16 km, 4.75 hours.
11 deg, sunny/ overcast.
Highlights – everything today on this absolutely gorgeous route. Quiet roads, bike path and country lanes. Trulli, stone walls, fields, olive trees, vines, lavender fields, grand estates and autumn leaves. And more Christmas decorations.
It is pretty cold when we head out on the path descending from Locorotondo.
We need to negotiate a few bigger roads, though there is very little traffic this morning, then the path diverts off to quiet local roads; it remains on roads for the first couple of hours.
Two hours in and we reach the cycling path. We have seen a few bike trails when entering towns, but they have been nothing to write about. This is a different story – a beautiful trail that rivals any country bike path that I have seen before. There are quite a few people out walking, walking dogs, jogging, or cycling.
When we leave the bike path, three hours after setting off today, we then follow country lanes and paths that wind their way across towards Cisternino, passing fields and hamlets, and grand estates.
After crossing the train line, it is a short but steep climb up to the town, reminding us of all those Tuscan hill towns and the climbs at the end of the day.
Cisternino is also busy this long weekend and the streets of the old town are crowded for the evening passeggiata and taking in the decorations. We catch the tourist information open, and receive a beautiful stamp.
Tomorrow we continue on to Ostuni, including some of the oldest olive trees in Puglia.
Stay – La casa dei nonni
A dopo
Richo and DC 