Bernalda

May 14, 2019

We have a loser

So, not every day on tour can be great. You need diversity and contrast. We have a new candidate for worst ride of the tour, one that I think has a good chance of holding its position.

We were surprised by what made it less attractive though. We went to bed last night and woke up this morning worried about the weather forecast, which calls for rain and thundershowers today, locally heavy, with possible thunderstorms and flooding. This morning though, the situation is improved. It’s actually quite nice out, with broken clouds and sun; and it looks like we could have about three hours of this before the rains roll in. We rush through breakfast and hit the road early, hoping to complete the bulk of the ride dry. To improve our chances, we opt for the most direct route we’ve been considering - a generally flat 33 miles mostly along the coast.

The skies darkened about an hour into the ride, and we did get a very light sprinkling. It all dissipated quickly though, and we made it in dry with about four hours to spare. The rains didn’t arrive until about dinner time, but even then they amounted to little. The forecast was just wrong.

The problem with the day was the choice of route. If you come to this part of the world with your bike, don’t try to follow the coast here. It’s a complete mess, and I think not legally rideable in spots. There’s really only one through road, alternately marked as the older SS106 and the newer E90 expressway. It looks like it’s in transition and in the process of being upgraded to a real expressway, and we frequently encountered signs at access ramps listing the fine for biking on it.

Facing this, we of course did all we could to stay off of the highway. And there’s a lot you can do - there are the usual service roads that follow along, or nice country lanes a bit further off route. They don’t however allow you to actually stay off the expressway. They sure look like they will, but then they fizzle out and end at a river, or cross under the expressway and just double you back the way you came.

Our 33 mile ride turned into a 41 miler, totally from pursuing dead ends that forced us to turn back and get back on the damn highway anyway. Fortunately the traffic wasn’t terrible and we didn’t really feel unsafe, but we did wonder if the police were going to pull us off the road somewhere. We weren’t alone in our anxiety either - we stopped to discuss the situation with a German touring couple trying to get to Taranto, just as frustrated as we were.

So, don’t go there would be our advice. Take a longer route and dive back into the mountains.

The photos and video are misleading, by the way. We cherry picked the best of the day. Most of the ride was on the SS106/E90, or the even worse (because shoulderless) E847. We weren’t inclined to video this or stop for photos.

We didn’t see much of Bernalda either, although we did find an excellent bread shop for lunch and a nice restaurant with a pleasant British couple to chat with as we ate. We decided to rest up into the room until about six and then walk to the historical core before dinner - but that’s when the rains began so we bagged it.

And, actually dinner was a bit odd too. Rachael picked this place because she saw the menu online, found the dishes she wanted, and was encouraged by the reviews. The online menu was accurate too - it matched the ones we were handed at the table. Four of the five dishes we selected though were not actually available today, so we ended up with compromise choices. Knowing this in advance, I’m sure we would have gone elsewhere.

Like I said, I’m confident today will hold its ranking for a while.

Leaving Rocca Imperiale. It looks fine, so we’re hustling out before the deluge arrives.

We saw this yesterday, but it somehow looks different in the morning light. I’m waiting for Rachael at the moment anyway, so I can afford a quick shot.

Some of the best miles of the day are just east of the marina, on this nice older road lined with umbrella pines.

A last look back at Rocca Imperiale, resplendent in the morning sun.

Our nice older highway ends here. Rachael would like me to hurry and take a picture so she can hand her bike over the barrier and we can get on the highway.

If you look away from the highway, the countryside is great. In the distance here is Rotondella, another old knobtop town that would have been great to see up close. We probably would have too, if we’d taken the longer interior route.

This is actually one of the day’s success stories. Our service road ended at the bank of a river, but I poked around behind the trees and found this old isolated bridge we could cross once we scrambled up to it.

Another nice eucalyptus-lined lane, about a mile inland from the highway. Before long though, our intended route ends in a barricaded dirt lane, forcing us back to the highway again.

At least the road leading us back to the highway is attractive, lined with a virtual hedge of malva zebrina.

Now doesn’t this look like a lovely route? Don’t believe it. Oh, and even in the best spots like this, we were chased by dogs.

If you come this way, use this map,as a model of what NOT to do. Steer far away from the coast highway, SS 106. Maybe go inland through Tursi and Montalbano.

Heart

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Ride stats today: 41 miles, 1,400’ elevation gain; for the tour, 1,422 miles, 102,600’

Today's ride: 41 miles (66 km)
Total: 1,422 miles (2,288 km)

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Keith ClassenSounds like a day you will remember but would like to forget. At least you were dry! Better days ahead!
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5 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Keith ClassenNot so bad, really. If this was our worst day, we have nothing o complain about. I just like to whine and troll for sympathy.
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5 years ago