Teabagging, that best describes our time on the Amalfi. Actually we based ourselves around the bend in tiny Atrani where we bobbed in the sea like tea bags for thee days.
But Croatia calls and so we threaded our way along 20km of twisting coast to the busy sea port of Salerno. From there it was a matter of playing dodge the mountains as we head for Bari.
We knew it would be hot and we weren't let down. Jane's cycle computer has a temperature guage and it has hit 40 degrees or more on the last 3 days.
From Salerno we passed through the busy industrial part of the coast, ducking and weaving around the autostrada (where bikes are not alllowed) trying to pick the rivers and the valleys, but climbs and the heat are unavoidable.
We found a great B&B in Contursi, which is famous for it's natural hot and cold springs. For the best part of two days we cycled in sight of the impressive Mt Albruni . From Contursi we plunged into the valley but had a day of three climbs over 500m, the last to the lakes of Monticchio.
Climbimg up to our high point of 854m, we had a 30km downhill run to the coastal farming plains and out first road signs to Bari. It was then a 30k flat ride to the town of Canosa, a stone's throw from the coast. It's flat and open and the sun turns like a screw upon the day. Oranges, grapes, olives and two idiots toasting on bikes in the sun. Towns that are deserted at 2pm, are thriving at 8pm, when it's just cooling down enough to think about food. Ah, food!
But Croatia calls and so we threaded our way along 20km of twisting coast to the busy sea port of Salerno. From there it was a matter of playing dodge the mountains as we head for Bari.
We knew it would be hot and we weren't let down. Jane's cycle computer has a temperature guage and it has hit 40 degrees or more on the last 3 days.
From Salerno we passed through the busy industrial part of the coast, ducking and weaving around the autostrada (where bikes are not alllowed) trying to pick the rivers and the valleys, but climbs and the heat are unavoidable.
We found a great B&B in Contursi, which is famous for it's natural hot and cold springs. For the best part of two days we cycled in sight of the impressive Mt Albruni . From Contursi we plunged into the valley but had a day of three climbs over 500m, the last to the lakes of Monticchio.
Climbimg up to our high point of 854m, we had a 30km downhill run to the coastal farming plains and out first road signs to Bari. It was then a 30k flat ride to the town of Canosa, a stone's throw from the coast. It's flat and open and the sun turns like a screw upon the day. Oranges, grapes, olives and two idiots toasting on bikes in the sun. Towns that are deserted at 2pm, are thriving at 8pm, when it's just cooling down enough to think about food. Ah, food!
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