In Massafra

April 21, 2023

In what seems to be our new normal, we spend our layover day on another hike and bike. Rachael’s found an out and back walk she likes the looks of that takes her up the west side of the ravine that splits the city, and I’m headed up the east side for a loop up on the plateau to the north. We’re both happy with our choices and enjoy fine outings that leave us feeling like we’ve gotten a good feeling for the surroundings.

And I see a live snake, the first of the year! Every day that includes a snake sighting is a good one in my book, as long as you don’t get bitten by it.

Rachael’s day

After my encounter with scary dogs, it was nice to have a peaceful hike today. At the start of the hike a friendly dog showed me the right way out of town. Then I quickly got on the Villa Elenica Terra delle Ravine hiking trail. It was a great for walking but bumpy so I was glad I wasn’t biking on it. I was on this trail for most of the hike and at the end I took a detour into the Monte Sant’Elia World Wildlife Fund Nature Reserve. What a great hike!

Scott’s day

We both leave the room at around ten. Rachael takes the only set of keys, as she’s likely to be back first. I retrieve my bike from the cellar, fire up the Garmin, and am surprised to see the ClimbPro page come up as the initial display. There’s only one climb to my day, and it begins immediately - a seven mile lift that will top out at 1,700’, about 1,400’ above town. It’s not a bad climb, staying in the comfortable 4-5% zone most of the way except for a couple of short spurts that push 12%.

The climb begins by backtracking the last two miles of our ride into town yesterday as I climb up the east side of the ravine that spits Massafra.

Once on top, I begin a 25 mile loop across the top of the plateau. I’m within or biking along the border of the Terre della Gravine regional natural park, created in 2005 to protect this southern part of the Murge, the karstic landscape that covers much of the border region between Basilicata and upper Puglia. The Murge is a fascinating area hacked up by deep ravines such as the one I’ve been climbing away from this morning. We’ll be in the Murge for most of the coming week before dropping down to the Gargano promontory. Which is wonderful, because these uplands are such excellent cycling country.

I’m puzzled by this marker at the junction of my loop, and by its CFBP label. I’ll see another identical to it twenty miles down the road, as well as standards with the same label as I bike along. I wonder if they’re marking the boundary of the natural park?

Much of the day’s ride is on gently rolling lanes like this: practically empty except for an occasional passenger car or agricultural vehicle, lined by low limestone walls.

And there’s great variety in the roadside plantlife. I haven’t attempted to identify this one. Any ideas?

A unique landscape filled with sights you won’t find elsewhere. Cows and trulli!

I’m not sure what this squat structure is - a root cellar maybe? I’m stopped here because I wanted to scramble up on top for a look at some of the plants growing there.

I’ve been curious about this intensely blue low-sprawling plant, and finally take the time to stop for a closer look.

It looks like another borage, but a lower profile one than we saw everywhere in Sicily.

Everything definitely has a different look up here on this plateau, a thousand feet above the coastal lowlands.

Great cycling, even on short unpaved sections like this one.

This one’s distinctive enough that I looked it up myself. It’s a Naked-man orchid (Orchis italica), so named because of the anatomically correct shape of its bracts.

Snake! I was lucky to get such a clear shot, the only one I had time for before he disappeared in the weeds. And I was lucky I didn’t get the chance to get closer, because I think he’s a viper. I’m pretty sure poisonous snake bites are an arrythmia-triggering event.

The limestone walls are a constant presence, but what lies on the other side is quite varied - pastures, oak woods, pines, livestock, trulli. It’s visually very appealing.

At the high point in the ride I was up in the oak woods, but I’ve dropped down a few hundred feet to the pastures again.

I’m about twelve miles from home and looking at easy, mostly downhill miles ahead when an alert pops up on the Garmin that the charge on my phone is down to 15%. I power down the phone because I need to make sure I can call Rachael to let me in when I make it home.

When I arrive, Rachael’s in a bit of a state. She’d been tracking my position, until I went dark close to an hour ago; and of course she was unable to reach me when she tried to call so she’s been worried about me. Thoughtless of me to not have thought to call her before shutting down the phone to explain the situation. I’ll remember next time, but even smarter would be to remember to charge the phone.

I’m twelve miles from home and on my way back, wondering about the sky. Some light showers look possible, but nothing like yesterday.

Heart

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Ride stats today: 34 miles, 2,400’; for the tour: 678 miles, 37,300’

Today's ride: 34 miles (55 km)
Total: 678 miles (1,091 km)

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