Monday 18th...off to see the sea !

The north gate or Porta Perlici, we drive through here more or less everyday.
So today we decide to go over the Umbrian Apennines to the Adriatic coast. A rather slower trip than planned  due to road works but also very interesting and with wonderful clear views. Our route takes us through a long series of  lengthy tunnels which happened to be all downhill which I found fascinating, one expects tunnels to be mainly on the flat, well I do ! Of course himself said that on the way back they'll be uphill !! Oh what joy to be educated !!

Part of the roadworks and a tunnel in the making, kind of reminded us of home with our own A3 tunnel almost completed.

We hit the coast at the port of Ancona which is an oil refinery and very industrial, turned right along the coast to hopefully find a better area,  managed to get lost and had a "stressy" moment, ok so I was the navigator !!!! As said before though the Italian road signs are really terrible and I'm sure you will all hear more about it when we get home !!!! Eventually found the very bracing sea which blew away a few cobwebs. This photo is one of quite a few "brave" souls para-boarding. 

Stopped off on our way back at an area very reminiscent of Zagoria National Park in Greece. We may revisit and do the tour of The Frasassi Caves.

This rock overhang on a walk past a strange collection of a "campsite "with a well and campfire rings, a "bread oven", and a small wooden boat !! We felt it must have some spiritual connotation as it was on route to a chapel and a statue of Madonna and Bambino.
A round trip of 200.3 miles taking us through the farmland of the Marches and the hills of Umbria. We did pass over The Rio Grande, which made us smile, it was a trickle and even in spring with the spring floods it would still only be a brook !!