Our journey brings an early start as we want to crunch some miles before lunch. We travel without incident towards Genoa, which provides a breath-taking scene as you drop down into the outskirts of the city from the mountains.
We continue on with a very pleasant section of the journey as we join the coast road for the leg of the journey to Pisa. My advice to anyone who is planning this trip is to stay on this coast road all the way to Rome as it is far more pleasant (and there are no tolls and just as fast).
Before we know it we are in Pisa on a Festa day and there is no traffic as we head towards the Leaning Tower, which you can see from everywhere on the outskirts. Pisa proves to be a delight and somewhere I would definitely return to, despite the fact that it bows to the tourist trade.
The sections along the river Arno are beautiful, but nothing prepares you for the Piazza del Duomo. Pisa is more than just a freak of architecture, the cathedral and baptistery that form a magnificent trinity with the tower – it is a place where you could easily spend an entire afternoon.
After an evening of photo sessions around the old town and a meal at a small pizzeria we have an early night. We’re hoping for the chance of getting ‘Carrie’ (the name given to the 1998 plate 800cc V-twin Suzuki Marauder cruiser bike by my wife who thinks it’s possessed) into the Piazza del Duomo for an early morning photo shoot.
Day Five
We head towards Firenze and then all roads lead to Roma… except ours as we will be skirting the eternal city in the stretch of our journey which proves to be the biggest grind, a seemingly never-ending motorway as nondescript towns slip by (yes, we should have taken the coast road).
We have the choice of ploughing on towards the north of Naples (we are on a time limit as the friends who we are property- sitting for need to leave by this coming weekend) or trying to find something closer.
We check into a motel with no heating but make the best of it, freshen up and walk into the village in search of food and as in most of Italy we find heaven. A small trattoria provides welcome warmth and fantastic antipasti and even more fantastic house wine. This followed by a generous piccante pasta and the second best panna cotta I have ever had.
Day Six
We venture into the last section of our trip, after skirting the north of Napoli, a cross-country jaunt towards the east coast as we head towards Bari and a stop for late lunch at the beautiful medieval port of Trani (this is a wonderful place we discovered on our first trip to Puglia and where we always try to return).
As we head across country an unbelievable cross wind, which then turns into a more unbelievable head wind slows our journey down. However, the wheat fields of northern Puglia soon roll into view and we already feel our journey is nearing its end.
We reach the east coast superstrada and head south to the welcoming arms of Trani. Don’t be misled by it’s urban outskirts, press onwards towards the port and you will be more than pleased with the result.
Find the Piazza Plebiscito – park up, if you’re staying then try the Albergo Lucy in the Piazza. Then walk around the corner towards the port and prepare to go ‘WOW!’ Again Trani did not disappoint.
Mellow delicate light bathed its old stone walls, the harbour was jammed with yachts and fishing boats of all sizes, blinking back rippling light against the silhouetted form of the magnificent duomo and the tower at the harbour mouth.
Bars and eateries line the harbour front and even in late season many are still open. Take your pick and even in the summer when there is a vast choice there’s not a bad one. We head down to one of our favourites, park the bike right outside and settle down for marvellous antipasti and a personal favourite second course of gnocchi – Perfetto!
As is the way in Puglia, we take far too long over lunch and realise we must be on our way for the last 130 km to our destination of Ostuni. We follow the coast and head down, skirting Bari as dusk falls and a full moon lights our way along the coastal motorway.
The glinting lights of the ancient white city of Ostuni beckon but they will have to wait until tomorrow. We head inland through moonlit stonewall-fringed ancient olive groves to the end of our trek at Masseria Impesi, just outside Ostuni.
The ancient farm is now owned by David and Leonie who run holiday courses. Leonie has prepared a sumptuous meal as the trials, aches and pains of our journey are showered away and we settle down near the open fire to eat, drink and tell tales of our trek to our hosts, who are not surprised in the least, as David did a similar trek over 30 years ago on his own motorcycle!
After eating and drinking far more than we should, we head to a welcome bed but not before checking on our trusty steed who has transported us over 1,700 miles, we decide to rename her by way of thanks for getting us here safely and so the dreaded ‘Carrie’ is rechristened ‘Cara’… someone who is dearly loved and one that hopefully will carry us on many more journeys to come, in our beloved Puglia.
To read the beginning of this journey read the first part.
To find out more about Steve and Sarah Barney, visit www.capturelavista.com
