Day 387 – EU – Italy [Rest Day in Barletta]

26/04/21

 Rest day in Barletta (Italy, Europe)

Lazy sunny day in a very quiet town, beautiful and deserted

The castle of Barletta

It felt really good to have nothing to do today. And in a way it was lucky to be in a small town, with a tiny historical centre. I went for a stroll early afternoon and stopped by the local laundromat to wash my clothes. The main landmarks of town included the Colossus, the Castle and the seaside promenade lined with palm trees.

The Colossus of Barletta

I spent a lot of time getting my equipment back in good condition. Cleaning the stroller was in order, there was mud everywhere. I noticed the front wheel is not totally freewheeling anymore, there’s a lot of resistance. I will take it to a bike store in the next big town I pass, it may be in a while. My body also needed a rest. The bruises on my side are still there and there is a pain in the hip that is still present when I walk. I hope the Tiger Balm massages will soon make it disappear.

Barletta’s promenade

I will now spend the next month running north towards Trieste. I shall reach Trieste on 29th May if all goes to plan. I already ran through Trieste last summer, 19th June 2020. Once I “close the loop” in Trieste, the plan is to fly to Thessaloniki (which I had reached by foot last summer too, 15th September 2020) and head towards Istanbul. The land border between Greece and Turkey, past Didimoticho, is open, and that’s my chance to conclude the European crossing by the end of June. I hope this plan will work, sincerely.