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Neither of us slept well last night, not only from the trains running by, but also from a fleet of fishing boats motoring along the shore from 03:00 to 04:00 complete with their VHF radios turned up full.
We get up early desperate to get a good start on the day and plan ahead. We leave at 10:45, after Ali has made a temporary repair to a split in the waste water drain pipe [probably caused by the rough roads], and head north towards Rimini on the coast road. We stop for some shopping in a supermarket at Cattabrighe, on the outskirts of Pesaro then try to find the seafront, but each time we line up for a right turn there is a low bridge warning, all of them under our 3 metre requirement. The weather has turned gloomy and the suburbs are ugly and depressing. In Rimini it's a similar story but we manage to find a sosta to park for lunch, during which there is a short thunder storm. We decide it's not worth unloading the buggy to try to look around in the rain so we press on towards our chosen FA near Ravenna.
40 miles on the autostrada is €4.20 and as we leave the skies brighten for the last 12 miles to La Rondine di Sauro Rossini at Boncellino which we find along roads lined with netted fruit trees.
It's a charmingly chaotic place. They appear to never actually throw anything away; old garden chairs, pedal cars, wood, a fitness machine, rocking horse and grimy camper van [not Mary*Lou although she has picked up a bit of dirt over 1700 miles] all lie around the yard where last used.
We arrived on the narrow road in opposite directions with a Polish artic driver who is lost. Eventually he and Ali find Senora and we park near a wooden stable and get out. This FA is a fruit and animal farm directed towards 'bio' and education. All around the yard are pens and enclosures housing a horse, donkeys, chickens, goats, sheep and cattle. There is also a dog pen with mother and three 3-4month old pups, one of which is the image of our first dog.
Having acquainted ourselves with the livestock we wander along the road past the rows and rows of plum trees. On the opposite side a farmer is mowing between his apple trees, of which there is huge variety; large pink, tiny crab, lush yellow and all sorts. On the edge of the road is a new one to us - pomegranate. We know the fruit but have never seen it growing. Along some of the verges crocus plants are growing. We walk on into the village of Boncellino and up to the clay-brick church before heading back to the farm.
It's feeding time and we are treated to the full works of 'countryside peace'. Everything that squawks, barks or bellows is giving it large. Once it settles down we are just getting into the van when Senor appears with a box. 'Frutte, gratuit, for you, welcome' and hands Ali the box of plums freshly picked. There are over five pounds in weight, Ali suggests we stay here tomorrow and make jam. Anyway, dinner was already planned as pork chops so she says the first handful of Senor's plums will make a nice sauce for those.
After yesterday's glitches, we're back on track.
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