Wednesday 23rd October 2024

Marittima to Marina Serra

Must have been zonked from yesterdays heat because the noise factor had zilch impact on sleep.

Up very early as we needed to be at accommodation before 200pm , else they were at siesta until 400pm and that might have impacted on getting a swim in.

No disappointment with breakfast it was typical Italian with juice, fruit, cheese, croissant and coffee.   It was plenty to sustain us for the morning walk.

Day was warm and the air filled with smoke from a fire , hopefully not in our direction. It was a flat walk, but not on bike smoothed tracks, which seemed to pass through nothing but olive groves.

It was a mixture of the healthy and the deserted. In the healthy ones were farmers picking up the last vestiges of the harvest and in the others unkempt groves, diseased trees and increasing For Sale signs.It was sad  to see some of the old gnarled trees now fruitless.

There was obviously some money still in olives with magnificent homes built in the groves and often supporting agrotourism as a secondary revenue source.

Came across one spic and span grove whose owner must have believed in the power of prayer, with a huge mural painted on the front fence. We heathens deduced it was Father Son and Holy Ghost.

We popped out of the groves and started doing up and down circuits on steep stony paths closer to the coast avoiding the increasing number of brand new houses built with amazing sea views. The map suggests we are directly opposite bottome of Albania and not far from the top of Greece across the Mediterranean.

Suffered a pretty nasty hit to hip pocket when my brand new sunnies fell off my hat and I trod on them. Hopefully a lens replacement is possible when I get home.

Some lovely views as we trod our way steeply up around some pretty grandiose agriturismo’s, after passing probably our last Torre which was under repair. 

Interesting on this whole tour that we have seen no livestock, despite eating plenty. Only critters ate bright green lizards and yellow butterflies. That said the girls in our group encountered a large snake today.

Started spotting more craft off shore today and our bloody persistent Air Force jet.

Paths were becoming more overgrown, probably from lack of people traffic, so a keen eye needed to be kept out for ankle buster hidden rocks. The toughness of terrain was probably reflected by the fact that when we had our first genuine rest 7.5 Kms had taken 3.5 hours.

Back on the trail we were passing large groves protected by equally large savage dogs who kept charging at the fences. Thank God there were some gates completed here in southern Italy.

Again started to strike the impressive houses high up in the hills which were the antithesis of the decrepit olive farms we had passed earlier.

We had a long road run into the town of Porta Tricase which was probably the nicest towns we had visited. It had a certain vibrancy and trendy feel about it with lots of people in cafes and on the beach. The water here was again almost transparent.

We stopped for an iced coffee as recommended by the tour booklet and it was as good as suggested. Ran into the other four people we had been staying with along the way and chatted about the day.

Took off along the port where a crowd of ducks had surrounded an old yacht tied up in the marina. The marina had an interesting sea wall which looked like ill fitting gig saw pieces, but from research is really effective and ecologically friendly.

With only about 3 Kms to home we started to get ugly camel syndrome and increased pace decidedly so we could teach the accommodation and have first dibs on rooms.

Hills plus steep up and down stairs meant nothing and we were soon heading down the road to our accommodation which was about 300 metres from the sea.

The increased pace helped and we got choice of rooms, much to the chagrin of late arrivals. 

Changed into swimming gear and had a great time in the grotto at the bottom of the street in relatively warm and perfectly clear water. We both managed a swim and then a costume change in some natural dressing room, which unknown to us was visible from on high. Apologies to all those for the unintended peep show.

Back home to drop off gear and then to scale the 100 or so steps to the only bar in town. An iced coffee and a couple of drinks later it was down the stairs for a pre dinner siesta.

Dinner was essentially a Pilgrim setting with 20 odd people all getting a yummy 3 course meal during which many a tale was spun. With €10 carafes of wine it was hardly truth serum.

Ended penultimate night with a Buona Notte to all to get to bed and sleep to ready ourselves for the trip to the most southern part of the coast.