On a wonderful spring day cycling the narrow roads of Puglia we can across our first trulli, the very charming hobbit-like houses characteristic of the region around Alberobello. We excitedly leaned our bikes against a wall and walked across a farmer’s field to get a closer look. At that moment, we spotted coming up the road what appeared to be a farmer with a station wagon filled with produce. As he stopped and beckoned us closer we thought we were in some strife for trespassing. But no – as he opened his window he reached out to give us handfuls of warm freshly picked cherries. He insisted on giving us more and more cherries until our panniers were overflowing. It was a cherished moment of our trip and the Italian hospitality was repeated on many occasions.
