We came to Bisceglie because it has one of very few camp sites currently open in the Bari area and at the end of the month (in two days time) we are scheduled to leave Bari on a ferry to Durres in Albania. We are finally making proper progress on our journey to Greece.
Bisceglia is a fair sized town of 50,000+ some 20 miles north of Bari. It was around in Roman times (known then as Vigiliae) but didn’t really come to prominence until the 11th century after being conquered by the Normans. Agriculture (olives) and to a lesser extent fishing are the main activities in the area but lately tourism has also become important.
Trani from our camp site
Bisceglie from our camp site
Our camp site was some 2 kms north of the town centre and it was a lovely sunny walk along the promenade to the harbour and then into the old town which adjoins the harbour and is wholly residential except for the cathedral and a handful of small cafe bars. The cafe bars were full of locals and there was no sign of tourism or any other form of commercial development. The lanes are wonderful and were a breath of fresh air after some of the places that we passed through during our drive down from Vieste.
We enjoyed a wander around both the harbour and the old town and stayed long enough to enjoy a late breakfast in an old town cafe and an early lunch sitting outside a harbour cafe.
Breakfast amounted to a chicken taco and a local beer (okay it was early for booze but we are on a kind of holiday) while lunch comprised the local bread and four very large prawns coated in chopped almonds. One thing I missed out on was a Bisceglie Sospiro. This is a light sponge cake, the flour of which is flavoured with lemon zest, filled with a vanilla infused cream and coated with a thin sugar glaze. According to local legend, when Lucrezia Borgia, the countess of Bisceglie, wed Alfonso of Aragon, the nuns of the San Luigi convent prepared these little cakes for the wedding celebrations. Other stories say that the Sospiro was invented by a romantic confectioner who was inspired by the shape of his lover’s breasts. The cakes are breast shaped.
Prawns coated in chopped Almonds
Bisceglie Sospiro
We stayed for two very enjoyable and relaxing days.
One other thing, there were some rather bizarre sculptures on the harbour of which I can find no detail. They included 3 pairs of shoes right by the waters edge, a pair of hands (cut off at the wrist) and a most curious fisherman. If anyone knows anything about these, please drop me a line…
Whilst we were in Vieste a local chap, Francesco, had recommended we visit Trani; a fair sized town of 50,000 people further south on the Adriatic. Trani was en route to our next planned stop of Bisceglie and, while my admittedly limited research on the place suggested there was not much to see (It’s real interest is in it’s history – it was a major jumping off point for many of the Crusades) we decided to give it a try.
We elected to follow the coast road. We figured it would be slower but more picturesque and; it was for the first few miles across the Gargano Peninsula to Manfredonia and; it should have been impressive beyond that but, so far as Vanya and I are concerned… Well, read the travel blurb and it will tell you of the numerous luxury holiday resorts all with blue flag beaches that adorn this particular stretch of the Adriatic coastline. It will tell you too of the beauty of the Riserva Naturale di Stato Saline di Margherita di Savoia. Sorry, not when we were there. We drove the coast road all the way from Manfredonia, through Zapponeta, Margherita di Savoia and Barletta to Trani and, honestly, it looked like an extensive plot from Dawn Of The Dead. The first half of that journey we passed countless holiday resorts and camp sites; every one of them closed if not derelict; shredded flags blowing in the wind and rubbish, tons of rubbish and dumped furniture, strewn along both sides of the road and; no people. The second half of the journey it was salt marshes; miles of flat, featureless salt marshes occasionally punctuated with metal skeletons that I assume were some form of industrial processing plant and small mountains of salt and; rubbish, tons of rubbish and dumped furniture strewn along both sides of the road and; no people. And it was grey and it was raining and all very apocalyptic.
We arrived at a bad time, about noon, when every self respecting Italian is off for a two or three hour lunch) and the ensuing lack of activity around the town combined with worsening weather (heavy rain clouds were forming) ruled out one of my favourite pastimes – people watching over a glass of wine or two.
We decided that, because Trani is a historic fishing port, anything worth seeing would be down by the seafront and so we made for the harbour. I knew too that the Cattedrale di San Nicola Pellegrino, one building that I am keen to see, is also by the harbour.
It was easy to find the harbour and we parked up on a delightful square almost on the marina, the Piazza Plebiscito. There followed a brief wander around the marina (taking the usual tourist snaps as we went), and then a stroll along the harbour walls and promenade and through the adjacent 19th century gardens (the Villa Comunale).
In the Villa Comunale
We decided against a trip across to the cathedral because the sky was darkening at an alarming rate and we were denied any decent photographic opportunities as a result of it being totally enveloped in scaffolding for renovation purposes. Just my luck! By the way, I am talking about the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas the Pilgrim, not the other better known Saint Nicholas of Santa Claus fame.
How the Cathedral should look…… and how it does look
The weather is set to deteriorate. It is time to move on. We therefore booked a ferry for the evening of 30 September from Bari to Durres in Albania. And in the meantime? We decided upon a leisurely drive down to Bari which would include at least a 2 day stopover at Tenuta Padre Pio, a hotel complex near Vieste, with a view to spoiling ourselves a little. Sod the weather!
We headed south on the A14 motorway when, within 120 kms of Bari, the Satnav turned us around and sent us almost 30 kms back north on the coast road towards Vieste. It was a most confusing route but very scenic. We traversed the Gargano Peninsula (through the Parco Nazionale del Gargano) and while it wasn’t the best of roads (steep, narrow and winding – Vanya crept to the back of the Van and went to bed) it made for some wonderful views to the south (and we passed a “sounder” of wild boar on the way).
Vanya’s final photo at Porto Sant’ElpidioView south from the Gargano Peninsula
I would love to spend more time exploring the Gargano Peninsula. Jutting out into the Adriatic it is often referred to as the spur on the heel of Italy’s boot and that description does not do the place justice. In fact, this area is as scenic and close to unspoiled as you get in Italy. With towering forests of pine, oak and beech covering the hillsides it’s greener than just about anywhere else I have seen in Puglia and these forests contrast wonderfully with the stark white limestone cliffs and the deep blue sea. This is perhaps what is most endearing about this place – the diversity.
We were more than satisfied with the accommodation at Tenuta Padre Pio and that first evening we splashed out on a rather nice if somewhat expensive meal and a couple of the local wines. These were very local wines coming from the hotel’s own vineyards – no wonder the hotel has its own Enoteca and offers free wine tasting – but, while Vanya really liked her sparkling wine I was not wholly convinced with the red (but they served it chilled?!?).
Some interesting features in the hotel grounds but our accommodation was fine. Plenty of water taps and electrical points dotted around the grounds; I think they will add a camp site to the complex Restaurant was very busy for a Sunday night and my fish was goodLike I said, there are some interesting features in the grounds including these two representations of Padre Pio. They are accurate having been taken from actual photographs; he died as recently as 1968. He was beatified in 1999 and canonized in 2002 by Pope John Paul II after exhibiting stigmata.
We were up early the next day and at the Vieste Marina by 09.00. Being a Sunday morning the town was very quiet and finding a parking place for the Van was easy. Getting Vanya out of her bed is never so easy but, the offer of a boat trip around the grottos dotting the coastline of the Gargano Peninsula had her eating out of my hand. She’ll do almost anything for a ride on a boat and a grotto excursion would test the dogs in advance of our sailing in Greece. The only downside was that I would be expected to accompany them on the boat but as it turned out I was glad I did.
There were some fine views of Vieste as we motored off on our boat to the grottosFrancesco introducing us to the local fishing platform (il trabucco) and the real thing
Leaving aside some great views of Vieste and it’s beaches from our little boat and; our learning a little about local fishing methods from one of the boat crew, Francesco, and; not forgetting the local legend Francesco related concerning the Crystal Rock; we saw some quite spectacular formations that were cut out and sculptured from the (white) limestone and grey (flint) rock by the power of the sea – precipitous crags & cliffs, yawning caves & grottos, natural bridges, arches & towers.
It was amazing too how the skipper could so easily manoeuvre his boat into, around and out of some of these features (with the waves more often than not tossing his small craft all over the place) – Large colourful caves filled with any number of grottos, some with narrow ledges or beaches lit by shafts of light streaming only through a hole in the roof; others smaller, dark and empty; one with stalactites and; one particular cave with two very distinct caverns, one full of light and colour and the other dark and forbidding. My photos could never do them justice.
In terms of revisiting the Gargano Peninsula, one of these boat trips would be a great way to check out the local coastline for places to visit. We were introduced to all kinds of beaches; the long sandy public beaches either side of Vieste and, in total contrast to these, a series of hidden coves with small empty pebbled beaches backed by towering white cliffs. At the top of some of the cliffs are ancient watch towers (lookout posts against invading armies or pirates) and on others modern smart looking hotels (some with lift shafts running down to small secluded beaches); still others were just a mixed mass of rock and trees hanging precariously above the water but, all provided for stunning views both across the Adriatic and up and down the Puglian coast.
All too soon our tour was concluded and we were returned to Vieste but this is one boat trip I would recommend notwithstanding the 25 Euros per person cost. And the dogs? No charge for either of them and both coped well except that Nala didn’t look too happy once the waves became a little choppier.
Back on land, we thanked the skipper and his crew, especially Francesco, and hurried off for a fish lunch and some refreshments; followed by a brief walk around the delightful old town with it’s numerous staircases and tiny piazzas and then; back to the Tenuto Padre Pio for one last lazy night in a real bed (until the next time).
Feeling very tired as we arrived at Porto Sant’Elpidio and, instead of staying the one night (i.e. the 24th) and moving on to Vasto the next day, we elected to stay for a second night notwithstanding that the weather is worsening in the Marche Region and that it is expected to be much nicer to the south.
This was not the most thought out decision of this trip (not least because we have already booked into a Hotel Resort down at Vieste for the 26th and 27th) but sometimes you just have to slow down and Vasto and the Riserva Naturale di Punta Aderci will wait for some other time. Of course my leaving the sunroof open that first night and; it raining heavily for most of the night and; well, the Van getting half flooded did also influence our decision a little. Oops!
There’s not a great deal at Porto Sant’Elpidio. It is a typical Italian Adriatic seaside resort but the campsite we chose was comfortable and right on the beach such that when the rain wasn’t thundering off the roof you could hear the waves hitting the beach from inside the Van. There are worse places to be stuck while a Van dries out and Vanya was happy.
Today we visited the Repubblica di San Marino or, to give it its correct name, The Most Serene Republic of San Marino. It is the third smallest microstate in Europe after the Vatican and Monaco and the second smallest Republic in the world after Nauru). Surrounded on all sides by Italy it is built on and around the 739 metres Monte Titano and it was almost in the way as we drove from the Emilia Romagna Region of Italy to the Marche Region and, since it had been recommended by some friends and neighbours in Prestbury (Don and Carol) who are better acquainted with this area than anyone else I know, we simply had to stop and take a look. So pleased that we did. It is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and an enthralling place.
We could see San Marino from some way off
This particular country is the 98th I have visited in my life although on this occasion I confess I did not stay the night – I did almost everything else though.
The Republic was founded in 301 by Marinus, a Christian stonemason who with his followers sought refuge from religious persecution on Mt Titano. Ironically, in the 19th century San Marino took in and protected many people who were being persecuted for supporting the unification of Italy and as a consequence in 1862 a friendship treaty was signed guaranteeing the Republic’s independence from the developing Italian State.
There’s a cable car, costing 4.50 euros return which will take you from Borgo Maggiore (where we parked the Van) up Mount Titano to San Marino. We chose to walk it and it took no more than 20 minutes.
Leaving Borgo Maggiore…
…easy and obvious path…
…to the entrance
Almost all of San Marino is pedestrianised. It is a maze of hilly medieval streets dotted with cafes, restaurants and countless small shops selling a wide range of goods some 20% cheaper than in Italy. There is no VAT in San Marino. There’s plenty to do if you don’t like shopping. I prefer just sitting and people watching but there are a number of quite eclectic museums in which you could pass some time – a Museum of Curiosities, a Museum of Medieval Criminology and Torture and even a Museum of Vampires – but quite why anyone would want to spend time in a museum when there is so much going on outside, I do not know.
One particularly interesting walk is the Passo del Streghe which is a path that runs the length of the ridge at the very top of San Marino and which connects the three medieval towers of Guaita, Cesta and Montale. These are the three towers represented in the flag of San Marino. All of the towers offer incredible views. The Guaita is the oldest of the three towers (11th century but much of its present structure dates from the 15th century). The Cesta (13th century but largely rebuilt in the 1930’s) is the highest . The Montale (14th century) sits on the smallest of Monte Titano’s tops. All of the towers offer incredible views.
Guaita
Cesta
Montale
Passo del Streghe
We didn’t bother going to the top of any of the towers. With her fear of heights it was all Vanya could do to walk up to San Marino. She was never going to go up the towers and, besides, there were sweeping views across the Adriatic and to the Apennines from plenty of other places.
One of the nicest areas to offer good views over the rooftops and to enjoy in its own right is the Piazza della Liberta. The Palazzo Pubblico (now the town hall but once Palace of the governor) is to be found on this square and during June and mid September (we arrived a few days too late) it is possible to watch the changing of the palace guard.
Piazza della Liberta
Palazzo Pubblico
Of course it was only a matter of time before Vanya was tempted by the shops and before we each succumbed to a chocolate crepe dripping with the nicest Italian ice cream…
San Marino can appear somewhat contrived. It’s an out and out tourist resort – what else could it be given it’s location and lack of natural resources – but it is also very unusual (unique in many respects) and well worth a day of anyone’s time. I could even manage an evening when, I suspect, it is a great deal quieter.
Journey from Villagio Sanghen wasn’t too far (126 miles) and mostly by the Autostrada but longish stops first at Lidl and then a motorway service station for lunch saw us arrive at Dozza in the Emilia-Romagna Region much later than we expected. Rather than rush around the place, we decided to spend the night in the Van on a very quiet and secluded car park on the west side of Dozza and leave the trip to the coast until the next day. That gave us time to properly explore the town during what was left of the afternoon and then return in the evening for a meal in a local restaurant.
Not far from Imola, Dozza is a small hilltop town overlooking the Sellustra Valley. It’s houses are built along the lines of old castle walls in a long thin shape which taper at both ends, almost like a spindle. At the eastern end of the spindle is an entry arch and at the western end, connected by two almost parallel cobbled streets, is the Rocca Sforzesca – Rocca Fortress. It is almost wholly pedestrianised with only the locals who live between the entry arch and the castle allowed to drive in the town.
It is magical – a medieval village doubling as an open air art gallery. More than 100 (some say 200) brightly coloured frescoes decorate it’s houses, shops and municipal buildings. There’s an abundance of colour everywhere you look but it is not graffiti style street art; it is far more. It is all to do with the “Biennale del Muro Dipinto”, a festival of painted walls which takes place in September every two years and which sees famous national and international artists descend on the town to paint permanent works on the walls of publicly and privately owned buildings. It is a street art museum and quite wonderful. Sod’s law – It’s been taking place every two years since 1960 and it was supposed to take place this year but it is a casualty of Covid.
Some of the artwork had me spellbound…see above
Not just murals…
It cost 5 euros but I just had to pop into the Rocca Sforzesca (Rocca Fortress). The original fortress was built 1250 but extended significantly some 250 years later and then remodelled again in the 16th century when the Malvezzi-Campeggi family sought to transform it into more of a dwelling place than a castle. Most of what you can see now is 15th century. With the exception of the dungeon and the kitchen which are packed with their respective fixtures and fittings the inside of the castle is quite sparsely furnished but there is enough there to provide a real mood about the place and everything is authentic.
Views across the countryside from the top of the fortress are breathtaking and the light was, I imagine, an artists dream. Although dotted with small woods of Oak, Chestnut and Ash the rolling countryside is largely cultivated with a mix of wheat fields, strawberry plantations, apricot and peach orchards and, of course dominating everything, an abundance of grape vines. This is the land of the Sangiovese and Trebbiano di Romagna reds and the Albana and Pignoletto white wine. Vanya will be interested in the Pignoletto (Grechetto) which is this Region’s Sparkling Wine or Frizzante. Not to be confused with Spumante, “Frizzante is softer, rounder and has frothier bubbles” or so I am told.
Talking of wine, the basement of the fortress holds an Enoteca (regular readers of this blog will perhaps recall the Enoteca I visited in Tuscany 2 years ago – that one cost me a small fortune). We were more prudent this time – just 4 bottles; 3 for Vanya and 1 for me.
That evening we left the dogs sleeping in the van for a couple of hours while we walked back into Dozza for something to eat. The cuisine in this region, Emilia-Romagna, is considered among the best in Italy. Particular products include Parma Ham (Prosciutto), Parmisan Cheese, Modena Balsamic Vinegar and some famous Tagliatelle Pasta dishes that Vanya was keen to try.
We found a very welcoming trattoria, Osteria di Dozza, with the chef coming out of the kitchen to explain the dishes (we cannot read Italian and the rest of the staff could not handle English). We chose a local cheese board to start with and then Vanya went for the Tagliatelle while I opted for grilled leg of mutton with garlic & rosemary potatoes.
The town was as magical in the evening as during the day…
What is most amazing about Dozza is that it is not at all touristy. There are no coachloads of tourists (we appeared to be the only visitors in the place during both the afternoon and evening) and absolutely no souvenir shops. It remains a simple village without any of the chaos and stress that now seems a part of everyday life. I do hope we find more like this one.
Despite it’s unabashed tourism and increasing number of theme parks, Lake Garda remains a favourite of most people I know who have visited Italy.
I first visited Lake Garda in 1970 as a teenager with my parents. I returned countless times in the 1980’s (whilst working in Milan with Foster Wheeler Italiana); called in on Sirmioni with Vanya during our honeymoon in 1991 and; overnighted there last year while making my way from France to Austria in the Van. This time, we elected to stay over for a couple of days on the quieter western side of the lake between the two small villages of Villagio Sanghen and Manerba del Garde.
Lake Garda from Villagio Sangher. Manerba del Garde is on the higher ground to the right
Talk about catering for tourists – a special beach for dogs and even a beach library!
These villages are quieter than most around Lake Garda, sitting as they do in the heart of the Valtenesi, a green area between Salo and Padenghe. While the lakeside remains a tourist area with its campsite and accompanying bars and restaurants (they are everywhere around Garda now), go inland to the village of Manerba del Garde and you’ll barely notice the tourists. The village has retained much of its traditional character and has a very rural style about it.
A mule symbol here too?
Village Bar/Restaurant
This is particularly true of the restaurant at which we stopped for lunch. We spent a lovely two hours in a local cafe restaurant there and were delighted at how very cheap the place was (especially having regard to the portions) – 3.5 Euros for a 15″ pizza! Just a few hundred yards away on the waterfront we’d have paid four times as much.
Euro 3.50 for pizza
Euro 3.50 for coldmeats
Who cares what it costs?
This is a wine producing area – Bardolino. I thought Bardolino was produced only to the east of Lake Garda but no, it happens in the Valtenesi too. In fact, in this particular area the focus is on Bardolino’s Chiaretto, a pale rose wine. I need to find some of that before we move on but if not, there’s one thing for sure about Lake Garda, we’ll be back.
The 200 mile drive from Baratier to Lake Maggiore was mostly motorway and we made good time but upon arrival at Stresa it became obvious that we would not be able to negotiate the Van along the narrow lane into the campsite. It took us another hour to find an alternative site at Feriolo on the northern end of the lake but it actually worked out well for us.
Feriolo is a small picturesque fishing village nestled into the northwest corner of the lake and we were very lucky to find it. Picturesque is an understatement.
Most of the western side of Lake Maggiore has succumbed to tourism and while Feriolo is not entirely without tourists (the campsite we stayed in is testimony to that) this place is one of the quieter villages in the area with just one small hotel and four cafe / restaurants (excluding the campsite pizzeria) and it has a very local feel. It has the only sandy beach in the area (if not the whole of the lake), a charming little promenade and the smallest most simple marina used predominantly by local fishermen. There is a small dock too where a ferry used to call but that ceased operating a while ago and the space is now filled by a statue of a mule, the symbol of Feriolo. The only other building of any note is the Church of St Carlo.
Looking East and down the lake
Looking West across Feriolo
Simple streets and houses, unchanged for years, surround the Church of St Carlo
That first night in Feriolo we chose to eat out at one of the four restaurants on the harbour, The Vistaqua. That’s Italian for “Water View” and the setting was great. So too was the pizza. Mine was filled with Gorgonzola, Pears and Walnuts (which combination worked really well) and it was accompanied by a fantastic but inexpensive Salento Primitivo. I cannot recall what Vanya chose to eat but it will come as no surprise to those who know her that she was drinking Prosecco.
The next day I witnessed the most impressive sunrise I have seen in many years and that combined with a promise of continuing fine weather prompted us to stay on another 24 hours. Time to get the BBQ out!
We had two almost contradictory objectives today. One was to make some headway towards Italy (mine) and the other was to find a decent sized Lidl, Leclerc or Carrefour and stock up on Cremont Limoux (Vanya’s). In the end we managed neither. Had we travelled the southern route past St Tropez, Cannes, Nice and the like we could perhaps have achieved both objectives but that is such a tedious route.
Instead we googled Lidl to find a decent sized store and then, armed with the necessary information, made our way north through the Alpes Haute de Provence to the small town of Digne-les-Baines. A little further research and we may have discovered that Lidl had only 4 bottles of Crement left. No matter, Vanya bought them all and then we set off to a campsite she liked the sound of at a place called Baratier.
Baratier is just 40 miles from the Italian border with Italy so while neither of us had fulfilled our respective objectives we both made progress. Best of all we were each blown away by the scenery on the way across to Baratier. We took the route through Le Vernet, Seyne, Saint Vincent les Fortes and Savines le Lac (which I believe the Tour de France follows). The road winds through and over some quite spectacular mountain scenery and for a while it follows the beautiful La Durance River and along the south bank of it’s reservoir, Lake Serre-Poncon.
Lake Serre-Poncon from the south as we came over the mountains
Lake Serre-Poncon
La Sauze du Lac
One remarkable site we stumbled upon en route to Baratier (on the D954 in the Durance Valley near La Sauze du Lac) is a series of natural columns of earth and stone known as Des Demoiselles Coiffees; meaning, Young Ladies with Fancy Hair or a Nice Hat. Not hard to see why they were so named as each column is topped with a large rock.
The campsite? At first glance, it was very quiet and had everything we needed but it really is in the middle of nowhere and that evening we walked miles in the dark looking for a restaurant that would tolerate dogs. The only open restaurant we could find was a hotel restaurant and they wouldn’t admit dogs. It was back to the Van for cheese & biscuits because we hadn’t defrosted anything in the freezer.
The Campsite Pool looked good but we decided to move on
