November 25, 2024
Done and dusted
Yesterday we started the long journey home. It started with a train journey from Lecce back to Bari where we stayed at an airport hotel for the night since we had a very early flight to Rome. Tim is flying all the way home but I am stopping in Toronto for two nights so I can have a quick visit with my sister Kelly in Guelph. I fly home on Wednesday November 27.
Puglia is a lovely place to go for a cycling trip and it has some unique differences from the rest of Italy. November is not the best month because some areas are closed down but on the other hand the crowds and traffic are much reduced. For me it was perfect because I escaped a month of abysmal weather in Victoria. We booked our tour through Tripsite a US based company who were very good but I would recommend going directly to Salento Bici Tour company to cut out the middle man and save some money, they were excellent. The best times in my opinion to avoid the big crowds and the oppressive heat are April and October.
This trip is not a road bike trip. As in many parts of Italy the road surfaces are not the best plus we had many dirt road sections through the countryside and these were particularly rough. This tour calls for a gravel bike with 40mm tires at a minimum and preferably a hard tail mountain bike or e-bike with front suspension. Good bike handling skills and/or a modicum of mountain bike training is also a good idea. Lastly, it is essential to have, and know how to use some sort of GPS device that is located on the bike so the route can be seen because without it you would not believe where you were going on several occasions and invariably get lost.
Caio for now and Arrivederci Italia.
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Well done and thank you!
3 weeks ago
3 weeks ago