Day 13 – One minute, you can be sitting pretty, the next not so . . .

Clouds build. Thunder warns, but you can never know for certain where lightning might strike. And, you never expect it to strike the same place twice. Yet in 2016, this central part of Italy, experienced four severe earthquakes in just a few months.

Our two night stopover, Il Collaccio, was fortunately unaffected. Though many nearby towns and villages were devastated. We unload Scoot. Time for his first outing. Intentions of taking a local look-see. See what’s left standing.

Since our last trip, we’ve gone all hi-tec. Invested in some on-board communication. Recommended by Lloyd & Jackie – recently retired and now fellow MOHOmers, also carrying a Scoot in their boot. With Bluetooth connectivity to MAPS, there’s no good excuse for us to get lost now. But will this be an opportunity for Mrs S to become a proverbial back seat driver?

Can you hear me Major Tom?
The hillside village of Cervara, visible from our high campsite pitch, on closer inspection, clearly not unscathed.

We Scoot 17K into Norcia. Closest town to one epicentre of magnitude 6.6. Its medieval basilica of St Benedict, among many buildings destroyed. Five years on and they still have a lot to accomplish.

The hoardings remind visitors and locals alike of how things were.
Part of what remains of the Basilica of St Benedict.
Many buildings on the town’s perimeter flattened – others abandoned and shored up.

Our journey back to base, gets abruptly interrupted. After only a few hundred metres Mrs S screeches “Stop, stop. It feels like I’ve got two horns digging into my head”. Further investigation reveals that one of the hi-tec ear-phones has travelled from its mounting and wedged itself in a central forehead location. Quite how she managed to get her helmet on will remain a mystery.

We (I) round the day off with a swim and we enjoy an evening meal on the restaurant terrace that overlooks the fabulous pool.

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Here’s a novelty – especially for the little ones
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You know you’re on a pukka site when they even water down the dust
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It has to be the best pool location we’ve experienced. – view from the restaurant terrace.