Patriotic Operation 'Free The Bee'

Why I love Italians

Italy is long. Panni is one thousand kilometers south from Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard. The distance is doable in one day drive, provided you wake up at 5:00 a.m., which I gladly do. The careful descent from the altitude of 2188 meters into Val d’Aosta takes almost two hours. There, near the Aosta castle I pick the first BlaBlaCar passenger, then three more near Milan, so the ride passes quickly. The last one, Giovanni gets off in Foggia, and soon after, towards 10 p.m. my car enters the serpentine to the final destination: Panni. It has been a long day.

Panni is small village in the mountains of Puglia, built on the mountain top. I know that some music is supposed to happen here. And that’s pretty much it.

But there are other reasons to come here. The village is far to the seaside. There is no beach, no Roman ruins, no nightlife, no famous national park nearby, and very few TripAdvisor recommendations. This alone makes it a potentially great destination, I think.

And I was not mistaken.

Next morning, in the heart of Panni, a jewel nestled amid the rolling hills of southern Italy, I wandered its labyrinth of medieval streets, each step a whisper of history…

No… that’s a different blog.

Next morning, my bicycle broke. Yes, that same folded bike I always carry in my van. But who can repair a broken gear mechanism in the wheel hub? I check Google: no garage in the village. I look around and see an old man on the street. I approach and ask if he knows someone with the tools... He responds simply: ‘posso fare io’. (I can fix it). I realize the no-name shag behind us is a garage. Today it is closed, but since I came… his nephew joins to help and in twenty minutes, the bike is done. The price is fair.

Equipped with the working bike, I find my way to the festival near the football field, just in time for lunch. I will spare the words - just see for yourself. This is the food line.

Is this when I felt I loved Italians?

No, an hour later.

The moment came while watching the improvised Patriotic Operation ‘Free the Bee’, filmed below. Part of Italian psyche is a healthy perspective on things. Sometimes there is no need to take stuff too seriously. I respect this approach and enjoy the company of people who think and act this way.

This is why I love Italians.

Nothing more to add, except a portrait of two beautiful grandmothers I met on the street the same day.

In the next post, I want to tell you a bit more about the festival, so stay tuned for some good music and stories. Now here, a small announcement. The publishing schedule will be as follows. On the weekdays, my Italian series. On the weekends, my African series. Until I run out of steam. I hope you enjoy it.

Have great weekend!