Peschici on the Gargano Peninsula

Peschici Coastal Charm

The small town of Peschici sits on a rocky outcrop jutting into the Adriatic on the Gargano Peninsla. The houses of Peschici sprawl across this hostile cliff-top and spill in tiers down the terraced cliff face below. From the streets you will see on the horizon the islands of Croatia - the closest only 32 kilometers away.

Peschici is a stunningly beautiful fishing village which tumbles down its rocky hillside. It is reminiscent in many ways of the villages of the Sorrentine Peninsula, in its rocky outcrops and steep cliff faces. However Peschici is different in that it is still essentially a fishing village rather than a tourist resort.



Whilst the numbers do swell in the summer months the streets are never overcrowded and as the peak of the season passes, the numbers quickly drop away again.







Around Peschici the Gargano national parks spread out to the north and south creating carpets of green forestry broken by the promontories and coves which dot the coast. The juxtaposition of white-washed Italian villages fringed by verdant green forests creates the variety and contrast which the Gargano Peninsula is known for.













In Peschici itself, the narrow streets twist and wind up the hillside to the apex where the views stretch out in all directions. Peschici has a long and ancient history. A nearby cave has traces of prehistoric inhabitants and nearby also, are the ruins of one of Italy's most ancient abbeys. On this hilltop remain the walls of a sturdy castle, and these walls are incorporated into the houses, shops and cafes below.

This is a Norman castle and bridge tower, dating from the eleventh century. It marks the heart of the village, and the churches and white washed houses crowd around the cobbled streets and courtyards at its foot. Villagers and locals gather in the village square below the castle as each day ends and the warm sun rebounds off the cobbles. Laughter and chatter fill the warm twilight air as dusk falls and a shared meal is enjoyed.

Peschici with its glorious harbour, its sandy beaches and its historic Old Town is a gem to be discovered and enjoyed. It is small, - no more than a large village or a small town. It is true to its past but understands that its future is as much about the visitors that come as it is about the unpredictable sea in all its moods, which surrounds it.

Also Pip McCurdy's New Zealand posts:

On Blogspot, Pip McCurdy on the Road

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Apulia or Puglia - Perfect by Any Name

Ultimate Paradigm

They say that Apulia or Puglia as it is also known, is the savvy destination for the Italian tourist seeking sun, sea, beaches history, and fine Italian fare. In fact Apulia is the province with all the beauty of the more popular travel spots in Italy but without the general influx of tourists that you will find in parts of the Sorrentine Peninsula or further north on the Italian Riviera.



The seaside towns of Apulia are full of charm. Each has grown from a small fishing village to encompass a growing population and yes there are tourists, but the local culture is not overwhelmed. Each has a more hardcore city centre, but around the waterfront the old towns remain. This is a coastline of sun bleached villas and casual markets. It is a coastline where the fish are still sold as the catch comes in, and the cafes offer the freshest of fare. Small tables are clustered outside these cafes and the locals sip their coffee or their wine. The roads are often quiet and the sun warms the air.


In Polignano a Mare the high cliffs tower over the white sand beaches. On top of the cliffs the rectangular white walls of the houses with their roof top terraces, look out onto the Adriatic and beyond. Numbers of caves dot the cliffs, worn and eroded by the waves. In one of those caves an enterprising hotel has made the most of the opportunities of the area and you are able to dine in this restaurant -in-a- cave with tables facing out over the waves washing up the cliff face below. In Torre a Mare the small town is dominated by its sixteenth century tower. This iconic small town is a favourite holiday destination for native Italians, as close as it is to the region's premium town and departure point of Bari.

Monopoli -  a little to the north of Bari - is gritty and industrial in its newer area, but there is an azure blue sea, a sparkling beach and a sheltered boat harbour where you will see the bright colours of the fishing fleet drifting lazily at anchor, reflecting off the water, and the white washed walls of the town glistening in the sun. The Old Town is pristine and spotless, Monopoli takes pride in its colourful hanging pots and planters where the flowering vines tumble down in prolific confusion.

Dotted around the Apulia region the occasional Trulli still persists - usually a single conicle outpost standing alone on the edge of a field. As the road weaves north the Trulli are eventually left behind - unique to one small region of Italy.

Also Pip McCurdy's New Zealand posts:

On Blogspot, Pip McCurdy on the Road

Website: http://www.unusualstays.com/

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Italy's Sorrentine Peninsula and Torre Santa Sabina

Italy's Untamed East Coast

Take the time to travel up Italy's east coast and the Sorrentine Peninsula and you will realise that here it is the sea that rules. The towns and villages - as small as they are - which dot this coast, are there at the forbearance of the ocean; sometimes gentle and sometimes ferocious. There is no escape when the sea becomes angry and churns like a wild beast.

So many moods; sometimes soft and gentle with golden sands and lapping ripples, at other times moody and uneasily threatening

- ready to turn, ready to pounce. The surface heaves with a suppressed power yet scarcely a ripple breaks the taut surface.


Along the coast the shore dwellers thrive yet also suffer from the moods of the coast.









Everyone loves the sea. Tourists and holiday-makers flock to the summer seaside.





Restaurants flourish and hotels overflow. Yet in winter also, these coast dwellers must find ways to survive.

A beautiful spot such as Torre Santa Sabina has its history to fall back on. Impregnable watch towers guard the harbour and the coast as they have done for centuries. Once the beacon lights were lit on these towers to relay warnings along the coast of an approaching invasion. Today the only thing that these watchtowers still stand guard over is usually a small harbour fleet of fishing boats waiting for a favourable turn in the weather.




Brindisi - the jumping off point to the Aegean Sea and the Greek towns and islands, -  is little more than an embarkation point to many. Yet go north, go south ... there is so much to fall in love with. This east coast of Italy  -  facing out towards Albania - is sparsely populated and rugged. The settlements are small and unspoiled. Tourists are accepted but not a priority. Along such a beautiful stretch of coast this is bound to change. Already the population swells in tens of thousands during the weeks of high summer. However the dramatic beauty of this coast in winter has its own simmering appeal. It is this magnetic attraction to the sea in all its moods which ties the locals to their precarious coastal existence.

Apulia - or Puglia, another name for the same region -  is an area of small towns, rocky cliffs, sheltered bays and coves. It is historic and it is modern. It is the area of Italy to go to if you want to mingle with the locals as you dine on the freshest of fish and enjoy a limoncello. In the eighth century BC the first signs of inhabitants were recorded. These were the ancient Greeks, and they knew what they were doing.

Also Pip McCurdy's New Zealand posts:

On Blogspot, Pip McCurdy on the Road

Website: http://www.unusualstays.com/

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Sorretine Sweet Times

Sorrento

As you wend your way out of the tortuous roads of the Sorrentine Peninsula there will be questions asked: - Can this famous Italian town really be worth hours of twisting turning roads with rocky mountains on one side and steep cliffs on the other, dropping away to those sparkling seas below? As narrow as these roads may be, the locals do not slow and the buses thunder past. Around one more blind corner and finally from nowhere you are plunged into the streets of beautiful Sorrento.

Sorrento is a sea of art and colour. The narrow streets and thin buildings are draped with zigzags of
pendants and buntings. Civic buildings are not afraid to use bright colours that highlight their ornate facades. In the little side streets and alleyways the cafe tables are wrapped in tablecloths of deep blues and reds. Window boxes splash their own seasonal shades to add to the visual frenzy. And all the while the warm Mediterranean sun shines down in a celebration of outdoor living.

In the heart of Sorrento small shops are inserted into any available nook or cranny. The streets open out into small piazzas where locals and tourists pass the time with their coffee or their wine. A deep ravine slices through the heart of the town and disappears beneath the pedestrian dominated streets and into the hillside.

From the cliff tops there are shafts of view down to harbours filled with small boats and to the beaches and coves below - sometimes available only to private hotel guests where a marina or man-made promontory reaches out into the bay.













The rich blue waters are crossed endlessly by small pleasure crafts and by majestic cruise liners on their way back or forwards from the great port of Naples. Many of those passengers will make the day trip to Sorrento by bus. This most picturesque of towns may attract tourists by the hundreds during the day but in the evenings as the crowds depart, the locals remain and the true magic of Sorrento emerges.

Sorrento is not only for the rich and famous. A friendly camping ground in easy walking distance from the centre of town makes this mecca both affordable and accessible to anyone prepared to brave the hair-raising clifftop drive.

Also Pip McCurdy's New Zealand posts:

On Blogspot, Pip McCurdy on the Road

Website: http://www.unusualstays.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Stay-Somewhere-Strange-273777766054597/