geeteetravels

After a nice breakfast again at SuiTetti we set off on our last day of cycling feeling like the past few weeks flew by. Our route was very straight forward back to Brindisi so we decided to go back to the sea instead as we had plenty of time, only about 60 kms. It was nice to see the blue water again. We also saw another old church along the way, built in the 17th century so Baroque but looking rather Romanesque. I am no expert but I have seen a lot of churches, basilcas and duomos in my travels.  Close by the sea,George was interested to see a large power generating plant which was coal fired. As we rode along we crossed the huge conveyor system which transported coal from the port in Brindisi, probably about 10km away!  Curiously the plant did not appear to be in operatinon whise we were there.
We eventually found our way back to the B&B and with regret began packing up the bike.  After packing up we went out for a last bit of sightseeing and a gelato. For supper it was back to the same restaurant we went to the first night; Siamo Fritti (we are fried), a fish place. It wasn’t my first choice (Tara’s) due to allergy limitations but we managed to get fed anyway.
Tomorrow we fly back to London then home the following day. 😢

Where shall we go next?

Porta Romana in Brindisi

Transmission lines coming into a large coal-fired generation station.

The end of the line outside the B&B in Brindisi

Again we are staying right in the old city in a lovely B&B called SuiTetti which means on the roof in Italian as they have a nice terrace on the top level. But if you string the letters together in English it’s suitetti or small suite? Cute name anyway. It’s been recently renovated and they are still working on it, very nice place and they serve a great breakfast with cereal, fruit and yogurt. I felt full for a change.
We spent the day exploring the sights of Lecce: city gates, piazzas, churches, castles, even bike shops. Lecce is known for cartapesta or paper mache sculpture and there was a display about this. You also see many studio/shops of this nature.
We looked around for a particular gelateria but couldn’t find it so settled for another that was delicious anyway. Italy is full of gelaterie! We also found a caffé ghiaccio con latte di mandorle (iced coffee and almond milk) a specialty here, very tasty.

Home on the roof top.

The core of a paper mache statue is straw and wire.

These guys are putting down new cobble stone, the same way as forever.

Strange monty pythonesque sculptures holding up the Chiesa di Santa Croce.

Lecce Cathedral with a 5 story tower.

We took the circuitous route to Lecce today to see the best scenery. It was a fairly hot day again, maybe 30 or so, but tolerable with the breeze. From Otranto we headed north up the coast to some more beachy areas. There was another old tower, Torre d’Orso, and the town of San Foca where we saw an amazing open market.
Then we rode inland to Galatina and through various little cities on the way, all with beautiful old centers and many cathedrals of course. The churches are an interesting comment about the art and history of an area so we like to see them for that reason, not because we are religious. There has been much wealth poured into all these buildings which maybe could have been spent to help the poor, but it has also been a huge source of employment.
We found dinner in a restaurant that served food typical of this area which is simple and hearty or cucina povera (poor people’s food); pasta, fish, vegetables, cheese. There’s more variety here than on the water where most food is seafood. Tara had ciceri e tria which is chickpeas and pasta with onions and tomatoes and some of the pasta is fried rather than boiled. Delightfully filling.
After dinner we strolled past the Roman amphitheatre and the basilica in the old city. The atmosphere is inviting with all the people, beautiful sights and comfortable temperatures, something we don’t often get at home.

From farm to "Ape" (3 wheeled truck) to table, subito.

Cases upon cases of these lovelies.

Hot church stop

Space is limited

The Roman amphitheater only discovered in 1903.

This was another tourist day with some riding, not too demanding distance wise but with some good climbs.
To start the day we were challenged to get out of Castro as it is a maze of switch backs to get away. One helpful signore suggested lugging our bikes down some stairs as that would be the easiest in the long run. We didn’t follow his advice but in the end that would have been best.
We stopped very shortly after Castro at the Grotto Zinzulusa for a tour. This is a dry cave that you enter on foot unlike many that dot this coastline. Unfortunately all the guided tours were in Italian and although we have improved in the past few weeks we are still only at the “un poco” stage, we didn’t get any of the jokes. However it was still interesting to see.
Then we made our way up the coast towards Otranto. The scenery was spectacular with plunging cliffs and the bluest water you can imagine. There were lots of spots where people had found a little bit of beach or maybe a big rock to sit on by the water.
We made it to our B&B but somehow out reservation was lost but the owner had one room left that could sleep 4 so we took it. The owner is lovely, her name is Anna, she was worried that we weren’t happy with the accommodation but we assured her it was fine. She spoke very slowly so mostly we can understand her Italian which is nice.
We went for another dip in the sea and explored the old city. The basilica had interesting mosaic tiled floors but they were of fierce looking animals and warriors which seemed unusual for a church.
We found a charming garden restaurant for dinner. Again Tara had some trouble finding a suitable meal without crostacea and had to settle for spaghetti and meatballs.

Mussolini managed to make a great aquaduct to Puglia and it is still used and commemorated.

Looking back out from the cave.

A moorish style palazzo on the coast.

The mosaic work was immense and a bit bizarre.

Tara clutching our beach mat while a swimming race is stalled out in Otranto port.

We rode to Leuca first thing today, it was only a few kms from the hotel. There are two points or punta on either side of the city, Ristola and Meliso. Both provide wonderful belvedere to take in the view up both sides of Salento, the heel of Italy. There are also many grotto dotting the coastline. The temperature was a bit more manageable today however the humidity was high and we were often dripping wet.
On the Punta Meliso there was a cattedrale, as usual, a lovely piazza and a lighthouse.
The ride up the coast was stunningly beautiful, very rugged cliffs and the bluest waters you can imagine. We did run into a thunder shower but after all the heat we found it refreshing. (It was nothing compared to the shower we were caught in last summer riding into Lugano on the cobblestone trail up a mountain pushing our bikes in cycling shoes.) There are many hidden caves and gorges where people can swim and dive from the cliffs.
Castro is a lovely little place with a marina and swimming area and a centro storico full of charming narrow streets with shops, bars, a cattedrale, a castle, and several viewpoints looking down at the newer part of town. Our host Maria at the bed and breakfast is also charming and had us park our 2 enormous bici in the front foyer saying “no problem”.
We had another nice dinner of pasta with sea food variations. Tara is struggling a bit around here as most food choices have shellfish. We are having to check menus carefully to make sure there’s something for her.

Caves carved out by the sea are all over the coast and boat excursions are popular.

An accessible inlet makes a great beach, and diving spots off the walls.

Late afternoon in a street in Castro Marina.

Looking over Castro Marina

Today’s ride took us right along the coastline to almost the tip of the heel of Italy, or Salento. Leuca is the city we are close to but couldn’t find anything suitable there for accommodations so we are staying at a beach hotel just outside of it. Parts of the route today reminded me of Maui with flowering trees lining the road and a few big hotels. Mostly it was somewhat rugged shores with many sunbathers out finding a spot to spend some time. The temperature was high again but the breeze off the water helped to keep us from overheating. This whole stretch of road appeared to be there for tourists. Many bars, restaurants small hotels, B&B’s, private beach areas, as well as the public open areas. The private ones are popular here. You can rent a couple chairs and a parasol for about 20$ and there’s also a bar, change rooms and washrooms. The open areas have nothing in terms of services but can also be quite beautiful.
We arrived quite early as it was only 48km today so were able to get into the sea to cool off. The water here is relatively warm so very easy to slip into and molto refreshing!

Packing up again after 2 nights in Gallipoli.

Taking one last lap around Gallipoli in the morning traffic.

The beach was across the road from our hotel, and yes I did go play on the huge inflatable slide.

It's a short leap from sea to table here.

Our accommodation here is in the old city which is an island connected to the rest of the city by a 16th century bridge and guarded by the Castello.  The old city is a maze of streets where it is not at all difficult to get lost. The city is completely occupied by homes and businesses however and it’s fascinating to see how it’s developed; layers going up, down and back from the streets, hidden walkways, staircases, terraces and gardens. The density is unlike anything we see at home. Some of the streets are dead ends and so become like small private piazzas, decorated eccentrically. And there are vehicles also using the narrow lanes; mostly Vespas but some small cars too. We saw numerous produce trucks selling to the inhabitants. There are small grocers and shops but maybe not enough. We visited more underground facilities here,  ipogeo (Greek for ipo-under and geo-ground), only these ones were for olive pressing, called frantoio. They aren’t in use any more but were until people didn’t need to burn oil for light. The oil produced here was not for consumption. The poor workers in these places had to work long hours and on Sundays, which was a special “dispensation” from the Pope (thanks a lot Pope) at the time, in order to ensure good commerce. The hypocrisy of that is astounding.
Later we visited the Castello di Gallipoli which has recently had restoration work. Prior to this it had been left to deteriorate. It was surprisingly excellent as there was reasonably good English translation and they had added some interesting contemporary art
exhibits. Our favorite rooms were the circular ones as they reflected and amplified the sound in unexpected ways.
Some of the art displays were by M. Pistoletto. There were some mirror paintings which gives an interesting and changing perspective to the viewer. There was also a display using limestone blocks called the 3rd paradise that was food for thought. It represented our natural existence in nature as the first paradise, our modern high tech comfortable existence as the 2nd paradise, and how we need to try to join the first 2 into the 3rd paradise in order to sustain our existence on the planet.

An "Ape" is a 3 wheeled utility vehicle very common here. Also it works well as a flower pot.

The cattedrale in the heart of the island

Looking down into an underground olive press, as described.

Inside the most secure and sonically interesting room in the Castello di Gallipoli

The 3 Paradise symbol in the courtyard of the castello.

Sorry, but here's another Cinquecento, an estate car with suicide doors.

Luckily today we had a short ride only as the temperature is remaining in the mid 30’s. Again we followed the coastal road which was very scenic but also rough. We are noticing that the infrastructure in this part of Italy can be lacking. Roads tend to be poor and there’s lots of garbage strewn about.
We went slightly inland to pass through Galatone and see a notable baroque style church built in the 17th century. The inside is undergoing restoration currently but we could still get a good look at it. The outside is very ornate looking in true baroque style.
Then back to the waterfront to the city of Gallipoli where we are staying right in the centro storico or old city full of narrow twisting streets with tall buildings where the GPS loses satellite contact and then we get lost for a bit. We eventually found ourselves again.
Once again we headed out to the beach to cool off as the thermometer reached 36 degrees. We bought a beach mat to sit on as we seem to be spending a fair bit of time there and we even found a spot for it on the bike.
For supper we found a nice but noisy spot on the waterfront and enjoyed a nice meal and a beautiful sunset.

Stunning view; people hiked down for an uncrowded beach

Have beach mat, will travel

Surviving the heat

It's still not hot enough apparently

Sunburn on my left cheek

Ionian sea sunset

Another hot day in the mid 30’s and 76 km to ride so we started fairly early to take advantage of slightly cooler temperatures. When we start our day we are always on the lookout for supermercati to fuel us for the ride. It seems like when we are in need of the store they are scarce and once we have our supplies then they are on every corner and today was no exception. I seem to be the one most worried about this so every time we go past yet another store someone else points it out to tease.
Most of the ride today was right along the beach with the beautiful azure water of the Ionian sea calling to us. It was very tempting but not practical to swim due to the need to get to our destination as early as possible and get out of the sun. However there were many people out enjoying themselves in the ocean but most use a parasol for shade. There are many sandy beaches on this side of the heel of Italy and the water is very shallow for a long ways out. This makes it ideal for small children to play also lots of people just wading to stay cool.
Once we got to Porto Cesareo and got settled into the hotel George and I did head to the beach to swim in the sea. It is very refreshing after riding in the hot sun. We don’t sun bathe though just stay long enough to dry off and do some people watching.
We had a nice supper that night at a restaurant overlooking the water. This is a beach resort city also so it has a nice beach front promenade past many restaurants and bars.
Back at the hotel we received a Skype video call at midnight from our daughter in Calgary telling us the battery was dead in the car. George helped her get it hooked up to the battery charger in our garage which included guiding her to open the hood. Within an hour or so she had the car running. Technology is amazing!

The seaside view all day today

Tara's office with dashboard. No hands!

At a beachside caffè stop. That's a giant aquasize class happening on the far side.

#notfoundathome This is an olive oil dispenser, either 4 or 5 euro/liter depending on quality (certified on the paperwork)

Things are heating up in southern Italy. Temperatures are now well  over 30C which is hot for cycling. Normally we try to get an early start and finish by 2pm or so but today’s ride was longer than usual (95km)so we didn’t arrive until 3:45pm. The ride itself wasn’t too demanding, all quite flat but still long and tiring in the heat. We go through a lot of water so have to keep replenishing our supply at bars and public fountains as we can only carry 1.5 litres.
We rode from inland at Matera to the other coast on the Mediterranean side and followed that along to Taranto. The scenery today was good for the first half through the hills then on the beach for a bit but eventually we were on a service road beside the freeway which wasn’t too exciting. It was pretty fast though and we had some wind to help us for a change. We were managing about 30 km/h most of the way. A notable thing we saw on our route was large fields of solar panels. This is definitely the place for that.
Taranto is an interesting city geographically as the old part of town is situated on an island of sorts with a small island sea on one side and several bridges to take you to other parts of the city. There are also lots of ferries, fishing boats and pleasure craft. Otherwise Taranto is quite an industrial looking city, a bit grungey in spots.
We stayed in a B&B that was a refurbished apartment on the 2nd floor so we just put the bike on the balcony where I also strung a clothesline in the hot sun.

We skirted rather than climbed Montescaglioso in the heat.

A lot of acreage being devoted to solar arrays

One of the two channels to go inland, this one with a swing bridge

A useful balcony

An arragonese castle in Taranto