I was fascinated by the various expressions on the figures making up the corbels there, and took numerous photos of them when we visited Lecce almost a decade ago.

It's evidently be some time since that particular stone last rolled.

Thanks. Yeah, not much riding outside during the last 3 (4?) rainy months. We have finally had a few days of much welcome sunshine and relative warmth. The forecast is back to rain for a day, then maybe spring is here to stay. I'm looking forward to better riding days ahead.

About gathering data: have you consider getting and wearing a heart rate monitor? You could get one that works with your Garmin and maybe get a better idea of what happens before an arrhythmia episode. Or maybe your current method will work to avoid them.

I keep seeing the word laboratory in Sicily and it certainly doesn’t have (only) the same meaning as it does in English.

If (when) I get to Puglia, this will be a stop for sure.

The greens and gold's are really glowing there. Very striking.

I keep reminding myself that the surface data in RWGPS and similar programs are based on Open Street Maps information and is therefore dependent on user input. I still remember being in the Basque Country where the street names on my Garmin OSM map were different from those on my paper Michelin map and the physical signs on the streets were different yet again. This was, of course, before surface data was added to cycling-specific map platforms.

I remember riding through the outskirts of Lecce wasn't a lot of fun, but once in the centro storico the vibe was much more relaxed. Enjoy a caffe Leccese with a pasticciotto, relax, and watch the Puglian world go by.

And I knew to check out the mosaics from reading your journal entry!

Hey, Amber! Nice to hear from you, and thanks for checking in. I hope you all made it through the winter OK. It was pretty hard to believe your weather over the last several months, watching one deluge after another wash over you. It makes us feel a little silly, looking out the window this morning and wishing it weren’t quite so showery.

I'm just catching up with your recent adventures. What a perfectly gorgeous day and ride! As always, love the pictures — I've got bike travel envy.

You think that’s amazing? Look at these two photos of the fishing boats in Porto Cesareo:
Ours: https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/puglia2006/salento/#16184_yc3ezoybqnibrjik3awzyzu6jcf
Yours: https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/2006apulia/san-pietro-in-bevagno-to-gallipoli/#7915_161223_8157

It’s fascinating reading your journal again, being reminded of how changed Puglia is from 17 years ago.

That is so amazing!

Well, that’s pretty remarkable. We just missed each other. We biked from Otranto to Lecce less than three weeks earlier: https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/puglia2006/salento/.