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We reached the end of the road.  To our left the Adriatic Sea and the hills of Albania outlined on the far horizon, to our right the Ionian Sea which today is crashing against the rocky shore driven by a 25 mph Scirocco that pelted us with sand particles all day.  The Madonna de FinibusContinue reading “Finis Terrae May 16, 2024”

This adventure with my dear friend the Wildebeest is coming to a close.  What began 40 days ago, seems now like a dream from a different lifetime.  The details are growing more elusive, like watching passing scenery from a train window. My daughter warned that asking friends to endure, yet another, journal marathon of ourContinue reading “Paula’s Weekly Summary: Dispatch from the Back End of Week 6”

A beautiful walk high up on the cliffs overlooking the sea. We went to the fruit vendor to buy a couple of oranges for today’s short trip.  The store advertised dried figs.  The fig trees we pass are full of figs, not yet ripe.  As the lady was carefully selecting and bagging the oranges IContinue reading “Pope to Puglia Day 40 Vignacastrisi to Tricase – 14 km”

We left the Aragonese castle behind. A beautiful blustery, wet day, first along the coast, now marked by steep cliffs, and then back in olive groves and vineyards and thorough small towns (less than 1,000 inhabitants) with extraordinary churches. This is the last of our 20+ km days, a distance that at the beginning ofContinue reading “Pope to Puglia Day 38 Otranto to Vignacastrisi – 26 km”

We are back by the sea at the small town of Otranto, population 5,000 that swells up to 100,000 during the high season.  It is a stunningly beautiful town with a broad, marble boardwalk along the shore, lined with restaurants and gelaterie, the length of its harbor.  It is home to a significant Romanesque BasilicaContinue reading “Pope to Puglia Martano to Otranto – 12 km”

Lecce is a beautiful town with an overabundance of Roman archeological sites, Baroque architecture, and the crowds that these justifiably attract.  We loved it and plan to return to it soon for a more in-depth appreciation than we could grant it with only a 12 hour stay.   We were able to spend some time atContinue reading “Day 36 and Day 37 Torchiarolo to Lecce – 24 km Lecce to Martano – 14 km”

Even though our legs are strong, and we are accustomed to walking for 7 hours, 31 kms is taxing, but we made it to Brindisi with energy to spare for a fine fish dinner by the water.  Brindisi, an old port city, is where the Via Traiana and the Via Appia end and is theContinue reading “Pope to Puglia Day 35 and 36 Torre Santa Sabina to Brindisi – 31 km Brindisi to Torchiarolo – 26 km”

We’ve come to love the beaches tucked in coves defined by tufa slabs sculpted by the clear cerulean sea.  We don’t go swimming but will take our various breaks sitting on a slab admiring the perfect serenity of water lapping the beach by the sound of an egg hitting a hot skillet.

Sails have replaced olive trees, rocky outcroppings, and cliffs instead of straight dirt roads, sandy beaches in hidden alcoves in place of stone walls. The Puglian Adriatic coast isn’t like the dramatic mountains cascading into the water of the Amalfi coast; rather, it is flat and accessible, the crystalline blue water melding with low lyingContinue reading “Pope to Puglia Day 33 Monopoli to Torre Canne – 24km”

After 10 days of pounding gravel, asphalt, and dirt our feet and legs pleaded for a day of rest, so we moused around Mola di Bari before boarding a train for the 20-minute ride to Monopoli.  Before leaving Mola, Francesco gave us an unsolicited tour of the Cathedral including a lengthy account of ceremonies onContinue reading “Pope to Puglia Day 32 Mola di Bari to Monopoli – km 0”