Tenth stage of our Giro d’Italia from Barletta to Bari. In these 66 km we have crossed some beautiful villages by the sea such as Trani, Molfetta, Bisceglie, Giovinazzo. As far as possible we have avoided the state road 16 but we have not always followed the route of the Bi6 also due to interruptions and roads not suitable for our vehicles and bikes. Even some deviations, due to the works for the construction of the new promenade, in the heart of Bari, full of traffic lights, were not easy for Mariacristina, due to the restarts that make her feel the pain in her knee more. However, it must be said that, after last night’s dry ice treatment, she resumed pedaling even though we reduced the cruising speed a bit to avoid compromising the entire lap. Tomorrow we will make a digression on what is planned as a route and we will not go to Alberobello and I will see what round to do to avoid the 430 m difference in altitude of the arrival place that would have put a strain on Cri’s injured knee, putting the continuation of the journey at risk. It will mean that this time we will not sleep in a trullo, even if they tell me that it is all very commercial and not very rural and truthful. Obviously the Grand Hotel of the Nations is an amazing and fantastic thing. For us it is the first time that we sleep in a five-star hotel, there was a very advantageous offer and we did not give up. Beautiful scene of the bike parking on the revolving door with a lot of porters in top hats and tails, it looked more like a penguin than a human, poor boy, how he has to dress to be able to work! We and our bicycles are completely dirty: “We have booked a room”, “Are you sure this is the right Hotel, sir?”, “SURE!”, Doors wide open, bicycles parked in the Hotel Hall under the beautiful fountain ! Hahaha !!
Photo 2: The Swabian Castle of Trani, built-in 1233 by Frederick II of Swabia, is contemporary with Castel del Monte in Puglia.
Photo 3: The Swabian Castle of Trani
Photo 4: The cathedral of Trani (back), Santa Maria Assunta or San Nicola Pellegrino. One of the photos I’m most fond of! Cri in great shape on her bike!
Photo 5:The cathedral of Trani (front), Santa Maria Assunta or San Nicola Pellegrino.
Photo 6: Port of Bisceglie.
Photo 7:The port of Molfetta. In the background the Cathedral of San Corrado.
Photo 8: Cathedral of San Corrado in Molfetta, is the symbol of Molfetta and construction was begun in 1150 in the Romanesque-Apulian style.
Photo 9: One of the squares in the center of Molfetta
Photo 10: Giovinazzo and its ancient Trajan walls
Photo 11: Port of Palese. We are in the suburbs of Bari
Photo 12: Cri near the fountain of the Grand Hotel delle Nazioni. Here in the 70s Alberto Sordi and Monica Vitti, two of the greatest Italian film actors, shot the film “Stardust” which tells the adventures of a ramshackle theatrical company of the avant-garde during the Second World War.
In this video @mariacristinafossa will take you around the towns of Trani, Bisceglie, Molfetta, Giovinazzo and inside the Grande Albergo delle Nazioni in Bari.