Like every morning I would have liked to leave around 6:30 in the morning when I wake up but the darkness doesn't allow me to do so and therefore I always have to wait for it to become light before turning the two wheels of the bicycle and as the days go by the days will become increasingly short but I can't complain because what I'm seeing in the Salento area which is incredible views, breathtaking and everywhere, the people are very nice, yes, it's a bit windy but it's the best time to cycle with low traffic rate and you see wild and deserted places everywhere.

The first stretch - after breakfast at the bar in the square and I didn't think it was open so early and instead there were other people there too. Leaving the quiet town, the road passed by the Aquantina Basin which was on my right and then the same road connected to the SP 133 road, I reached the town of Torre Rinalda, which takes its name from the ancient tower of the same name and was part of the large defensive system . It is located in the heart of Salento close to the sea in the seaside resort developed around it, now Lecce marina and close to Casalabate.

I discovered it by chance because I simply wanted to see the sea and a side road took me right into that peaceful and wild corner under a sky of clouds and spaces of blue sky. Its beach was long with fine sand, there were dunes covered with vegetation, a spectacular sea and an incredible wild surrounding panorama, where I had taken some photographs. There was no one at all, as well as two people who were launching a Zodiac boat and I had a chat with them, telling me that this is generally windy and an area frequented by surfers due to the wind and waves, but for me it was the other way around, no waves no wind just wild nature! I had taken some photographs and I left continuing on the same road until arriving at Casalabate is a seaside holiday village.

The second stretch - In Marina di Casalabate I was welcomed by a beautiful cycle path that runs along the coast and in some stretches there were apartments or perhaps hotels with white walls and on one of the facades there is the Street Art, a very beautiful mural work dedicated to Domenico Modugno was an Italian folk pop singer-songwriter, actor, guitarist, and politician. In the 1958 it was released a musical excerpt from the famous song Nel blu, dipinto di blu popularly known as "Volare" by the Italian singers Domenico Modugno and Johnny Dorelli, written by Modugno himself together with Franco Migliacci.

The third stretch - After admiring the Street Art, I take the cycle path again towards the Casalabate north promenade which runs along the flat coast, passing by the beautiful Torre Specchiolla near a beautiful Marina, that of Squinzano. The beach where the Tower was located was near the sea and there was no one there and fully enjoying the splendid tower and the splendid sea. Then continuing towards Lendinuso is a beach located to the south of Brindisi.

The fourth stretch - From the coastal road south of Brindisi, the SP 87, the road sign indicated that I was leaving the province of Lecce to enter the province of Brindisi. I continued to pedal on this road which was not busy and covered kilometers but after a roundabout the road branched off towards the road to Trullo which would then connect with the state road 613 Brindisi Lecce but before the roundabout I had seen a gravel country road where I pedaled on the adventure of the unknown for kilometers, the two wheels turning on silent and deserted terrain. My point of reference was only because I knew that in the distance the road where the cars were passing would lead north towards Brindisi.

The fifth stretch - Then somewhere along the way I had turned onto a road that took me to the Regina Margherita seafront, which occupies the southern part of the bay of Brindisi. Here you cycle pleasantly towards the seaside promenade, a well-kept avenue lined with palm trees, many venues (restaurants, taverns, pubsand) and across the bay you have an excellent view of the Sailors Monument, a tall rudder-shaped structure ... and there is a terrace above where you can enjoy a view of the city from above and admire all the surroundings but I hadn't gone up, I only admired it as I passed near the Scalinata Virgilio and the Roman Columns considered the terminals of the Via Appi. By riding along the seafront offers a splendid view of the seait and it was anise ride and very relaxing looking around. I really liked this quiet area and I can't imagine what it would have been like in high season, certainly not so peaceful. Lucky me and my bike!

The sixth stretch - Then I continued to pedal with the sea always as the protagonist but through the Seno di Ponente which goes north. In Brindisi the internal port is characterized by two long arms, the Seno di Levante and the Seno di Ponente.

Between one road and another I had reached state road 379 which had a side road in both directions for bicycles or local cars and therefore had little traffic, it was long and flat. While I was cycling I met a cyclist and I asked him if there was another road also because it was getting boring to cycle on a road that is always straight and flat and there is nothing to see other than the passing of the cars on the freeway that is next door.

The seventh stretch - After exchanging a few words and I told him the mirror on his bike was different from what I had seen on the market. To make a long story short, he insisted that he give me his mirror, telling me that he had others like it at his house and wanted to give me a gift. He couldn't say no, a gift born like this! Thanking him I had put it in a bicycle pannier. I already had my mirror but he insisted and I was happy to take it. It could be useful if I broke mine. Thanks cyclist! A greeting and he continued on the same path but the opposite side of my direction.

While I had taken the road he had recommended to me, crossing after a few choilometers the motorway overpass, a fairly long bridge arriving at the opposite side of the roadway I was taking and after seeing a petrol station there were people pumping petrol and the my gas had been to buy a sandwich that I had enjoyed on the sidewalk of the nearby street.

State Nature Reserve Marine Protected Area "Torre Guaceto"

The eighth stretch - After the break I started pedaling again, passing the sign indicating the State Nature Reserve Marine Protected Area "Torre Guaceto" and the WWF oasis is included. Access was allowed only to pedestrians, bicycles and horses. And with joy I followed the path and I knew that the coast was not far on the other side, the cycle tour would never have left the sea that overlooks it for such a long time.

And from there another adventure was born on the two wheels of my bicycle that turned, between a strip of land with thousand-year-old dry stone walls that flank the path and that cut through the Apulian countryside, red lands, the green of the olive trees, the expanses of fennel or turnips, the green of the meadows and lots of peace and Mediterranean scents. There were paths that would have led along the coast line of the reserve where the Torre Guaceo sits on a cliff and obviously the various beaches, sandy dunes, wetlands and marshes inhabited by a range of wildlife and the Torre Guaceto. If you love nature and like to be explorers, this is the right place, it is a unique place, a truly uncontaminated corner!

The tenth stretch - The tenth section - In the reserve there are various itineraries marked by signs including: Ciclovia adriatica, "6 Biciitalia", Ciclovia adriatica Via Traina "6 Biciitalia", (also known as Via Appia Traiana). the Via Fracigena, Albergabici are services Designed by the Fiab (Italian Environment and Bicycle Federation) of (hotels, farmhouses, bed & breakfasts, campsites, etc.) and by the Dune Costiere Regional Natural Park, the Dolmen di Montalbano attraction is a megalithic structure which dates back to the 2nd millennium BC. about. In short, there were plenty of naturalistic connections to stay in contact with nature without cars!

The eleventh stretch - Between a path and another I arrived at the seaside on the beautiful wild beach of Savellestri where unfortunately I had a puncture (it's the second puncture since I left) and while I was making repairs I met Pier who had just taken a bath on that sea so transparent and calm that had kindly given me a hand by holding my bike in the right position and at the same time we had a chat while I replaced the inner tube. Repaired in a few minutes under a blue sky that I also wanted to take a dip in the sea but I didn't have time it would get dark!

A very nice person who also gave me information about the surroundings and helped me find accommodation by calling the hotel in Molo di Bari. After saying hello and thanking him I continued pedaling passing the stunning resorts of Capitolo and Monopoli s an enchanting and charming historic fishing town visible by its extraordinary variety of design and medieval architecture from the white and brown shades, labyrinths of alleys, with several very picturesque beaches with whitewashed harbor walls overlooking the scenic Adriatic coast.

The twelfth stretch - Then Polignano a Mare is perched on a cliff above the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic in the Metropolitan City of Bari. In this location in the seafront bronze sculpture of the 20th-century Italian famous musician & politician, Domenico Modugno mady by the Argentine sculptor Hermann Meyer. The 3 meter high statue represents an embrace of the great Mimmo at his birthplace. It was created to resemble the famous song "Volare" and the gesture of the Sanremo Music Festival in 1958 by Domenico Modugno. And finally the last daily stop is Mola di Bari a small town overlooking the Adriatic Sea, near Bari.

The last leg - After settling in at the Hotel Gabbiano I took a walk along the Mola di Bari seafront which was very nice and after eating a pizza I went up to my room, my electrical equipment was already charging, a viat tex greeting to family, friends, written notes of travel and looked at the Google map and tomorrow  I should be near the city of Barletta, who knows, I'll know tomorrow!

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