La Puglia è Finita

Italy (Puglia) Stage 16 – San Severo to Foggia 34 Km (Fri 18 May 2018)

Weather: 14⁰C min – 22⁰C max, mostly cloudy

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“Whoever invented the bicycle deserves the thanks of humanity” ~ Lord Charles Beresford

The final leg, from San Severo to Foggia, was uneventful. Most of the way I enjoyed deserted SP roads, mainly sealed but some sections were so badly broken up there was little, if any, bitumen left.

Foggia is a real eye opener. For the last five Km before reaching the town, I was shocked to see so many poor refugees either hitch-hiking or wheeling trollies, prams and pushers along the road, carrying their only worldly possessions … desperately searching for a better life. Some had found jobs working in the fields while others were trying to sell watches, sunglasses, etc, on the street; all trying to eke out an existence. But as much as I would like to help them, I have no intention of donating my bicycle, phone, or wallet, so I was relieved when I was able to check-in early on arrival and lock everything securely inside the B&B.

And so completes a marvellous bicycle tour of Puglia in Italy. When I arrived in Brindisi on Monday 30 April 2018 I never imagined it would be so good, with everything working out just perfectly.

Thanks to my Garmin Edge 1000 GPS and the routes I had created using Garmin Basecamp on my computer (using free Open Street Maps), navigation was a non-issue, in fact I don’t recall even taking a single wrong turn. Every day my GPS directed me faithfully right to the door of my pre-booked accommodation.

When I was planning the route I was uncertain as to how safe the roads would be at this time of year. Italy has very few bicycle paths, so all you can do is choose secondary and tertiary roads, check the roads in Google Streetview, and hope for the best. As it turned out, traffic was surprisingly light and at no time did I have any safety concerns.

Thankfully my health held up well, with not even a sniffle. There were no niggling aches or pains, no muscle cramps, no bone problems, and no back problems. And for once I managed to get through a whole tour without gashing my head at all! I can honestly say my fitness level is as good as it has ever been (touch wood).

So much has happened in the last couple of weeks it all seems like a blur. Looking back now it is difficult to single out particular highlights. There were so many stunning towns, so much spectacular scenery, and so much wonderful local food. If forced to name a favourite town I would probably say Polignano a Mare where I spent two nights. As for food it would be hard to go past frutti di mare fritti misti (fried mixed seafood).

My good old faithful Canondale Tourer (13 years old in September) performed flawlessly, with not even a puncture (thanks to the tough-as-teak Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres).

Except for Stage 2, when I rode through heavy rain for most of the day, the weather was absolutely perfect for riding (and photography), with most days being clear and sunny with temperatures in the low twenties.

Here are some stats for the tour:
Daily stages: 16
Total distance: 870 Km
Ave distance per day: 54 Km
Total elevation gain: 6,200 m
Ave gain per day: 384 m

The only glitch has been that all bicycle-carrying trains and buses from Foggia to Naples have been booked out today, forcing me to spend a night in Foggia and catching a train tomorrow. But I can’t complain.

I would not hesitate to recommend this tour to anyone, provided you are comfortable riding in a bit of traffic. And May is probably the best month, before it gets too hot and before the tourist traffic gets too heavy. So feel free to download my GPX maps and just go for it … treat yourself to an amazing adventure!