It was time to move. Brindisi just didn’t do it for me. I mean, it’s nice but it’s also a transit point to and from Greece. So, I doubt the locals really care about tourists, and fair enough.
I left in some traffic but soon joined a very strange cycleway. It was in the middle of an almost deserted road, and looked like nobody had swept it in ten years. There was gravel , sand, and things too heavy to just blow away. It didn’t last long, but I always feel compelled to use cycling infrastructure regardless of how bad it is.
I then went through some farming areas before joining the service road beside the freeway. From here, the coast was never far away, and I dropped into Villanova di Ostuni for lunch. So nice too. I had Arancini and Focaccia from the local bakery that was doing a roaring trade.
Next was Monopoli, a place where I thought of stopping. It’s definitely on the tourist trail and is beautiful but I think I made the right decision. Leading up to Monopoli, I stopped at a set of lights and spoke to and english cyclist. He’d retired to this area and loves it. Judging by the weather and the surroundings, I’d say it was a good choice. He’s got villages, coastline, hills, olive groves and lots of things nearby.
I thought the last part into Polignano would be really good, but all to often, buildings between me and the coastline completely obscured the view and made it more like suburban cycling. Considering where I am and what I’m doing, I simply shouldn’t complain.
I found the BnB in a confusing grid of streets close by the old town. It was confusing because even though it’s a grid full of one way streets, sometimes 3 or 4 streets in a row, will run the same way, and that can mean many blocks of riding just to go 50 metres in the right direction.
The BnB is nice and has a kitchen, so I’m looking forward to cooking. I’ve been craving vegies and anything that’s not pizza or pasta.