Day 33 Sport and Fitness

Start point: Portocannone Italy

End point: Francavilla al Mare, Italy

Miles: 63

Key words: seawards, Adriatic, fishing shacks, sports, fitness, bike tricks

We departed our hotel in the small town of Portocannone and set off seawards. We looked forward to following the Mediterranean coastline for the day. This body of water is the inspiration for the trip after all. We stopped to admire the deep blue waters that spanned across the horizon. For the remainder of this journey I will be cycling the coastline of the Adriatic Sea section of the Med. I look forward to every moment.

Reunited and it feels so good

It was on this day we began noticing a proliferation of these over water fishing shacks. If you look closely you can see nets suspended above the sea. Fisherman slowly lower them to the sea floor, then raise the nets quickly to capture unlucky fish in the center. I’d be interested in trying this sometime.

Fishing shacks

The day was warm but our sunburns and their excess heat had subsided. The highway following the sea was rolling, providing a fun series of gradual climbs and coasts that keep a day of cycling interesting.

Map check! We do this a lot

For lunch we enjoyed slices of pizza at a seaside caffe followed by a quick dip in the sea. There is nothing like dripping sweat for hours on the bike and then submerging yourself in the cool surf. The water was warm and inviting and I floated while watching the few wispy clouds migrate across the sky.

We arrived in our destination town of Francavilla al Mare to find a festival was in the works. In coincidental fashion the town was holding a Sport and Fitness Festival. We almost felt as if they were holding it in our honor. Stages held performing dancers, yogis, and martial artists which the audience could follow along with. Booths promoted stand up paddle boarding, cycling, and health. There was even a rock climbing wall erected that kids were scrambling all over. We were especially mesmerized by a cyclist who was doing bike tricks; hopping onto and balancing on different platforms, often on a single wheel. He may have inspired to invest in a BMX bike…

You rang?!

After checking in at our adorable bed and breakfast we wandered back to the festival in search of gelato. A bit anti-fitness yes, but sill well earned. We then wandered to the end of a dock that stretched into the sea and offered a marvelous view of the city and the softening sky colors of dusk. It had been a lovely day of cycling.

Sunset at Francavilla la Mare

Total miles so far: 1,319