Two Seaside Towns

       Today's ride took us to the nearby town of Savelletri. Normally, the town is a small fishing village of three hundred people. In the summer, it becomes crowded with tourists, both Italian and foreign, who want to be by the Adriatic Sea.
        Puglia is not known for long stretches of sandy beach. In fact, a good part of the land is covered with lava flow. Much of the coastline is rocky. But, every so often a small pocket of sand will appear, and people will flock to it. It is also common to see people bringing deck chairs out onto the rocks.

This beach north of Savelletri was mostly rocky.

The beach south of Monopoli.  It was a narrow stretch of sand.

Monopoli beach

In and out of rocks.  When it comes to beach side, the Italians make do.

         We then headed north to Monopoli. Unlike the board game based on Atlantic City, New Jersey, this city of about 50,000 souls has been in existence from about 500 B. C. Part of the town is behind medieval walls, complete with cannons. The town was founded by the Greeks. It has also been under the control of  the Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Swabians (Germans), and Spanish. It was often attacked by Muslim pirates. Monopoli was the starting point for the navel Crusades.

I found this cherub carved into a building as I was walking along.

Monopoli from the terrace where we ate lunch

A close up of the wall Charles V of Spain built, complete with cannons. The beach is right below this wall.

This photo, and the following, are pictures of whatever took my fancy while walking. 

The vegetable truck, where root vegetables were sold.

          We spent our time at the Basilica Cattedrale Maria Santissima della Madia. We then had lunch at a tavern particularly friendly to VBT travelers. we found the gelato shop, and were free to wander until a certain time, when we had to head back.

The cathedral was quite spectacular.  Another couple in our group visited the cathedral at a different time, and met a young woman from Utah who was getting married in the cathedral.  They mentioned they had a fellow traveler from Salt Lake City.  The young woman had met her Italian fiancé at the University of Utah.  They were getting married in his home town of Monopoli, and then going back to the states to reside, probably in Utah!  She and her future mother-in-law were checking out the cathedral where the marriage would take place.  The following are interior shots of the cathedral which is decorated in precious stone and rare wood.