From Pompeii to Termoli: A Coastal Adventure
Continuing on our journey from the ancient ruins of Pompeii to the opposite coast we settled on an aire in the town of Termoli. Our route took us along the SS85 and SS650 roads. As we neared the opposite coast we picked up River Trigno and ran alongside it almost all the way to the coast. There was obvious evidence of the recent deluge. The river raced towards the sea, its waters darkened by sediment and laden with debris.
Arriving in Termoli, the effects of the storm were still visible. The sea, typically clear and inviting, now carried a band of discoloured water stretching about 50 meters from the shoreline. The normally bustling beaches (evidenced by the rows and rows of sunbeds and umbrellas) wore a deserted look, their allure temporarily dimmed by the aftermath of the heavy rainfall. Clean-up efforts were well underway though with several people working away on the shore and several piles of debris waiting to be collected by the little diggers.
Once again though payment was clearly required to visit most of the beach, with the less salubrious areas left for those not paying.
Termoli welcomed us with its own unique charm. We found a lovely spot in the marina’s dedicated aire, and found that there was a comic and games convention being held there over the weekend. There were several attractions apart from this – a resplendent cathedral resonating with organ practice, a historic castle and remnants of ancient city walls. Notably, Termoli boasts, reputably, the narrowest street in Europe, Rejecelle, a passage that, much to our delight, we navigated successfully 🙂
We managed to get lost just the once, necessitating a minor detour as we assumed there would be another way down to the harbour. As we bid farewell to Termoli, our next destination was Pineto, just beyond Pescara. However, our plans took an unexpected turn. A campsite next to noisy train tracks provided a sleepless night, leading us to alter our route.
On doing some more research we could see that the track ran pretty much alongside the coast all the way up to Rimini (with a minor respite at Pesaro). As this was so close to one of our intended destinations we decided to just head there without another stop (we normally try to drive 100 miles or less).
So we jumped on the motorway (it’s not expensive after all) and headed straight to San Marino. San Marino is a charming principality steeped in history and definitely worth a visit. A few days spent at a campsite in this independent enclave felt like a true holiday, a refreshing change of pace from our usual travel routine.
We jumped on the bus to visit the historic center, and loved the quaint streets, the cable car, which offered stunning views and the fortress towers, which also offered amazing views. San Marino’s tax haven status was evident in the plethora of shops, providing ample shopping opportunities, if that’s your thing.
Back at the campsite, a dip in the pool offered solace from the heat, and a meal at the on-site restaurant proved a quirky but tasty experience. Our time in San Marino felt like a well-deserved pause, a chance to rejuvenate before the next phase of our adventure.
And so, from San Marino, we continued our journey, deciding that we would visit Venice after all (we had had our doubts – I still don’t really know why).
We were now into the last month of our latest adventures and resolved to make the most of these last days. We certainly did that, with very little time to stop we still had another 19 places to visit as we made our way north and home
We stayed: Termoli – Parcheggio Marina Di San Pietro
Pescara – Pineto Beach Campsite (ACSI)
San Marino – Centro Vacanze campsite (ACSI)
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