Day 390 – EU – Italy [Mattinata to Vieste]


29/04/21

40km

  From Mattinata (Italy) to Vieste (Italy)

Europe


Beautiful day running across the Gargano Park with some mighty uphills and a superb finish in Vieste

From sea level to the hills of the Gargano Park

What a day! It was sunny and bright as I left in the morning. The first half of the run was all uphill, with somewhere above 800m+ positive elevation. Got to make these arms and legs work hard, pushing BoB the stroller up the hills! The road I followed was fairly deserted, all I heard today were cowbells, sheep and birds. I made sure not to take any of the “shortcuts” suggested by Google Maps and stuck to the main road. There was no traffic anyway.

The way she looked at me…!

The landscapes reminded me of Greece. Maybe it’s the abundance of Olive trees, the vegetation, the sheep and the sea in the background. It was all very quiet and truly isolated. When I finally reached Vieste, a tiny city at the eastern end of the italian coast, stuck between the mountains and the sea, it felt like reaching the end of the world. Like there was nowhere further to go.

Vieste by the Adriatic Sea

Nowhere to go east, but I will head west tomorrow and north for the next 4 weeks. Vieste was surprisingly lively. I went all around to look for lunch (delicious pizza) when I arrived. Then again in the afternoon to pack my dinner (some more very delicious pizza!). People were out and about, all wearing masks of course. Many gathered around the main square, children playing and adults talking (loud!) to each other across socially acceptable distances! A very nice, warm and welcoming city.



Check my daily run GPS data on or

Here is the map of today’s run: