We haven't had as much free time as I expected these last two days, so just a quick note to say we have arrived in Lucera and our journey south has gone very well.
The weather has continued to be lovely (high 60s and sunny), the Autostrada and Italian drivers have been better than expected (though occasionally more "exciting" than Germany) and we saw two bonus religious sites along the way (both very interesting).
Southern Italy is not as nice as the north and occasionally looks a whole lot like Mexico. Our hotels have not been inspiring. But there is good stuff to be seen here, so it's worth a few days' touring. Tomorrow is a full day of sightseeing to Troia (for its Romanesque cathedral) and the Galgano Promontory (for two interesting Catholic shrines).
I'll catch up with photos and more details in a day or two, hopefully!