A Quick Step Back ...

The title to this blog sounds like a dance move but I just want to update the final leg of my Italian adventure.

After a delayed start from Catanzaro due to some confusion over the necessary documents required for Croatian entry (didn't need a Green Card after all), I eventually left with some 400 kilometres to go to reach Bari. Not much to mention really as I had the bit between my teeth until I decided to take a small detour to Alberobello.Thank you so much, Birgit and Harry Mueller from Germany, whom I'd met in Sicily and strongly recommended that I visit this place as it was on the way to Bari.  So, as I had made good time and the ferry didn't leave until 10pm, I swerved through the Puglian countryside for this town on the hill and so glad I did. Absolutely stunning! Magnificent buildings, beautiful piazza's with manicured trees and welcoming coffee shops, no wonder it's a designated world heritage site by UNESCO. What makes it so special is the area in which it sits, feels very Cotswold, England: miles of pristine dry stone walls that enclose orchards of predominantly lemon trees and olive trees, or line Roman straight driveways to splendid villas, basilico's and in one case, what looked like a monastery.

It's beauty is that everything is built using a light coloured limestone that is consistent throughout; charmingly pleasing to the eye. Add to this the 'trulli', a unique feature of the region; again stone buildings with conical roofs that are both dwellings or store houses; they are everywhere and really create the character of the place.
As I left Alberobello and its appealing surroundings, I kept fighting this 2 day old urge to get to Croatia, thinking that I should spend at least a night in this 'Capitale di Trulli', but before I knew it I was in Bari. The one thing I did realise is that Pulgia's countryside is somewhere I would happily live.

Bari was a pleasant surprise as I've often found, as mentioned before, that port towns can be a bit dour, yet this was everything but; huge, authoritative buildings, some with a regal feel others more colonial; a very impressive, boulevard rich, bustling city.

I arrive an hour before boarding starts for the Jadrolinija Ferry and literally, as I pull up under a massive marque where the ticket offices are situated, the biggest rainstorm erupts out of nowhere. People dashing for cover as if sirens were warning of incoming enemy planes and the incredible noise was that of a Sex Pistols concert, marbled sized raindrops (thankfully not spit) mean't shouting to be heard as I bought my ticket. It's only rain but still spell-binding in this magnitude.

At this point I get a tap on the shoulder from one half of an Austrian bike touring duet, Nic and Ilse, whom I end up joining for a jolly supper on the boat. They were not surprised by the rain as for the last 3 days of their riding they had been in constant down-pours. Even though they reliably informed me that the weather is also bad across the Adriatic, I assured them that the sun follows me wherever I go and guess what, it's pissing d...... no it's not. The ferry docked in a sunshine soaked Dubrovnik at 7am this morning and 5 hours later it's still blazing. Aye thang yaw!

I'm so glad I arranged two weeks of bike insurance cover for Croatia as I'm going to use all the time. I know I've only been here for a morning but already I love it. Love it, love it, love it! I have booked a two night stay in this ancient town and am looking forward to exploring it fully before moving on up the coast to find a campsite base.

A quick segue ... noticing a Croatian zoo of animals following me on the bike, I realised I should take advantage of the very cheap laundry services at the hotel, so presented them with a bag full of stuff including my most comfortable jeans that may not make it through a wash. Nine slashes and holes in total with areas worn to rice-paper thinness but then they have done over 3,000 miles. I hope they make it, they are my 'originals' as old style Hell's Angels would call them.

Oh, as I wasn't sure whether Croatian was the right terminology, I checked and it is, along with Croat but I prefer Croatian. "A Croat" sounds like something you should see a doctor about.

Right, I'm off to old town Duby ... ta ta for now ... zbogom (no that's not a spell-check, it's good-bye in Croatian but can't help thinking that I'm saying "up yer bum")