Ancona-Ascoli-Pescara 100 miles
Two days of misery and cold and rain.....After their slog up the mountain to their hotel outside Ancona, Gerard and Edith got a lift down the steep mountains back onto their route along the coast. But it started raining again and has stayed like this for the two days via Ascoli to Pescara. It was around 12 Celsius all the way and heavy rain – look at the weather forecast for Bari in Italy on the BBC website and you will see how bad it is!!! Mean days of rainfall for September in this area is just over three days. They have had much more than that! The whole coast has emptied of tourists. This normally bustling coastline is funereal. At least the hotels seem pleased to see them.
Ascoli is like Miami on a bad day full of large hotels along the seafront, which are now empty. However, they did find a nice restaurant and a steak served by a charming Argentine – the steak probably came from there as well.
Saturday was Gerard’s birthday. It poured with rain again. The road was often flooded as the drainage system could not cope with the downpour. The sea was furious with white caps on all the waves. When they got to Pescara they went shopping for warm clothes as they had only bought ‘Mediterranean’ kit. So two pullovers and warm flannel pyjamas were purchased (there is no central heating in the hotels). All the locals were well wrapped up in furs and fleeces.
Always a silver lining, as Gerard and Edith celebrated his birthday with a Chinese dinner – oh the consolation of a good meal!!
Gerard thanks all those who called him to wish him a happy birthday.
1 comment:
Dear Gerard - tried to call last night but you obviously had so many callers that I couldn't get through - on either number - and had to sing Happy Birthday to You down the line. Do hope you had a lovely evening and that Edith's ribs are not hurting so much - has she been to the Doctor yet? Following your amazing adventures with admiration and trepidation - for all those lorries and the dreadful weather. Marie Curie appreciates all that you are doing - and we do hope you're not regretting that you ever agreed to do it!
All love, Penny and Michael.
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