who knows for what real reasons they're there?
After a good deal of dual carriageway we reach Santa Margherita di Savoia and stop in an empty marketplace for lunch. Ali goes to a Spar shop up the road but everything is closed for lunch. Our route continues across the salt pans of Margherita di Savoia. These are on a much bigger, industrial scale compared with Marsala, Guerande and Pag. Instead of wheelbarrow or garden shed sized piles of salt, here it is piled as big as an aircraft hanger by large gantries and conveyors. One pile would fill a good sized ship. On one side of the arrow straight road pools, tainted red by algae are scattered with flamingos and on the other side rough grass and flowers spread across the flat land or little vegetable patches.
There are loads of campsites and sostas nearly all of which are closed and don't look ready to open so they must have a very short season.
We were going to stop in Zapponetta but it's still early and the open site we'd picked doesn't look great so we decide to motor on a bit further to Manfredonia. We find parking at the marina, free and everything looking clean and new around the harbour. Keen to find a convenience store Ali goes for a walk.
No shop, but it's a vibrant town; no litter, bronze statues and pavements with mosaics, ramps that meet on both sides of crossings and well tended little palm gardens.
The temperature reaches 27C but we're cooled by really strong winds, which are probably the same Adriatic winds as the 'Bura' in Croatia. The rigging of the yachts hums constantly in the background.
Not finding shopping gives us little choice for dinner except something from the nearby pizzaria.
It's been a long day's drive but with a free, interesting stop and pizza who could complain?