The Heel of the Boot
Italy (Puglia) Stage 03 – Otranto to Santa Maria Di Leuca 55 Km (Fri 4 May 2018)
Weather: 17⁰C min – 19⁰C max, mostly sunny
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” ~ Elizabeth West, US author
Stage 3 was just perfect … sunshine, blue sky, sparkling blue sea, limestone cliffs, wild flowers, safe riding on good roads, nice countryside, lot’s of points of interest, as well as fabulous mansions overlooking the sea.
For the first half of the journey the bejewelled Adriatic sea was never far to my left, at its best on such a beautiful sunny spring day. Colourful wild flowers (mainly mauve, yellow and white) lined the roadside most of the way … and of course fields of beautiful red poppies!
Having had only a small cake for breakfast, I stopped for brunch at the stunning town of Santa Cesarea Terme, high up on a cliff with spectacular views of the sparkling Adriatic Sea. The freshly made Turkish roll (filled with mozarello cheese, tomato and insalata) followed by a custard-filled croissant and cappuccino really hit the spot. It was so pleasant sitting there in the sunshine I wanted to stay for longer.
The road was virtually traffic-free, but I expect this will not be the case in a month or two when the peak holiday season arrives. May is a good month for cycling Puglia because, apart from traffic, the weather is not too hot and the weather is usually fine (except for the freak storm yesterday). An added bonus is that the spring wild flowers are in full bloom.
At Santa Cesarea Terme I had a decision to make – whether to continue along the coast or to turn inland along an alternative route I created last night. I chose the latter and was not disappointed. My Garmin led me along quiet country roads, down stone-fenced laneways and on wonderful percoso ciclibiles (cycle paths), past farmlets, crops growing in rich, reddish-brown soil, countless olive groves, and passing through a string of interesting small, typically Puglian, towns (Vignacastrisi, Marittima, Andrano, Tricase, Tiggiano, Corsano, and Gagliano Del Capo). Marvellous!
When I arrived at Santa Maria di Leuca, I couldn’t work out what the commotion was all about. There was music blaring, hundreds of police cars, hundreds of tourist buses and thousands of children walking along the coastal path. It turned out to be a pilgrimage “March for Peace” from Alessano (where Pope Francis was two weeks ago) to Santa Maria di Leuca.
If ever I needed any convincing about Puglia, today did it for me. Move over Amalfi Coast!
The ride along the country road looks not so interesting and not very pretty,,(but every one has their taste).
The town itself seems quite a peaceful place and of course not busy as you have pointed out in your blog. Good place for some peace and relaxation.
Oh! the beach say no more. You are enjoying the area which is what matters. Love the photos .
Wow – the wildflowers! I could go will with my little scissors!! The area looks beautiful – almost as delightful as your Croatian route. Hope the weather stays fine for you.
The flowers would look good on your balcony Soph!