What more needs to be said about a forty-six mile ride along the beautiful Adriatic that gains barely 300 feet of elevation all day; features the usual dazzling wildflower display; includes salt flats and our favorite bird; stays dry in spite of the threat of thunderstorms throughout the afternoon; ends at an excellent B&B with an appealing array of treats waiting for us when we awaken tomorrow; and closes with a pretty walk along Manduria’s waterfront promenade, followed by a fine fish dinner by a window overlooking the sea?
Niente.
I talk Rachael into adding a mile or two by leaving the arterial for this quiet, sometimes rough path instead. Behind me, I hear the instruction: ‘GoPro: Attack Scott!’.
Shawn AndersonNot quite sure. Some kind of a fishing boat with what looks like to be a bow trawler or a bow rigged scoop net. Reply to this comment 5 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Shawn AndersonIt looks like a trawler of some kind, alright. I found a photo of another boat like this, which called it a peschereccio: a fishing boat. Not that helpful, really. Reply to this comment 5 years ago
We biked along the Marguerita di Savoia salt pan for the next ten miles. Obviously still a working pan, it produces roughly 6,000 tons of salt annually.
We felt really lucky to see this dump truck unload its load of salt to the conveyer belt below, but as we biked along we saw a fresh load driving down the road every few minutes.
Scott AndersonTo Jen RahnIt was great, and new to us also. My only regret was that the GBO couldn’t be here to appreciate it. Maybe he’s following along though and will reconsider and decide to hop aboard again someday. Reply to this comment 5 years ago
Jen RahnTo Scott AndersonWouldn't that be something if GBO hitched a ride in another cycle tourist's pannier .. only to show up at a gathering with his long lost guardians, Scott and Rachael?! Reply to this comment 5 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Jen RahnStranger things have happened. I’m holding out hope that his hot new partner will dump him when she realizes he is without resources and can’t get her an American passport. He’ll come around whining to be let back into the toolbag one of these days, I’m sure. Reply to this comment 5 years ago
The outflow from the salt pan runs its short course to the sea. We’re standing here on the road along the narrow isthmus between the sand and the sea, which as you can see is very slender.
Uh, oh - this looks just like the formation that drenched Trani yesterday. We pick up the pace to fit ourselves into a trough between cloud ranges, and make it in dry.
Manfredonia sits below Gargano, an isolated range that juts into the sea and is almost an island. We’ll see much more of it as we spend the next several days biking around it’s base.
Manfredonia is a pleasant, untouristy place with a long seaside promenade, an old castle, and a warm atmosphere. A nice, tranquil place to spend the night.
The Manfredonia harbor light, with the ancient volcano Monte Vulture behind it. In our original plan for this week we were going to bike past it and circle it on a day ride from Melfi. Maybe next time - it’s not going anywhere.