Gargano

Let’s see what was special about this weekend. Well the first and most important thing was watching the Italy vs Ukraine game Friday night. We had a blast over Dora’s house, as the Italian team really seems to be playing better as they get into the tournament. No controversy. No red cards or penalty kicks. Three well played goals.
Then Saturday morning we took off for the Gargano Peninsula. This is area that is the “spur” of Italy. Now we know why. It’s like rock that the sea can’t erode. We hiked up a mountain, Monte Calvallino, on Saturday afternoon. The trail started out in the woods with little clearings full of flowers and then opened up to a bare and rocky hillside. It was VERY windy when we came out of the woods but the wind was refreshing especially after the heat and humidity that’s been hitting Italy for the past few weeks.
After the hike we drove until we arrived in Rodi Garganico. A small town with what looked like a good beach. We asked at the local café about a hotel and they pointed out a hotel, which fit our needs but…. What we didn’t know was that the town was celebrating their patron saint on Sunday. Now this is a good time to visit a small Italian town because everyone is out and there are usually street vendors and rides. It’s very exciting. The problem is the rides (and therefore most of the noise) were right next to our hotel and the ruckus went on very late. I don’t know when they stopped because I managed to fall asleep anyway. Then at 7:30 AM they sent off fireworks, again right by our hotel, to start the day’s activities. Not the big pretty things, just the kind you shoot up in the air and they make noise. Not the best way (and time) to wake up in the morning.
Sunday we drove along the coast stopping frequently to take pictures, some of which we’ll put up here. We walked around in Vieste and found a really cool hotel that’s in the centro storico and has it’s own stairs down to it’s own almost private beach. I picked up a flyer and it’s not that expensive. I’ll stay there if I come back in the summer. I don’t recommend the beach at Mattinata where we stopped. It seems to be a manmade beach with some kind of gravel throw down. People here were also laying out on bare rock so I guess these people are a little tougher than me. I want sand.
Sunday night was nothing but good news. We returned to Brindisi and the cool wind seemed to have followed us. It was not unpleasantly hot like Friday. A walk into town gave me a wealth of information. They were setting up a concert in the middle of town, AND Alla Corte di Bacco was open again. My favorite bar has returned. Now it’s under the management of Francesco who I already know because he manages Goblin’s Pub another place I go when they have live music. Also in the same Piazza I see that Monica has returned and is working with Tonino at La Locanda degli Angeli. It’s good to see her again even though she broke my heart a long time ago (that list is getting long now!). I’m sure she’s already working on another plan to leave town.