We are staying two days in Otranto, so some of our party ventured off on rides in the area, while others explored the town. I was part of the former group.
For today, one of our fellow travellers, Anouk, modified the "official" ride to include visits to the Menhir San Paolo and the Menhir Vicinanze 1 and 2. What is a Menhir, you ask? It's a stone stuck in the ground by humans ages ago. Why? Perhaps the lack of cell phones and the internet forced them to find something else to do. I joined her for this ride.
We encountered several of our other travelling companions along the way. Fortunately, Dominque and Michele were leading the way. They managed to find interesting places to stop, including a chat with a local who explained what the little stone structures we see throughout the region are for. They are known as "trullo" and serve as shelters for animals and farmers, or as storehouses.
We had a sunny, but windy day today. Fortunately, the wind seemed favourable for most of the ride. This did mean that we went through a lot of water (which can be hard to find in the rural regions).
The roads were often one lane (or less) wide. There wasn't much traffic, even on the major roads, so the lack of space was not an issue. We did have to reroute due to construction and the inevitable navigation errors because nothing goes in a straight line for any practical distance here.
After finishing the ride, I enjoyed a refreshing beverage beside the pool. The water in the pool was also rather refreshing. The sea was warmer.