4/28: Hike in Pollino National Park, Transfer to Martina Franca

This was mostly a bus day: 3.5 hours from Sila National Park to Pollino National Park, where we took a hike and had lunch, then another 2.5 to 3 hours to Martina Franca, where we will stay for 3 nights.

A view of the man-made lake (provides hydro power)
as we left Sila.

Above and below: purchase options at a gas
station rest stop: candy pizza and candy sushi.
I didn't try it. The pizza had lots of gummies.

The hike was pleasant and enough uphill to be interesting without being exhausting. We ended at a drop off that overlooked a broad valley and I tossed one of Jim's marbles down the wild cliff. 

Above and below: remnants of holes made by wild
boars in the fall as they search for food to fatten up.
There are wolves in the park who are would-be
predators, but they rarely take on a pack of boars.

This area was heavily logged after WWII by Allied countries
as part of the reparations Italy was obligated to pay as
one of the losers. This stone structure was used to cool
the long tree saws which would break if they got too hot.

Giving Jim's marble to Mt Malvento

This is the cliff Jim's marble went down.

Zoomed in view of a village far across the valley that
can barely be seen near the top of a previous valley photo.

The roads we took were bumpy (my fitbit gave me at least 6,000 extra steps) and curvy, so I tried to sleep as much as I could on the bus, and missed most of the scenery. 

I was awake enough to capture this as we drove along
Ionian Sea on our way to Martina Franca and before
Taranto.

While we enjoyed some of the cleanest air in Europe in the two parks, Annunziata told us about the toll the heavy industry in Taranto is exacting on the 8000 people who work there and the nearby workers' neighborhood.