Gallipoli to Alberobello, Trulli Goofy

We had fun with this leg. Trying to come up with fun ideas for our videos has carried right into the fun, and joy of bicycle touring. So take a look at our Trulli Goofy Video.

Our two days in Gallopoli were fun. We were able to explore the old town and the castle before it started to rain in the afternoon. The castle was a maze of rooms with walls 10 ft thick. Imagine cannons firing out to sea echoing through the halls. 

Our B&B had a small kitchen that we were able to cook in.  After eating out a fair amout it's nice to enjoy a meal we cook ourselves. We've found that quite a few of our stays have had kitchen facilities to make a simple meal with local fare. It's a nice break from eating out all the time, especially breakfast since we aren't into the traditional Italian breakfast of sweets.

It rained most of the night in Gallopoli and we thought we would be riding in a down pour, but it stopped just in time for our departure and we made it to Porto Cesareo before the rain hit again. We were also fortunate enough to have a strong tailwind otherwise it would have been brutal. The waves breaking on the rocks and sandy beaches made for a breathtaking ride and the lack of traffic was nice.  Once in Porto Cesareo the rain became a downpour and the wind increased. So glad to be hunkered down in a nice room then dinner just around the corner. A wonderful seafood place where we picked our catch from a bountiful selection packed on ice.  Squid and cuttlefish, yumm...

We woke the next morning to mostly sunny skys. Up the coast we rode again through mostly deserted towns and beautiful beaches. Must be fantastic in the hot summer sun! We then headed inland to Oria. Back into olive groves and vinyards we were able to start shedding some of our layers, the sun finely warming us up.

We decided to stay two nights in Oria, a smaller town with a lot of character. Our B&B had a nice kitchen so we cooked one night. Wandering around on Sat  night we heard music and followed it to the Cathedral where a rock band who resembled The Blue Man Group, were playing Christian music for Easter. Quite a scene with colored lights, smoke and a karaoke screen. 

Devon in front of Domusfrumente Apartment
in Oria, very economical and nice.

Blue Man Group, Oria Italy

When we left Sunday morning we stopped to watch the Palm Sunday service in front of the church. Crowds of people waving olive branches. It will be interesting to see what happens next Sunday for Easter.

Spring has sprung! We're finally riding in short sleeves. Flowers blooming, trees starting to burst. Nice! We're on our way to Martina Franca, located in the hills, inland. We have a substantial climb to get there, so thank goodness for our lower gearing. But flat tire number 3 slowed our progress. This time a thorn, not glass, which was surprising. On our next tour we may put heavier tires on so as to eliminate some of the flats.

Martina Franca was a bustling town, even for Sunday night. The most people we've seen in one place in a long time. Maybe tourist season is starting.

Before leaving for Alberobello we stopped at a small production olive oil company and a wonderful tour and tasting with Vincenzo. We learned a lot about how the oil is made and what we should look for when buying. When making olive oil everything is used, the meat, the pit even some stems are crushed together. Did you know most of the oil comes from the pit?

Vincenzo a 4th generation olive oil producer with Jim
Olio L'acropoli di Puglia (company)
Martina Franca, Italy

A short ride brings us to Alberobella, the city of trulli. Trulli are many Trullo. We are staying in a trullo that was built around 1400. Our own little hobbit house.Totally amazing!

Tulli line the streets of Alberobello 

An evening picture in front of our Trullo

We've been staying mostly in the old historical centers of the towns where the streets are very narrow and quite often not even wide enough for a car. Our GPS has worked fairly well, but does tend to loose coverage at times in the narrow streets. It would be immposible without it however.

Up next, we're off to Gioia del Colle and Metera where caves abound.

A map so far of our travels.

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