Egnazia and back to Monopoli in the rain (!)

Today it is raining – and I am a fair weather cyclist. David says it’s ok so long as it isn’t cold and windy as well.

Pausing under an olive  tree:

Once I was wet it wasn’t that bad.

We stopped at Egnazia – an ancient city that was inhabited from about 800BC to 700AD.

The museum is excellent with well displayed exhibits from Neolithic times to the Romans.

The Greeks came in about 8-700BC and traded with the local messapians who were trader / farmers.

Is this the first high 5 ever recorded?

By the 4th century BC there was a population boom and subsequent squabbling and bandits hence the building of the city walls and fortifications.

I loved these grave statues of dining and relaxing:

This is the head of Attis:

The Romans also built the roads which looked pretty uncomfortable if you were in a carriage.

David liked this skillet:

We also went into a Messapian tomb of about 4th century BC which was painted as if a bedroom with wooden beams and pomegranate decoration to symbolise the afterlife. Pottery pomegranates were also placed in the tombs

The ancient monolithic tomb doors still swung on their hinges!

Unfortunately this tomb was empty- it’s contents are most likely in the British Museum.

We wandered around the archeological remains – amphitheater, forum, baths, houses and roads. It stopped raining.

Then we stopped for a delicious sea-food lunch at a beach club all ready for the Sunday bathers. As there were none we were very well looked after.

After a quick paddle in the Adriatic we pedalled on to Monopoli.

I hope you enjoyed our taste of Puglia – we certainly did!