April 16, 2015
Sand Castles: derelict house campsite to woodland. And on to Naples.
I suspect times have changed, but when I was a boy we used to go to the seaside and build sand castles on the beach, which would stand like a solidary hill. This is what every town my road passed through today is like, crowning a high hilltop with a long steep climb to the centre and a dramatic spiral back down leaving town.
I am out of the tent at sunrise and get on the road soon thereafter. The road straightaway climbs to the day's first town, Atri. In the hilltop town centre, I'm seduced to stop by the delicious morning aroma of baking from a small supermarket. An aroma like sweet ricotto. But find it is more cosmetic than real. A small family run supermarket, everything I need for the day is easily found along two aisles. The bakery is vanilla croissants: I have two with a can of coke for breakfast sat outside on pallets.
The road descends then follows a ridge of dune-hills with the coast below to the left before spiralling down into and through a string of seaside towns before entering a large urban area, Pescara. A seemingly endless thoroughfare of cars and scooters from one traffic-light to the next, until I get to the centre and get on the "tutti direciones" system of roundabouts, where I follow signs for Chieti. Although not ten o'clock yet, it showed +27 on an illuminated sign back there and it really feels it. Warm and sweating. Worst still my back is suddenly itchy, as if someone put itchy powder down my jersey and it is annoying trying to scratch and watch for traffic. The cause seems to be airborne hairy seeds I see floating down everywhere.
I reach Chieti after a long thirsty climb around noon. A city perched on it's lofty hilltop where it is a relief to ride along the shaded pedestrianize commercial street milling with people. I pause by a Gellateria, thinking I'll have an ice-cream, but a big band of students get in there first and I would be waiting too long to get served. Farther along I come to a café inside a classic renaissance colonnade, near full of cliental which is a good sign. I need to charge the camera battery, so once I've locked the bike I enter and find a table by a power-socket, plug in and when the waiter come, order a large beer; just the thing for a warm day.
It is wonderfully cool leaving Chieti as the road plunges down almost to the lowest point in the country ahead, then the road on is in pretty good shape with a good shoulder, it runs along a series of viaducts across deep ravines interceded with short tunnels through each hill, minimal climbing until the next long ascent to Guardiagele. Riding up the final narrow street into the centre, I pass through a piazza with railing along one side and view down far and wide across the surrounding countryside. There's a cool breeze here and I kind of understand the climatic aspect of locating towns on hilltops.
I am hungry but don't see many places open. There is a bar in a piazza further up, but there are too many curious faces looking on as I pass to stop, sit down and eat something in peace. On another side of the same piazza, there is a establishment with a signboard outside with pictures of hamburgers and pizza thereon. The moment I pull up outside, A swat round woman come out and accosts me. "Come! Come!" she beckons when I state I'm looking for pizza. Not wanting to be impolite I follow her into the café where she goes behind the counter and points out the last slice of a rather miserable looking pizza. Then insist on heating it up for me when I say it'll be fine cold. Eating it, it is how it looks, thin and hard with no taste and the woman pulls a chair over next the table and start interrogating me with "how long you stay in Guardiagele?". I have just arrived and will leave soon but I nod, don't know. Next question "What hotel you stay in?" At that moment a woman enters and without waiting for an answer, she gets up to deal with her. I finish off quickly before she returns, put my money down and leave.
I do have a satisfying slice of cake and coffee at a nice café in a narrow street down from the piazza. Here the woman is very pleasant and tells me to take a seat outside while she makes the coffee. It is peaceful until her twelve year old son and two of his school friends plunk down at the table next and persist in playing irritating noises on their phones. Then a gang of giggling school girls come and join them.
And Friday and Saturday when I ride into Naples is much of the same, so I won't clutter the journal more.
Today's ride: 105 km (65 miles)
Total: 2,943 km (1,828 miles)
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