photo credit and copyright Antonello Naddeo
Judith Schrut walks (and cycles) on water as she continues her journey through Southern Italy.
The time has come to bid farewell to the seductive charms of Alberobello and re-mount our trusty bici. We also have to up our two-wheeled game considerably, as we are joined for today’s 40 km route by a couple of pedal pros, cycle journalists Antonio and Antonello.
This is not difficult as they are such lovely guys (with really great legs). Antonio has brought along a cool wardrobe and his Specialised Roubaix. Antonello modestly shows me the magnificent photographs on his Instagram account, each accompanied by poetic phrasing like “the bicycle is the ideal way to slowly discover the most beautiful landscapes of our wonderful country and get in touch with the surrounding nature … breathing the scents of the Mediterranean scrub and the Apulian olive groves, the roads unpaved, but flowing.”
And who am I to argue, with a route as beautiful as this, the Ciclovia dell’Acquedotto Pugliese– the Apulian Aqueduct Cycle Route? Thanks to Bicitalia and Puglian Regional Transport you can literally cycle or walk on water– it’s the first stretch of a 500 km cycling and hiking path being built over the ‘hidden river’ of one of the oldest and biggest aqueducts in Europe.
The route is completely devoid of road traffic and surrounded by a majestic mix of natural beauty and manmade wonders: wooded canyons and lush valleys, farmland and vineyards, perched villages and a multitude of trulli. The shimmering blue Adriatic is always with us, just over there on the horizon. Simply put, this is slow tourism at its very best.
There are plenty of diversions and photo-ops along the way. We stop to pet horses, watch wild rabbits, smell cabbages growing by the roadside and vlog on the rooftops of trulli. There’s an espresso pause in scenic Cisternino and a long, lazy lunch in Locorotondo. Known for its distinctive circular shape and spectacular hilltop position with 360 degree views of the surrounding countryside, picturesque alleyways and superb white wines, Locorotondo is considered one of Italy’s most beautiful villages.
Our final kilometre is a glorious downhill ride to Ostuni, Puglia’s famed ‘white city’, We’re just in time for sunset and the twilight treat laid on for us on the city’s panoramic walled terrace, aperitivo and wine hosted by the fine folk at Walking Wine.
Judith travelled to Puglia and Basilicata as a guest of Puglia Cycle Tours and Puglia Promozione. Puglia Cycle Tours have a range of guided and self-guided bike riding tours starting from 550 Euros. More at www.pugliacycletours.com and agenziapugliapromozione.it.
