Puglia - Daunia in September - Pulsano Abbey and Siponto Basilica

We have already visited Pulsano Abbey but we want to go back. Yet neither arriving by car nor scrambling on rocks up the valley convince us. The latter would be good but the weather is hot again and Andrea's knee is nearly ok again, we don't want to tempt fate. We compromise on the walk to Pulsano from the hamlet of Tomaiolo. 

The provincial road up from Manfredonia is wide and traffic-less and the hamlet itself deserted. We park by the information board and set off following a route Andrea has found on Wikiloc. It's not a long walk, through some woods and then along a wide track which originally was supposed to be part of the road to Pulsano from Manfredonia but which was never completed. This part is now a sort of botanical garden although the environment is too parched and dry in September to be able to observe much. 

We deviate below the path to visit two hermitages, one quite large, and arrive at Pulsano after about an hour, there are fine views of the valley of hermitages we visited two years ago as well 

and there's time to go down to the San Nicola eremo too.

Then we relax and go to see the church and the cave.

Pulsano is an incredibly spiritual place, whatever you may believe in. We find the shade of a tree for our picnic with a superb view of the abbey and the plain and sea below. One doesn't need much more. On the way back we take the path we should probably have taken going, a little shorter it is a proper 'tratturo' with white drystone walls on each side. 

It's not far to walk back to the car, just as well because it's really hot. On the drive back down we stop by the roadside for some prickly pears.

After a rest and an early supper we go out, an achievement in itself in the dark and after supper....It's the idea of the Santa Maria Maggiore di Siponto 'ghost' church, illuminated in the dark and the crypt  finally open which is luring me. 

An external staircase along the left side of the church leads down to the crypt, specially open for the European Heritage days, with four mighty columns, corresponding to the pillars of the dome, and 16 columns, partly ancient, with Romanesque capitals. 

A guide is talking about some of the crypt's fascinating details and we listen for a while, his voice echoing in the silence.

After a quick look inside the Basilica we go to see the "Ghost church". It was interesting to see during day time but even more so during the night, the mesh seems white against the night sky and figures suitably ghostly. 

There are few real people around and an enormous harvest moon low in the sky behind. Memorable.