Lido Scalpi Camping has turned out to be a great choice. An ideal location for a bit of down time. It is quiet and situated on an endlessly long beach, which is completely deserted.
Lido Salpi Camping – waiting for summer
In three and a half weeks away we have only had one day without either travelling or exploring, so we have decided to stay here for three nights and relax. It helps that it is a full facility campsite at only €13 a night!!
Basil’s new spot
Sarah was up early, as usual, to take the dogs for their first run on the beach. The dogs are really beginning to love beaches. When we have taken them on beaches in the UK they have seemed a little non-plussed. In particular Melek, whether on a beach or anywhere else has always been a little lazy when let off the lead, he usually barely breaks into a trot. Not now though. On the beaches this holiday he’s been sprinting like Usain Bolt. Well a very slow Usain with bandy legs!
Dogs Romping at Sunrise – courtesy of Sarah’s iPhone
Strange Tracks in the Sand
When Sarah returned she had brought with her a very fine collection of shells! In three weeks away Basil is already carrying willow twigs (Sarah learned willow weaving at the Cambridge Folk Festival and wants to keep her hand in); various plant specimens and now shells. I think we should have got a bigger motorhome.
The rest of the day was spent generally lazing. Sarah did the laundry with no problems this time. I sat in the sun and read guidebooks for Southern Italy. We both went for further walks on the beautiful beach.
Lido Scalpi beach with Gargano Peninsular in the background
There is a little community of overwinterers on the site. Mostly German, but with some Dutch, Swiss, Austrian and one other English couple. Next door to us is a wheelchair bound Swiss lady who travels on her own and has been here all winter. Her motorhome is specially adapted and she has a lovely Golder Retriever as a helper dog. She’s travelled extensively around Europe and has given us some tips for next few weeks.
On neighbour has also told us that the site restaurant is very good, so Sarah and I are going to give it a try.
Since this has been a short blog and after a whole two weeks in Italy I will venture a couple of sweeping generalisations about the country. Firstly the Italians are much better at clearing up after their dogs than the French – which is somewhat surprising since in the South, where we are now, many dogs, not strays, just wander where they want, much like my childhood in rural Lincolnshire. The second generalisation is that although Italian driving has improved enormously in the thirty five years we have been coming here, the roads have deteriorated markedly. Virtually all the roads except the toll roads are in an atrocious state and make me glad that Basil came with uprated suspension!! After the bridge collapse I read that Italian infrastructure has suffered because the economy has not really grown consistently for nearly twenty years. Maybe that is the explanation.
More pearls of wisdom (dubious generalisations) coming up in future blogs.