June 8, 2023
Manfredonia to Vieste
Manfredonia saved our butts in more ways than one. Yes, we had a lovely B&B experience and the dinner was special but more importantly, we found a bike store that had the inner tubes we needed! Riding without them would have added to the stress of riding in this area, especially now that we know we might encounter more goat’s heads on the road. Fresh inner tubes would put our minds at ease.
I texted a bike store owner last night to ask if he had the inner tube size we needed and he answered that he did. We were relieved but also a little skeptical, because we have only seen one or two actual bike stores in southern Italy. They often call themselves bike stores when they rent out bicycles.
As soon as we finished our Italian breakfast at a local bar, we headed to the bike store, feeling hopeful but with fingers crossed.
The Bike Store
Buccini Bici was open for business when we pulled up to the tiny stroefront. The owner recognized us right away (yes, we stand out 🤪), pulled out two inner tubes from his amazing inventory and said these were what we needed. These tubes were beefier than the usual style, so David asked if he could try one out. Si, si... prego!, he replied.
David went to work on the sidewalk while the owner looked on. He provided a few tips just to be sure David knew what he was doing, LOL. Then he pulled out Google translate and we started chatting about the situation. I explained how the flat had come about and he just smiled and said, ‘yes, those thorns are my friends’, meaning they drive quite a bit of business his way.
After a few minutes of banter back and forth, he held up his phone to me. It said, ‘you have a good mechanic in tow’. To which, I enthusiastically said Si and explained David’s mechanical prowess as a bike wizard. The owner asked how much air he should put in the tire and then disappeared around the corner of the building with the wheel. Moments later, he returned the wheel with 4.5 bar of air pressure. (That’s all beyond me, I can assure you). It was just perfect. We bought three tubes, just to be safe, and we were on our way.
On With the Show, This is it!
Our RWGPS route showed the elevation gain today would be about 1100 meters and so we were psyched to climb some hills today. We had a sense there wouldn't be anywhere to stop for lunch so we stopped in at a macellaria and a fruit stand for some lunch fixings on the way out of town.
Time and time again we find the simplest things, like buying a panino, makes us smile and feel the warmth and kindness of people. This time, it was a woman standing in the bead curtain at the entrance to her macellaria. She watched us as we pulled up to the front entrance. I flashed my Canadian luggage tag at her, she smiled at us and we followed her through the curtain. Soon, she held up a bun and asked if we wanted one or two. One, we answered. Next, she pointed at the big ham and asked if we wanted cotto or prosciutto. Cotto, we replied. She heaved the big ham onto the slicer and cut a few slices. She finished it off with sliced provolone, then cut the panino in half and wrapped each half neatly in brown paper. We paid her and exchanged smiles and ‘grazie mille’ / ‘grazie avoy’, then exitted through the bead curtain.
With lunch fixings stashed away, we left Manfredonia and headed east through the olive groves on the coast of the Gargano peninsula.
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We fully expected to have to ride along the small side roads instead of the main highway but there was so little traffic and the road condition was excellent, so we stayed on the main road until it entered a long tunnel where bikes are prohibited. Here, we veered off onto an old highway that wound its way up and over a mountain.
The views were spectacular and would become even better as the day wore on. To the rear, we could spot Manfredonia and the flat lands we had covered yesterday.
At the summit, we were treated to a view of Mattinatta. It's situated on the lower slopes of a mountain, overlooking the sea and a valley that was carpeted in blue-green olive orchards.
We flew down the twisty road and came to an intersection where two signs pointing in opposite directions, each indicating it was 40k to Vieste.
We quickly checked the profiles of the two routes with Komoot and saw the difference: the coastal route consisted of five climbs while the inland route was a single long climb. We decided to stick with the original plan and take the coastal route.
The sun was intense today, more so than any day yet, so we were thankful for any breeze that blew at us from the front. We climbed and climbed and climbed some more and eventually found a spot in the shade of an umbrella pine to stop for lunch.
It is essential to stay hydrated when cycle touring and on days like this we drink a lot of water. Nuun electrolyte tablets help with the salt loss through sweat but when it comes down to it, warm water alone will not cool you down. Luckily, we came upon a restaurant/barwhere we could take a break and cool down with a couple of ice cold drinks. The most delicious smells were coming from the empty restaurant and the owner wanted us to eat, but that was not in the cards and we pushed on.
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10 months ago
As we edged closer to Vieste, the summits gradually diminished in height. The close-up views of the limestone cliffs, the coves and the cerulean blue water were stunning. Small beaches with clean, treed campsites started showing up, as did camping trailers. It reminded me of the 70’s when summer fun started by towing your family trailer to the beach.
The road twisted its way along to the coast, up over the headlands and down to the small coves.
Soon we were getting teaser views of Vieste in the distance.
We summitted the final hill, a stinker of a climb, to find a long sandy beach with umbrellas and lounge chairs waiting for customers, and Vieste perched atop the white limestone cliffs at the end. It had been a tough ride today and we were both happy to be here.
We rounded the final corner and went up a short hill, then cruised down to a white marble piazza lined with palm trees. A simple fountain in the middle of the piazza was gushing streams cold water. I couldn’t resist the invitation so I cooled my bare feet in the fountain for a few minutes.
Things, They Are a-Changing
Travel has truly gone electronic and online. Take this B&B as an example. It is remotely operated and we had received the codes and instructions through Whatsapp for letting ourselves in, once we located it. You can have an address in hand, but without street names, it’s a little difficult. This was yet another instance where Google told us we were standing outside the location, when it was actually up above us. After a couple of minutes we clued in that the access was on the next block.
We had been texted a code through Whatsapp for a keypad to the gated entrance, the outside door of the building and the entrance to the group of suites. Once inside, we could login to their wifi with the password we had been texted. After that, we used a link to an app (again through Whatsapp) which allowed us to remotely unlock our suite. To leave the suite, we repeated everything in reverse.
To say it was a stretch is understating it. But, such is travel today. I suspect covid was the mother of invention here and this system allows B&B owners to conduct business without ever meeting face to face. It seems Orwellian to me, though that’s come and gone already!
In any case, a word of caution to those making bookings on Booking.com to read the details carefully so you know what to expect. To be fair, we have had several great (no, awesome) bookings with what Booking calls ‘absentee hosts’ but in every instance the hosts met us to welcome us and answer questions. We have had a few 100% remote bookings and felt something was missing, the face to face introduction. WhatsApp is great, but it will never replace human contact for this traveller.
We rested a while in the room, cleaned up and chose a restaurant for dinner. After a quick stroll to get our bearings and see the harbour, we headed to a restaurant across the street and had another simple but delicious dinner.
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During our pre-dinner stroll, we noticed several traffic barriers had been put in place and a large crane was parked on the promenade near the shore. We didn’t think too much of it at the time, but as the sun was setting and we had finished eating, we heard music and voices coming from that direction so we went to see what was up.
Along the promenade are five enormous white plaster sculptures of hands, some clasped, some with fingertips touching, others with fingers interlocked. Coloured lighting highlighted the shapes and as the sun set. it conveyed a powerful message about the importance of social connections. It was moving to see, almost humbling.
In the midst of the sculptures, dancers were performing a ballet set to lights, music and spoken words. Some performed in the air while suspended from cables and others performed on the marble promenade with huge steel hoops. Two angelic young women gracefully slithered on a steel pole in the middle of a pool and, in a gravity defying move, suspended themselves horizontally while hanging onto the pole with their crushing grips. They took turns sky diving from the pole, as though existing a plane in a free fall, landing in the pool. The coloured lights captured all the splashes. It was dazzling and one of the most beautiful performances I have ever witnessed.
We could not have asked for a better welcome and agreed that this place deserved another day of exploration. We finished off with short stroll through the old city. It was alive with restaurants and small shops selling the products and works by local artisans.
We finished the loop at the harbour with a gelato and then called it a day. Good night Vieste, see you tomorrow.
Today's ride: 63 km (39 miles)
Total: 1,097 km (681 miles)
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10 months ago