Brindisi – Gateway to Pulia

Italy (Puglia) Sightseeing in Brindisi (Mon 30 April 2018, Tue 1 May 2018)

Weather: 16⁰C min – 25⁰C max, mostly sunny

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“It is the unknown around the corner that turns my wheels.” ~ Heinz Stücke, German long-distance touring cyclist

First impressions of a town are not always the best. Yesterday when I cycled the 5 km from Salento Airport to Brindisi all I could see was a tired, impoverished town, that had seen better days. How wrong I was! Like all ports, Brindisi has its seamy side, but I soon began warming to it’s slow-paced, friendly, character.

The turning point was when I was greeted by my AirBNB hosts, Margherita and her father Augusto. There we were gathered in the middle of a cobbled laneway in the heart of town, both making me feel so welcome, telling me enthusiastically all about non-violent Brindisi but warning me, like everywhere in Italy, I should watch out for petty thieves and tricksters. Inevitably the conversation led to bicycles, Augusto admiring my steel-framed Cannondale touring bike and proudly telling me about the top-of-the-range Bianchi that he owns.

Eventually Margherita opened the unpretentious green door that we had been standing in front of, revealing a hidden treasure. My home for two days is a charming, tastefully decorated, self-contained apartment, complete with kitchenette and a staircase leading invitingly up to a small platform containing a desk and an armchair. But what really caught my eye was the platter of fresh pasticcini (pastries) that Margherita’s mother had baked for me. And no worries about my bike – just leave it inside the apartment.

After a 24 hour flight from Australia, a good shower and shave does wonders for one’s energy level. Feeling refreshed, I ventured outside into a cloudless 25 deg C day that felt even warmer, eager to explore Brindisi on foot, my bike safely inside away from the light-fingered rascals. Jet-lag can wait!

Walking via the palm-lined Corso Garibaldi to the modest, yet pleasant, seafront promenade, I came to Provincial Archaeological Museum Francesco Ribezzo with a sign out the front saying entrata gratis (which my Google Translate app told me meant free entry) so enter I did, discovering an amazing collection of well-preserved, archaeological relics including bronze statues, stone carvings and ornate crockery.

Feeling adventurous I returned to my apartment via a maze of twisted, gnarled, back streets and laneways. Brindisi no longer seemed like a tired old town. Instead, I was awestruck by the strangely beautiful, age-encrusted, faded-pastel buildings, crumbling from years of neglect, paint and rendering stripping off the walls to reveal artisan-like brickwork and masonry underneath. So much history here, if only those walls could talk!

After a short nap (or should I say late afternoon siesta) it was time to try the restaurant, La Cantini ti l’artisti, that Margherita and Augusto had recommended. It was exactly what I had wished for … plentiful, wholesome, paddock-to-the-table, additive-free, local produce, cooked to perfection and served by two friendly, food-passionate, young guys. Freshly toasted bruschetta (gratis), thick fava bean soup, fresh artichoke and shrimp pasta, a large bottle of acqua frizzante – all for the princely sum of €18. Cucina povera at its best!

On a balmy late April evening, feeling sated and at peace with the world, I ambled along the Corso Garibaldi that had taken on a nocturnal vibrancy. I couldn’t believe the transformation since early afternoon (siesta time) when it resembled a ghost town. Now the street was alive with happy people … families stroll together, kids kick a soccer ball around, old men huddle in groups with arms folded, telling tales of years gone by. And everywhere I looked there were smiling faces exuding contentment. The sometimes animated conversations and exaggerated gesticulations don’t fool me any more .. this is just the Italian way, friendly banter and camaraderie rather than aggression. Lifestyle, with a generous sprinkling of good old-fashioned values, is what I like most about Italy.

And so begins another solo bike tour!