Vieste on the Spur and Trani

Something none of us is able to explain is why we left this paradise so early, only to swelter away the afternoon in Vieste harbour where we couldn’t swim? I did have to collect my dive tank at 8:00am so when we got back to the boat it all just rolled from there and by 9:00am we were sailing. We could so easily have stayed there till 3:00pm and then headed off. 

I guess we are in a hurry and can’t shake that feeling?

What is more frustrating is that we have decided that Sicily is too far and not a good place to sell a boat so we are now scrambling for places to leave her for the winter on the boot of Italy or across to Preveza in Greece were we originally bought her.

Vieste is right on point of the spur at the back of the Italian boot. The locals tell us that it is World famous with a top 10 place in the “Best places to holiday” book on the best places to holiday? 

Well, it’s not bad. Not good looking from the water, it took some walking to find the old town which we eventually did and found it typical but not special. 

Tiny cobbled streets, outside restaurants and summer holiday crowds. They do know how to charge but. 140 euro for one night, it has been as low as 70 euro in these parts.

Late start the next day, the idea being we stop mid sea for a swim and avoid the super-hot part of the day couped up in a breathless harbour. 11:15 on the 5^th August we cast off and headed for Trani, 40 miles further south.

Now here is a town that can take a bow. The only natural harbour in Italy we are told and from any angle it is beautiful. 

No derelict old building, excellent restoration work everywhere making the ancient look new but still ancient.

A complicated slime line mooring assisted by a guy who really didn’t know what he was doing. Each time I indicated what needed to be done I was met with the 'hand' until eventually I raised my voice above the hand and told him what we were going to do. He complied because it became obvious we were going nowhere under his supervision and.... we really have done this a few times now.

No matter, we made friends got dressed and headed in for a long walk to one fascinating end of town and back to the boat for a home cooked meal of lovely meaty bits I could not resist buying at the cooked chook shop. 

Just as dinner ended and again, right in front of our boat, another fireworks display. Not as long as the last but every bit as impressive, the natural harbour shores were packed with holiday makers.

After dinner we made for the other end of town. Al couldn't help himself when he noticed a word along the harbour wall with 'AL' in it. Confusing the diners right behind him, here was the outcome:

Trani is immaculate and beautiful wherever we ventured but the crowds had also moved in after the fireworks and it was hot. 

This did nothing to dampen the atmosphere but we never did find out what they were celebrating.