Trogir

Trogir is a quaint little coastal town with its cathedral, waterways, narrow stone houses and glistening sea!!! I came here on a day ride from Split, about 30km northish!

Solta and Susan

I met Susan here in a place called Necujam on Solta. She is from South Carolina and invited me in for a pineapple juice whilst it was raining!!! Great to chat and Good Luck with everything Susan. Thanks.

Solta, Croatia

Some shots from Solta. I did a day ride out to this island, beautiful place, all the views of the islands reminded me of the Hauraki Gulf. However, I will have to re-evalute as my plans as it cost me more to get Princess over to the island than it did me, and I wasnćt cheap either. Oh well.

Split Croatia

Couple of shots of Split Croatia, all admist thunder and lightning!!!!

Ancona to Split

All aboard MT Dubrovnik!!!!!

One for AWO

The last of Italyàs Naval shots (and one for AWO who wanted just a boat!!!)

Ancona

The Ferry on the right (in the picture on the left - very cryptic!!) is the one that is transporting Princess Delores to Croatia!!!
And below, me in front of Anconaàs Duomo.

The Goods and the Bads

Well this is it. Off to my next adventure. Total distance in Italz 3659.5kms.

What I will miss from Italy:
- the salumeriaàs
- pasticciereàs
- italian relaxed life (being in the piazza at 8.30pm and seeing all the families)
- siestaàs (not that I really did any!!), and
- meeting the great people and their generosity
- CIAO Bella

What I will not miss from Italy:
- toilets with no toilet seat
- googling, creepy, dirty Italian men!!!!!

Tracy

One more

Bogs just sent this through to me!!!

I am now in Ancona

Hey there everyone.
Well I have now hit over the 3500km mark so will need to update the odometer.
I have had a couple of interesting days. To Vieste was very hilly!!! but very scenic and a nice campground albeit no-one spoke to me!!! The campground I stayed in Rodi Gargano (or just north) was very basic. I got there really early and had nothing to do. AND I noted that they were organising their 'market' so I just went in and started helping, ie. helping out pricing and stocking for a couple of hours. They couldnàt speak english and at first thought it was very strange!!!!! Oh well. Then I met Adi and Margit who have now invited me to their place in Austria.
THEN, enroute to Termoli I noticed a very flat back tyre. Carried on to see what would happen, but 2km down the road, figured I had a flatty!!!!! So stopped by a campervan, a couple from Switzerland, and even though they couldnàt speak english, they helped me change the tyre and we all sat and had caffe and breakfast!!! NICE eh!!!

So after a few days of camping by myself, I got to Termoli and though, stuff this and TRAINED it to Ancona. Sorry NZBCF but I missed out on 240kms up the coast. However, the train ride was nice and I am now in a hostel.
So must dash, as need to sort out my life for the next few days, weeks, months. May go to Croatia early.

An Austrian couple and a Swiss couple

This here is Adi and Margit from Austria who I hope to catch up with - I met them at Rodi Gargano camping (not the flashest of places, so was great to meet them). And on the right is a picture of the couple from Switzerland who helped me with my flat tyre and gave me breakfast!!!

Vieste and Punga Lunga Camping

This is the campground I stayed at. Two private beaches, wind surfing, and LOTS of Germans. Also a picture of Vieste.

Enroute to Vieste

This was the scene enroute to Vieste. Beautiful scenery and Salvador here I met (with an Aussie couple) is a poet and he gave me his book, on poetry in italian!!!!!!!! Okay!

So it was either tunnels or up and over!!!!

Guess what I choose (there was only 5 of them, ranging from 0.7km to 2.5km!!)

Manfredonia and the Convent

Well I have now stayed in a Convent!!!
This is Sister Happy (as her name was too hard to say!) and her children that she teaches. I bargained them down from 35 Euro to 20 Euro (how bad - a church and all too!) and they gave me an awesome dinner (three course!) and stock standard bread roll breakfast!!!!

Breakfast at the Matera Hostel

This was the area that one had breakfast!!!

Matera

This is Matera. It was an AWESOME place, houses - sassi, built within the Ravine and using the hillside as walls. I stayed in an AWESOME hostel overlooking the Sasso terraces. The ride here was beautiful, trullis, undulating hills (up to 400m though), vineyards, cherry trees, olive trees. I really enjoyed Matera and would highly recommend it to anyone.

PS: note the wine, using a water bottle and camping mug to drink from!!!! Whilst listening to the cattle being herded down in the Ravine with their bells on!!! Sounded like I was in Holland (not that I have been there!!).

Camping dei Trulli

This is Waltraud and Henning Schwarz who invited me for Caffe for breakfast at the campground and I am now going to catch up with them in Switzerland as they live on one of the tracks that I want to do. See you in August - September!

Brindisi Sponsorshop

Maurizio and his 'sticker' from the hostel as sponsorship for NZBCF!!!

Alberobello

This Alberobello. The city of Trulli houses - a secco (houses) without the use of mortar, just dry stones on top of each other (albeit using mortar these days). The reason they didnàt use mortar was in the old days they could destroy the houses quickly to avoid paying taxes!!! As you can see, even Tracy had to duck!!!

Another one for 5 SQN

Princess Delores and her Kiwi look

Brindisi Hospitality - courtesy of Maurizio

This is Maurizio and Mimma. Breast Cancer is also very close to home for Mimma.
And a picture of me and Maurizio. Maurizioàs hospitality was true sponsorship.
THANKS!

This is Dino and his girlfriend who gave me Chicken and Potato for lunch.

This is Giovanni who let me use the internet for free at Tetri Internet Point.

Carpe Diem Hostel and Maurizio

I have included the link to Maurizioàs hostel website on my blog page - see right. His generosity has been huge, as well as Giovanni at Tetris Internet Point.

3000 kms Yeah!!!!

HALF WAY THERE EVERYONE!!!!!!
Will I do more than 6000 kms now is the BIG question.
Hugs to everyone
x

Yoga in ITALIAN!!! WHAT THE!

Marcella who runs the hostel in Lecce teaches YOGA on Thursday nights.
Guess what night I got to Lecce - SO YES, Tracy did a Yoga class, including music in italian, chanting in italian and instructions in italian!!!!!! AND I had to be quiet and at peace with myself for 1 1/2 hours!!!! AND we finished off with some awesome hotapple juice - didnàt think I liked apple juice but this was great. I think the YOGA was just what my body needed to!!!!

Taranto - S Maria di Leuca - Lecce - Brindisi

Hey all
Well, 320km in 3 days, WHAT THE!!!!
The train from Napoli to Taranto was realy pretty (once I had left the suburbs of Naples!) and really reminded me of NZ and the gorges and rivers (albeit with a creepy guy in the train for half the trip and getting into Taranto at 2130 - thatàs 9.30pm).
I stupidly enough got to Gallipoli at 2pm so decided to push on to S Maria di Leuca - not the brightest idea for 160km but oh well. Awesome beaches down the coast.
The next day it S Maria di Leuca to Lecce - I reckon the coast line S Maria di Leuca to Otranto is one of the best I have seen (along with Amalfi and Cinque Terre). Absolutely loved the ride, apart from the throbbing knee!!!! Unfortunately, I hit rain after this so when making it to Lecce it was a case of camping for $13 Euro or dorm for $15 Euro, guess what I took!!!!
I have struggled going back to travelling by myself, especially as the southern part is like a ghost town as it is really a summer region. However ...
I have met some awesome people, giving me lifts to the supermarket from the campground in S Maria di Leuca, awesome hospitality in Taranto, Yoga in Lecce and now Maurizio and his friends in Brindisi. He is soooo in support of what I am doing for NZ Breast Cancer that he has organised this free internet at the Internet Point at Tetris in Brindisi and dinner tonight.
HUGE Thank You Maurizio. His Hostel is awesome and I have put a link to it on my webpage.

Lecce

Lecce really surprised me, awesome Renaissance Buildings and look at this 'Anfiteatro Romano'

Tyres!!!!

Believe it or not, I have worn through the back tyre. Which I am spotted in Lecce. AND randomly found my friend here and his bike shop (as I was going to leave it for another couple of days!!!), so for 8 euro, PRINCESS Delores is back on the road!!!

I am CRAZY!!

I think I overdid it in one day, the results in the picture on the right!!!!
This distance was Taranto to Gallipoli, which ended up being Taranto to S Maria di Leuca!!!