The Hitchhiker (Or, "Didn't This Happen On An Episode of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'?")

A zillion thoughts race through my mind.  Should I really give this guy a lift?  What would my grandmothers say?  Am I insane?  What would my former law partners do?  Is my anno sabatico really a disguised death wish?  I don't even know where I am.  Is this crazy?  The Billy Joel song "Pressure" blasts in my head.  Is this the end?  I'm in such a remote spot that my iPhone GPS isn't picking anything up.  I'm in such a remote spot that, instead of people, I see livestock in the road!

This could have been a scene from "Michael Clayton."  

No animals were harmed.  I waited for them to pass.  

They were in my lane too!

(Those pictures are real.)  And....now.....now.....is the time that I'm contemplating picking up my first hitchhiker?????

But then, in the heat of the moment, a calm comes over me as I realize that there is only one way to assess the situation.  There is just a single question to ask:  What would Troy Aikman do?  Yes, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback who led the 'Boys to 3 Super Bowls in 4 years, and who is now in the NFL Hall of Fame.  Troy had an uncanny ability to stand in the pocket under pressure from all directions, to remain poised, and to always make the right decision.  

So, I asked myself, "what Troy would do?"  And then I told Carmine to get in the car.

I suppose I should back up a little......

Wednesday began slowly.  I went to an incredible modern sculpture museum in the late morning.  It's called the Museo della Scultura Contemporanea, but everyone refers to it as MUSMA.  It was really quite good.  The sculptures are all (I believe) from the 20th century, and many are I from the '80s, '90s, and 2000s.  They were funky and cool.  And most of them were set in very nice-looking and polished caves that you walk through, which gives the place an extremely soothing vibe.  (MUSMA does not allow pics.)  I was the only one there.  It was a great way to spend 60 minutes, and I recommend it if you're ever in Matera.  

But I was on the fence regarding what to do next.  I'd read of these 2 towns that are about 90 minutes west of here called Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa.  They are supposed to be very small villages that are remarkable for how highly they are placed on drastic mountain terrain.  All the books speak of how dramatic they are.  I wanted to go.  But, to be honest, I was not looking forward to the drive.  I like driving the highways here.  But getting out of this town was going to be a mess.  It's impossible to read the signs -- they are nonexistent.  And I already have to drive over to Puglia tomorrow.  So, the thought of taking it easy and exploring Matera for another half-day also seemed appealing.  In the end, wanderlust won out:  I set the iPhone for Castelmezzano and embarked.

The drive -- once I was out of Matera -- was fantastic.  Incredible views and landscape.  But 75 or 80 minutes later, I was driving up a steep and massive hill.  And I was lost.  The signs, to the extent I'd seen any, suggested that I was closer to Pietrapertosa, so that became the goal.  The terrain surely was dramatic.  There was also now another town I could see across on another mountain.  I inferred that this was Castelmezzano.  Here's what this area looked like.  I'm sure the photos don't do justice to how breathtaking this scenery looked.  

Little Castelmezzano down below.  

Now it's further down.  

I approached Pietrapertosa.  It is indeed a small town.  As I got closer, I didn't see a soul.  Or, I at least did not see a human soul.  This was when I started to see sheep and goats on the roads.  I had to stop for them.  When was the last time that happened to you?  That should give you an idea of how "small-town" I'm talking.  

I finally did make it to Pietrapertosa.  To my chagrin, everything that looked like a restaurant or cafe appeared closed.  I drove around for a bit, but really could not find anywhere to stop.  I did nevertheless, before heading back down, pause to take another pic or two.  I got back into my car.  That's when he approached.  

Carmine did not speak any English.  I made clear that I spoke little Italian.  But his gestures were clear enough.  He was asking if I'd drive him down.  My first thought was to start driving.  But then I thought about Troy standing in a collapsing pocket, and I reassessed.  I've never even thought of picking up a hitchhiker before.  Not in a million anni.  You'd have to be insane, si?  But if Carmine was planning to kidnap, maim, or rob me, jeeeeeez, this was the greatest disguise ever.  It would have been the most ingenious plot since the Lufthansa Heist that was immortalized in Goodfellas.  I threw caution to the wind, moved my stuff from the passenger seat to the back, and told Carmine to have a seat.  

Here's my new amico:  

I don't think he had an axe in his left hand.  Not sure though.  

 We had a nice drive down.  From what I could tell, Carmine is a retired bus driver.  I think he's on a pension now.  Because of his profession, I believe he's been to much of Southern Italy -- east and west. He has lived in Pietrapertosa all his life, I think, and he has 2 sons and 2 daughters who all live there too.  He was a true mensch.  

I don't plan on picking up any future hitchhikers.  But Troy wouldn't have said "no" to Carmine.  I couldn't either.  That's my Pietrapetosa story.