Italy - Punta Aderci Nature Reserve

Italy didn't realize that we were trying to escape the heat this summer - so we had some really hot days. The mornings and evenings were beautiful, but we were seeking out water to help chill out the hot afternoons. We were on our way to a beach on the Adriatic Coast when Jon suggested that we drive a little bit further to a more highly rated spot. My natural instinct when my husband recommends how highly rated someplace is, is to doubt the reliability of the general public's view on things, but we took his advice and continued on to the Punta Aderci Nature Reserve. 

Yelp was right, this place was super cool. 

After parking, we hiked down, down, down a sandy stairway to get to an almost empty beach cove. Someone had assembled these log teepees which provided a tiny bit of shade, and a great place to dry your wet clothes or towels. Other than these makeshift huts, the beach was ours! 

The water was safe and calm, just a few small waves and warm enough to walk right in. It was not as crystal clear as some other beaches might be, but you could see your feet for awhile and the water was very salty, which will naturally make it a bit more cloudy. 

The real challenge was hiking back up the steep, sandy staircase to make it back to the car. It was a leg burner, but we made it up in one piece. Now lunch was on our minds. 

There is a consistency that we have come to expect in the US. During the day, assuming it's not a holiday, we expect that restaurants will be open. This is not the same for many of the other countries that I have been to, Italy being in the unreliable category. So going out to eat is often an adventure in itself; the place is closed on Tuesdays, closed from 1:30 - 5:00pm, the owners are on vacation, the list goes on. We were happy to find
Trattoria Toscana, that was open, with delicious food options for everyone in our group. Thankfully for me, they didn't skimp on the prosciutto.

We went back for some necessary afternoon naps, and called the day a success. 

Once we woke up, and of course, were hungry again, we got ready for dinner at La Fontana. This pizza restaurant is our local friend's favorite pizza in the country, so clearly it needed to be tried. Thankfully, Juliana joined us and worked double time as a translator and recommender of favorites. We settled on everyone getting their own pizza (a mistake for some) and olives, pepperoni, and eggplant veggie pizzas, each one was better than the last. They were much larger than we expected, so next visit we will know to share, but this was the kind of place I expected from small town Italy, outdoor seating, no English on the menu or from the waiter, and pizza for days. It wasn't fancy, but it was really good.