Photo 1: The sun comes out from below the horizon
Fourth stage of our tour, from Pescara to Vasto for 75.5 km. At dawn we open our balcony overlooking the sea. The sky above us is leaden gray and it rains, but on the horizon the sun peeps out from under the sea, illuminating and warming our faces.
Photo 2: Mariacristina crowned
Photo 3: The Ortona Harbur
Always abundant breakfast and off you go, in the saddle! We arrive at the end of the Pescara seafront, towards the port and here a surprise awaits us. A splendid bridge, (Ponte del mare) uniquely pedestrian and cycle path, crosses the canal port.
Even if it rains we do not miss our usual desire to joke especially when I realize that Mariacristina looked like a Madonna of the Middle Ages with the outline of her face surrounded by the amusement park carousel in the background. So funny!! We pass through Ortona and it seems that the weather is about to change for the better.
Photo 4: Enjoy your meal!
Photo 5: Trabocchi on the beach of San Vito Chietino
In San Vito Chietino we hope to find John and Sara, but unfortunately they write to us that they would have arrived from Illinois in three days, we promise to return when we are on the way back by car, provided that our business is successful.
We have lunch in a nice restaurant by the sea, near an overflow. The trabocco is an ancient fishing system in the area that is made by lowering a square net also called balance, all remaining on a hut anchored to the sea and the land by long wooden poles.
Now they are also transformed into restaurants or homes and obviously have a significant cultural and monetary value. We will still find several of them during our trip, so much so that this place is called Costa dei trabocchi.
And in fact we learned of a new cycle path that will cross the coast of the trabocchi following the line of the old coastal railway, but at the moment it is not ready yet, work is underway. We also tried to take it anyway,
but the embankment was made of stones therefore impossible to travel with normal bicycles like ours and with luggage behind.
Photo 6: Fossacesia beach
Photo 7: Orchis purpurea
Photo 8: The Spa of hotel Excelsior in Vasto
Stop by the sea in Fossacesia and then in Torino di Sangro we find our first spontaneous orchids that we love so much. We stop for a while to photograph them, we can’t resist their call. Then off on the climbs and descents that lead to Vasto.
Here, too, the new cycle path should avoid the climb, passing all along the sea and with some tunnels. The very modern Hotel Excelsior in Vasto welcomes us with its modern style, which we like, and with its super colored Spa that allows us to relax and recover after today’s fatigue even with a nice massage.
Technical assistance to bicycles by the chef, a great bicycle enthusiast.
Photo 9: The Hall of hotel Excelsior in Vasto
