Fishing Ports and Fishermen
Italy (Puglia) Stage 05 – Gallipoli to San Pancrazio Salentino 54 Km (Sun 6 May 2018)
Weather: 16⁰C min – 20⁰C max, fine but cloudy
“Cycling: side effects include sweating, euphoria, and general awesomeness.” ~ Unknown
Under dull grey skies, but with no immediate threat of rain, I left the fabulous city of Gallipoli at about 9 am, hugging the coast in a northerly direction along the smooth-surfaced SP108. Traffic was quite heavy but this did not stop hundreds of cyclists, mostly on knobby-tyred mountain bikes, zooming along merrily in both directions. Everyone seemed happy this morning, greeting each other with a friendly wave, a nod of the head, or a cheery ciao as they passed by. One rider even stopped to take a photo of me with my camera.
This is my fifth day of riding in Puglia and what has struck me is the diversity, with different scenery and points of interest each day. The one constant is the beautiful wild flowers which line the roadside everywhere you go.
Today was all about fishing, my route taking me through a number of delightful little fishing ports, including Santa Maria Al Bagno, Santa Caterina, Sant Isidoro, and particularly Porto Cesareo. Crowds of people gathered around to watch the fishermen proudly displaying their catch, cleaning fish, and tending to their nets. What an atmosphere!
Heavy though the traffic was, I never felt concerned for my safety because I trust the Italian drivers to give me a wide clearance when they pass. Don’t believe what you have heard about crazy Italian drivers, my experience has always been that they are very respectful of cyclist!
Because I had committed to meet my host in San Pancrazio Salentino at 1 pm I pushed a bit harder than usual, stopping only occasionally to take photos (like when I am faced with a spectacular sea of irresistible red poppies). It was so tempting to stay watching the fishermen at Porto Cesareo, but I am glad I didn’t linger longer because I reached my destination just before a few drops of rain started to fall.
San Pancrazio Salentino, having a population of just over 10,000, is the smallest (and least appealing) town I have stayed at so far. In Europe most shops and restaurants are closed on Sundays, so San Pancrazio Salentino is probably as good a place as anywhere to be on a Sunday. At least I found one pizza shop open tonight, so that is where I am headed now. Arrivederci!
Super-stunning poppy shots – and you found some flowering cacti! I hope your pizza was delicious – seems a shame that there was seafood everywhere, but not a fish to eat!
The pizza was just a simple Napoli, but the best I have ever had! Wait until 18th May when I arrive in Napoli (Naples), where pizzas originated. Don’t worry, I have been eating lots of fish and even crunching the bones to get enough calcium for my poor old bones.
Little village seems pretty. Yes no doubt sweating is part of hard riding