Handlebar

I got this bike used from an English teacher who was returning from Japan to New Zealand, it cost 3000 yen (~ $30) and I used it almost daily as my transport from my apartment to Chikusa Station and back.

Since the time I got the bike it had a bell and a weird black plastic block on the handlebar.  I was not sure what the plastic thing was for but I also could not remove it because the screws were rusted and I did not have the correct wrench.   Today, while biking from my apartment to dinner, I realized the black plastic block was for holding the cable lock.  I use to just hang the cable lock around the T in the handlebar.

Honestly, I'm not sure if this is the actual use of the black plastic block, but it seems to work well.

Quartiere Delle Ceramiche

The old town of Grottaglie is famous for ceramics.  There are many shops and artiest in this area who make ceramics, even made to order.

 Roosters area a theme of many of the ceramics here, you can find roosters on plates and other objects at most of the stores.

In the center of the ceramic district a the old castle that houses the Museo Delle Ceramica or the Museum of Ceramics.

 Someone left their art supplies inside a statue.

 A major theme of this museum is the Nativity of Jesus in ceramics.

 This is just a small number of scenes in this museum.

 I think I could have a shop reproduce one of these sets for me, when you walk through the museum you start to realize the skills locals have in this area.

 Best of all, I think this a free museum, at least no one charged me for admission.

 This was a really cute statue, birds in a bird bath.

 The court yard of the castle is really old-school, the museum is located in the halls around the courtyard and on the roof.

 A few old trees in the corner of the courtyard.

 Across the street from the main entrance is a garden with grape vines and walking path.

 I swear I can't figure out when it is time to pick grapes.  These things look ready to pick but yet they just sit on the vine.

Sunday Mass

I stumbled upon Sunday mass in the old town of Grottaglie today.

 This is the Parrocchia Collegiata.Maria Ss. Annunziata, the main church in old town Grottaglie.

 There was about five different groups of nuns.

 I think most churches in Italy have an old statue of religious relic of some sort. When they do an outdoor mass, that after mass they walk around the relics through out the old town area of the city.

 I'm really not sure what's going on, mass is in Italian, but their seems to be a few different groups of people, each has a banner.

 Live marching band.

 Another group passing by.

 He was managing the statue movement through old town.