Monday, September 28, 2026

Cosmo and Damian 2026

Cisternino / Alberobello, Puglia, Italy. Saturday / Monday 26/28-September-2026. 

A double celebration of twin saints. I can’t believe I have not blogged this spectacle before as it happens every year and we are usually here for the procession.

 Saturday 26-September-2026. 

The town of Cisternino celebrates Saints Cosmo and Damien, patron saints of doctors, surgeons, pharmacists, dentists, nurses and veterinarians, and unsurprisingly, twins. The banner is followed by a parade of the faithful then the Confraternities in their white robes. Next come Cosmo and Damien, not sure which one is which. Finally the great and the good heading up the band.

I have noticed that the devout following the flag walk in twos down either side of the road. Google tells me that the middle of the street is deliberately kept clear because it is reserved for the most sacred elements of the procession including the clergy and the priest or bishop and the sacred image or statue of the patron saint or the Madonna. The walking in pairs have a variety of significations.

The Confraternities are official brotherhoods of laypeople organised for religious and social purposes dating back to the Middle Ages (around the 12th and 13th centuries). Members often wear traditional hooded robes (cappe or sacco) and capes. I am glad to say that our local fraternity haven’t gone for the pointed hoods with eye holes that make them look like the KKK!

For this procession, they have gone old school carrying the effigy on their shoulders. Unlike the Blessed Virgin Mary on her electric milk float.

Apparently, it is usual for Saint Damian to be in pole position (see what I did there!) followed by Saint Cosmo. 

Finally, the priests followed by the great and good in their best dress uniform and insignia bring up the rear followed by the band.

Monday 28-September-2026. 

Alberobello celebrates Saints Cosmo and Damian as they are the patron saints of the town. Our friends who live just outside Alberobello invited us over for lunch after which we walked into town to observe the festivities followed by a concert

We arrived just as the leading standard bearer turned off the main street up into the street leading to the church.

Again, the faithful walked two by two keeping the centre of the street clear. Many of them were carrying lighted candles.

Saint Damian supported on the shoulders of the Alberobello Confraternity in their green cloaks. They were constantly swapping places so that everyone got a turn at shouldering the saint. Once relieved of their position they went to the back of the queue to continue the rotation.

Saint Cosmo in second place. Apparently, the more prestigious position because he is closer to the priests right behind him.

And next in the parade are the religious type's.

Once the statues and the priests have passed the whole width of the road is available for walking. Representatives of various towns in the region join in the procession: Conversano, Fasano, Locorontondo, Martina Franca, Noci, Putignano. Presumably, Cisternino is not represented as they have already done their religious rites. 

As always the band, Don Giovanni Cipriani from Turi, is tail-end Charlie belting out some lively marching tunes.

Up in the main Piazza del Popolo they had set up a bandstand for the concert from Premiato Concerto Musicale "Paolo Falcicchio" from Gioia del Colle conducted under the baton of Maestra Susanna Assunta Pescetti.

We managed to snag ourselves some seats with good views.

Here they are playing the Triumphal March from Verdi’s Aida giving it some welly on the trumpets. They played for just under an hour and then took a break at which point we decided to bail and went home for a last glass of wine.

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Saturday, September 19, 2026

Southbound 2026 - Rome

Rome, Italy. Wednesday/Saturday 16/19-September-2026.

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Introduction.

The final stop on our grand tour: Rome for three nights including a parkrun, as part of our mission to tick off all the Italian parkruns. 

Wednesday 16-September-2026.

A horribly early start with a 5:30 am alarm driven by the taxi sharing logistics. We went with the people bound for morning flights from Pisa. They were able to make a slight detour en-route and drop us at Sienna railway station. The flexibility of the Interrail pass meant we could catch a train just about to leave for Florence and amend our seat reservations on the Florence to Rome leg rather than hang around for hours at Sienna.

We got to the apartment early so went for lunch at the local pizza joint, 6zero1, for a very tasty salad.

That evening we decided to eat locally at Osteria Romana dal 1949 which had reasonable ratings. We went for a set menu with starter, pasta and main. The local Lazio speciality pasta cacio e pepe was supposed to be a tasting portion, but it was more like a full sized dish, too much! I thought I’d go out of my comfort zone and try the oxtail stew for the main. I figured it would be something like rabbit where you have to pick the meat off the bones. In this case the meat was chewy and full of gristly bits and so I left the majority of it. I won’t make that mistake again!

Thursday 17-September-2026.

The morning was a fascinating visit to Ostia Antica - the ancient port of Rome during the period of the Roman Empire.

It was very extensive, took hours and hours to explore and is still being excavated.  It was so interesting we didn’t want to miss any of it. We had lunch in the café on-site and then a quick visit round the museum. On the way in we saw a team working on new excavation; on the way out we got a good view of some of what they had uncovered that day. Amazing to see amphorae in such good condition emerging from the sand.

We saw green parakeets. My bird app identified them as Monk Parakeets unlike London which has Ring-Necked Parakeets. 

It was something something like 4 o’clock before we got back to the apartment for a late afternoon rest.

The evening meal was at Beva Vineria, a restaurant with a wide selection of over 1000 wines, many of which were offered by the glass to accompany your chosen dishes.


The starter was a selection of salami from the Cinta Senese: an ancient native Italian breed of pig from Tuscany that is black with a single white belt.

We cannot remember what we had for main courses but they were delicious as well.

Friday 18-September-2026.

The morning’s activity was a walk up to the Vatican City from Roma St. Pietro station following a disused papal railway line, the Passeggiata del Gelsomino. It was advertised as a hidden gem, in my view it was neither hidden nor a gem. It was a short walk, only half a kilometre. It did have a lovely view of Saint Peter’s but other than that was very disappointing.

It is also a triumph of poorly executed civil engineering. The path has neither camber nor slope and inadequate drainage so when the rains came down, we had to walk through puddles that stretched the entire width of the pathway at several points.

Here the tracks disappear under Vatican City.

We continue to walk around the Vatican City and then away from touristy areas to find ourselves a nice restaurant for lunch.

After lunch we went to see a major retrospective of Kandinsky.  

En route we passed this stunning column. From Wikipedia: 

“The Column of Marcus Aurelius is a Roman victory column located in Piazza Colonna, Rome, Italy. A Doric column adorned with a detailed spiral relief, it was built in honor of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and modeled after Trajan's Column. Dedicated to the emperor and his military campaigns during the Barbarian Wars, the monument stands as a testament to his reign from 161 to 180 AD. The column's frieze, approximately 367 feet (112 meters) long, spirals upward 21 times, depicting the emperor’s campaigns against the Germanic and Sarmatian tribes.”

The Kandinsky exhibition was in the Palazzo Bonaparte and the majority of the pieces were on loan from the Pompidou Centre in France. We downloaded an audio guide to the 20 most important pieces in the exhibition which took about a hour and a half. Without that we might have been there for hours and hours.

The pictures were amazing and the exhibition showcased his stylistic evolution. Also fascinating to learn about his links to the Bauhaus and the various avant-garde movements of the time.

Back for a late afternoon rest and that evening a pinsa* back at 6zero1, the local pizza joint.

* Pinsa, also known as pinsa romana, is a flatbread generally marketed as an oval-shaped style of, or healthier alternative to, pizza. The name originated partly as a marketing strategy, coined by a Rome-based baking family as late as 2001. [Wikipedia]

Saturday 19-September-2026.

Roma Pineto 19/09/26 32:02 [39/75]

A lovely two lapper through varied scenery with not too many slopes and a view of St Peter’s.

Tourists made up more than half of the attendees with visitors from the Uk, Poland, Czech, Australia and New Zealand.

After a shower we headed off to the main train station for the final leg south to home in Cisternino.

Next stop: The End.

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Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Southbound 2026 - San Vincenti

San Vincenti, Tuscany. Friday/Tuesday 11/15-September-2026.

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Introduction.

Our home for five days and the raison d'etre of this rail trip. A Yoga and Pilates retreat in Tuscany, booked about a year ago. As we had to get there from Penrith and then from there to Cisternino, we decided to travel by train, stopping off at other places on the way. 

Friday 11-September-2026.

Castelnuovo Berardenga: Mary had leapt out of bed early to buy lunch ingredients from the local supermarket as we were being picked up bright and early by Martyn, one of the organisers. We were the first attendees to arrive; others were due to arrive at various points during the day.

Lunch at Borgo San Vincenti: a group of rooms and apartments set in a small village in a remote location. Sarah Newby, one of the instructors, with us in the background. We ate our lunch as the others trickled in from various directions.

Our main hosts and organisers were Martyn and Amram from Healing Together (Instagram @martynblacklockhealing) assisted by Sarah Newby of Beyond Fitness with Sarah and Em from North Star Holistic. 

Plus I should include our cook, Pat (Cibo A Casa Crisci), who night after night produced the most amazing and very authentic Italian food like nothing you would get in a normal restaurant.

After introductions the assembled company dined together for the first time. The dining area:

Any concerns that it might be an ascetic event were laid to rest by seeing the amount of wine consumed and hilarity that ensued.

Saturday 12-September-2026.

Sunrise from the complex.

08:00 Martyn - Breathwork, Mantra and Opening Circle. Starting the retreat with our first session to welcome us all. Followed by breakfast.

09:00 No parkrun! It is an odd Saturday that doesn’t involve a trip to a nearby park for our regular fix.

10:30 Sarah - Pilates. I had never done Pilates so a couple of weeks ago I got Sarah to give me an introductory session so I had some idea of what to expect. Pretty straightforward, there only so much you can do with the human body, but it was quite hard work as I am not as fit as I have been.

17:00 Em - Slow Flow Yoga. I have done yoga for many years and I can definitely do “slow” so this was a good session to end the first day.

Another boozy supper with more glasses of wine than was strictly necessary!

Sunday 13-September-2026.

08:00 Sarah - Body Wake-Up. This was a very energetic way to start the day. I needed to go back for my second shower of the day.

10:30 Em - Kundalini. Another first. The breath of fire is certainly one way to make yourself giddy thanks to the hyperventilating. I do not sing, ever, so making noises (other than talking) felt weird. Maybe this practice could help unblock my inhibitions regards singing! File under “Interesting”.

14:00 Cooking experience with Pat. Here Mary helps to prepare the tiramisu. 

The finished product. Not to be eaten straightaway, it has to mature overnight in the fridge and would be served the next day.

Next we made gnocchi. Pat made the dough of potato, egg and flour and did most of the rolling and cutting. The assembled team did the forming of the gnocchi using forks and a variety of other implements. Those we did eat that night.

Another fine evening.

Monday 14-September-2026.

08:00 Amram - Tibetan Series. This was a bit too energetic for my liking with everything done 21 times. The first exercise was whirling Dervishes. I’ve got up to about 10 or 12 when my gyro stabiliser went completely berserk and I wobbled all over the place. Note to self: start off slowly! The rest of the exercises were less hazardous.

10:00 Martyn and Amram - Shine. I do not dance (a couple of well structured Scottish dances excepted). So this was uncomfortable for me. It started of well enough but as the session progressed my inhibitions made it very hard for me to loosen up. I see people on the dance floor or in the mosh pit, apparently I have to believe they enjoy dancing but that is beyond my comprehension; for me having to dance in public would be a punishment. A practice based around disco dancing just isn't going to fly with me. Sorry, Martyn!

Trip to Siena No 5pm class. A number of the attendees took an afternoon excursion into Sienna. We have been before so sat this one out, relaxing by the pool.

The evening was more eating and drinking, including yesterday's tiramisu for dessert.

Tuesday 15-September-2026.

08:00 Em - Breathwork and Mantra. We skipped this session because we had to discovered there was a Big Bench nearby and Martyn very kindly agreed to drive us over to it before breakfast.

Big Bench #136.

The view from the bench across the Tuscan Hills.

The bench is the grounds of Castello Di Meleto.

This makes our fourth big bench, for previous benches see: Big Benches in Puglia.

Then a return to San Vincenti in time for Sarah’s relaxing stretch.

10:30 Sarah - Relaxing Stretch. It was lovely to do an exercise, mostly lying on your back without lots of energetic jumping about.

16:00 Winery Trip. A number of us walked to a nearby wine producer for a fascinating wine tasting.

We were joined by the wine maker who gave us an insight into how he used biodynamic practices to take care of the vineyard. 

Read more: Wine tasting at Tenuta San Vincenti. 

18:00 Martyn and Amram - Shine Session and Closing Circle. One last wind down stretch and a chance to share our experiences. Mine was that I was apprehensive about being the only male practitioner (not counting the instructors and one other half who was not taking part in the classes). I need not have worried. It was also fascinating to see how supportive of each other the sisterhood were, lots of  “I do like your outfit / dress / top”. Wouldn’t really happen with a bunch of blokes. 

I highly recommend “You Just Don’t Understand” by Dr Deborah Tannen. Her thesis is that women generally use language to build connections and intimacy, while men tend to use communication to exchange information, assert status, and solve problems. This was a fine example of the former.

The last supper and so to bed.

Next stop: Rome.

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Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Wine Tasting at Tenuta San Vincenti

Tenuta San Vincenti, Tuscany, Italy. Tuesday 16-September-2026.

This wine tasting was one of the activities that formed part of the retreat. It was a 25 minute walk up a dusty road from the retreat itself.

This is the view that greeted us as we entered the gates. An empty field, more of that later, and neat rows of vines.

From Tenuta San Vincenti you can see Borgo San Vincenti, the venue for our retreat.

The tasting was led by Martina who gave us some background to the estate:

  • The total area of the vineyards is 6.3 hectares (15.5 acres). 
  • The previous owner was approaching 70 and wanting to retire. So he sold the estate in 2021 to friends who are a couple from Palm Beach, USA. They have invested in improvements to the estate including the tasting room we were in.
  • They decided to renew the vineyard mentioned above. It was planted with old vines of a clone developed for high yield rather than quality. So they grubbed up the vines and the field is lying fallow for a couple of years to let the soil recover. It will then be planted with varieties more suited to the aspirations of the estate.
  • The main Sangiovese vines are also being updated on a rolling basis by replacing individual vines as they die off rather than a wholesale replanting.
  • They also want to invest in vinification equipment. Currently they take the harvest to a nearby estate, Brolio, for pressing and vinification.
  • They are biological and biodynamic. They are aiming for biological certification but there is a three year probation period before they can receive the accreditation and put it on the label.

The tasting was accompanied by nibbles: bruschetta, cold meats and cheeses. Mary’s notes:

  • Appearance
  • Aroma
  • Taste

Gote Rosa 12.5%; Sangiovese 80%, Merlot 20%.

  • Pale orange-pink, very bright
  • Fresh, light, redcurrants?, slight green pepper??
  • Good, fresh acidity, light fruit - redcurrants?

Matured in concrete.

Chianti Classico 2023 ; Sangiovese 85%, Merlot 15%.

  • Mahogany, Slight brown at rim
  • Plums, cedar, sl green
  • Soft, silky texture, plums?, soft tannins

Oak barrels for 6-8 months, then concrete for 2-3 months. Then bottled and released.

Chianti Classico Riserva 2021 ; Sangiovese 90%, Merlot 10%.

  • Darker, deeper colour, more purple
  • Sweet, soft fruit, plums?, some oak
  • More tannins, good texture, some prickle, nice fruit flavour, blackberries?, good length.

Chianti Classico Riserva 2022 ; Sangiovese 90%, Merlot 10%.

  • More mahogany, slight brown at rim
  • Bit less sweet on nose, some oak, deeper, 
  • Fuller flavour, less sharp tannins, dark fruit, good balance and length.

Oak barrels but not toasted, 12 months in barrels, then into concrete for 2-3 months, then bottled and released after 1 year.

Gran Selezione 2021 ; Sangiovese 100%.

  • Dark mahogany, Slight brown at rim
  • Sweet, sl oaky, prunes, v. sl herby / mushroom
  • Yummy, lovely fruit, softish tannins, more complex, blackberries, damsons?

Gran Selezione 2022 ; Sangiovese 100%.

  • Bright, mahogany, slight brown at rim
  • Lovely, complex nose, soft, some oak, some herbaceous 
  • Smooth, silky texture, good tannins, damsons / plums

24 months in barrels.

Esperimento Toscana IGT 2021 ; Merlot 100%.

  • Purple / mahogany
  • Softer nose but still house style
  • For Mary nothing special.

Matured in French oak for 18 months.

They also make their own olive oil. It must have sold well as they were literally on their last bottle.

We were joined part way through by their winemaker, Carlo Dell'Aiuto, who told us more about his approach and some of the biological / biodynamic practices. This was the most fascinating part of the tasting and Carlo’s enthusiasm and passion for the wines was inspiring. He told us about the five grass varieties that he plants between the vines and likened to the four elements:

  • Fire: One variety is a flowering grass that is used to attract bees. We had seen the hives on our way in and assumed it was simply for honey and pollinating vines. However, it appears that the presence of the bees encourages other insects which pray on pests, moths and caterpillars, which otherwise attack the vines. So by encouraging biodiversity mother nature looks after the vines.
  • Earth: Another variety of grass is used for fixing nitrogen in the soil to improve the nutrition that the roots receive.
  • Water: The third variety is a cereal which introduces cellulose which acts to absorb moisture, rather like the little packets of desiccant that you find in packaging. That helps moderate the moisture levels in the vineyard.
  • Air: The fourth grass is used to put roots down into the soil to help open up its structure.
  • Aether (fifth element): The final variety provides shade around the vines to protect the soil from the sun and drying out too much. When it is tall enough the grass is flattened down to provide a protective mat over the soil.

Using this approach he was able to improve some poorer patches within the vineyard without resorting to sulphur and Bordeaux mix.

At the end we went out to admire the vines again.

We, of course, bought a bottle to take back to the ranch to have with that evening’s meal. 

The most enjoyably educational tasting we have had for a very long time!

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