Gallipoli

October 13, 2024

I really wanted to title this "galloping to Gallipoli", but there are literary limits, you know?

I should mention that we probably didn't see Porto Cesareo at its best, as it is low season and 99% of the restaurants (and bars) are closed down already, but the town did not impress. If it's on your list of places to go, move it towards the bottom.

Leaving PC this morning though, a beautiful day with lots of sun and our route took us right along the seaside pathway.

And then shortly we got on the seaside roadway. There were no bike paths or even shoulders to ride on, the edge of the road was bumpy, and Sunday traffic was very busy. So many times I have thought how lucky it is that the cars here are so small, as there is quite a lot of room even when they pass us. To balance it out though, the weather was spectacular!

About 10-15 km out of PC, we came across a huge traffic jam. We are assuming it must be an accident up ahead, and we start weaving in and around cars like any good Italian cyclist.

We start to see people streaming towards us as well, so weaving gets considerably tougher. Finally, finally we see what the issue is.

Not quite as busy on the other side of the market, we get going again and look forward to the path ahead of us.

We get out to that peninsula you see above, and come across a trio of beautiful towns being enjoyed by zillions of people. It is not so hot today, it is a Sunday, nearing the end of summer....for lots of reasons the locals are out to enjoy. It was SO busy I didn't get a pic, but here is an drone pic of one of these towns.

These towns had a promenade along the ocean and a cycle way beside that. Very civilized. There was small sailing regatta underway.

After clearing these towns, we are back on the highway and see our final destination in the distance. That is Gallipoli out on the peninsula.

Gallipoli has an excellent harbour, is a commercial port as well as a holiday destination.

As we rode up the peninsula toward the old town, we passed the battlements - WW2?

We check in, and after a shower go out looking for lunch. There is so little room for cars here and with pedestrians streaming by, it is probably a good thing. However, we did see one tiny parking lot.

Everybody seemed out and about, hugging and kissing as they met friends on Sunday. Quite the family scene with kids, dogs, babies, grandmas....

We found a fish restaurant (of course) and Marjory said she had the full Italian experience as behind her the man was on the phone most of lunch, the mom was busy taking care of the baby, the dog (can't be seen here) was under the table waiting on dropped goodies, motorcycles roared by, a few snarling dog encounters, and that bald headed guy in the pic below shepherding potential customers into this restaurant. Lively and loud!

All senses are captivated (or is it assaulted?).

Back at the hotel, where we have 2 massages booked, we are negotiating for who goes first. The breakfast area for tomorrow morning is just outside our door and looks very inviting.

We caught the sunset....

And then headed off to dinner in the old town.

Tomorrow we head to Santa Maria de Leuca, which is on the very tip of the heel of the boot. See you there.

Today's ride: 35 km (22 miles)
Total: 273 km (170 miles)

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Anne MathersI am so sorry to read about your impression of Porto Cesaro. We were there on our tour in May last year and we loved everything about it. It was vibrant and clean, it had a great restaurant scene and the beach is gorgeous. The B&B we stayed at was one of the best in southern Italy. But, such is the nature of travel. Places we enjoy don’t always tick the boxes for the next person. And, so it goes.
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2 months ago

Patrick Parnoit may have just been that everything was closed down. Few restaurants were open, and the place had a tired and dirty feel. The water was a gorgeous blue though!
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2 months ago