The others-day 16 (Alberobello to ostuni)

They lied! The guidebook said yesterday was the hardest day of the tour but we all agreed that today was quite a bit harder. Beautiful ride though. Started with usual hotel breakfast in Alberello and set off about 8.30. First part of the ride was just beautiful using old back roads winding tbrough vineyards and olive groves with the trulli (google) both in old form in fjelds and on tbe roadside and also being used as a model for modern, often luxurious residences. Took the option to go up to see Martina Franca a lovely village perched of course on top of a big hill! Coffee and a bite to eat and then called in to a great little shop they have in these parts which specialise in local product.absolutly fantastic. Ought some local mozzarella, shaved pork, bread rolls to take with us for lunch st which we had in a great little picnic area on the bikepath. Things went a bit haywire after lunch with the navigation due to a missing arrow on a crucial turn but with the com ined navigation skills of a German group we soon sorted it out. Beautiful winding road through quite hilly sou try including a visit to Locorontondo again on top of a big mountain. These villages are really very com I,ar to those in Provence- all on top of big hills with the church and piazza prominent. Always a big climb and we did three today. Got into Ostuna about 5.30 and eventually found our very nice hotel after some misinformation from a local. Hotel manager had to try a few osteri to find us a vacancy on a Sunday night but turned out to be very good as we have come to assume here - beautiful pork for me and rabbit for Elizabeth. Off on a train to Lecce to start the day but finish with a cycle from there to Gallipoli on the southern tip of Italy!0