From Mantova to Torre Spaccata via Grottamare
We arrive in Grottamare mid-afternoon after 4 hours of driving and one of those close brushes with a Speed trap on the Motorway that unnerve me. I'm not a fast driver but the speed limits are so exaggerated when work is being done on the Motorway that I can't be absolutely sure a fine won't arrive. I therefore make a mess of parking in the only space left in the parcheggio "sotto le mura" and am feeling grumpy by the time I reach the B&B. But, it's nice, the building has been tastefully restored and the room is comfortable. The terrace at the top of the building is spectacular but the vertical steps up and down discourage us from venturing up more than once.
The historical centre of Grottamare is better. A pretty village of warm coloured stone a short walk up the hillside. We wander around and up to the castle. There's a pretty square with some arches to one side and a view of the sprawling modern buildings and the coast below. I've been wanting to visit Grottamare for years and now I can easily cross it off my list. We retire to our room for a shower and a rest before another long drive the next day.
The drive from Grottamare does indeed seem long. There's a lot of work in progress as far as Termoli and while there are no actual holdups there are speed limits and lane closures and we don't seem to make much progress. We stop to buy focaccia in San Ferdinando di Puglia which seems mainly to be an agricultural centre and then press on, finally arriving at our destination in Torre Spaccata near Fasano at about three o'clock.
Casa della Madia is every bit as nice as in the photos, a tastefully restored house in local stone with a superb panoramic terrace with views from the Selva di Fasano to Ostuni and the sea. I unpack then we go for shopping, local vegetables for the evening and then unfortunately the nearest supermarkets Lidl and Eurospin but at least I get some "bombette" for dinner. Dinner is on the terrace, it's time to relax.
Comments
Post a Comment