[paul m]

Having just returned from northern Spain (hope to put some photos up shortly - as soon as I've caught up with correspondence!), have to start thinking aout next year's holiday (it's all that keeps us going ) and are considering southern Italy - Calabria, Puglia &c.. Anyone know of wildlife sites to aim for?

[paul m]

Not getting much info on this - probably because most of the web stuff is in Italian (hardly surprising, really ) but looks as if most of Calabria is the Aspromonte National Park - the 'English Man's Walk' got my attention:
http://www.parcogennargentu.it/adapt...pit/ospit1.htm - apparently named after Edward Lear who was a great traveller ....

[Guy F]

Unfortunately I can't give you any advice, I've never been to Italy. It does look interesting though, and I'm sure that there's loads of interesting wildlife around if you can find the right places.
Guy

[manuelrodriguez]

I've heard that they offer a viajes baratos or cheap trips!!! Isn't it?

[Guy F]

There is a large national park - Parco Nazionale del Pollino, in the Southern part of Italy, no doubt that would be good for wildlife. Also, I don't know whether you've considered Sicily as an option? but that seems to have an array of interesting dragonflies, so no doubt lots of other interesting insects too.
Guy

[paul m]

It does sound very good. I was waiting for them to build the rail bridge World's longest suspension bridge gets go-ahead - 07 June 2002 - New Scientist but it's been cancelled!

Yes, might go there - depends on how long we spend getting south!

Originally Posted by Guy F

There is a large national park - Parco Nazionale del Pollino, in the Southern part of Italy, no doubt that would be good for wildlife. Also, I don't know whether you've considered Sicily as an option? but that seems to have an array of interesting dragonflies, so no doubt lots of other interesting insects too.
Guy

[swallow]

Hi Paul, here's a potted look at Puglia! I would like to upload some photos but my dial up weedy connection is worse than usual at present, so will try sometime later
Promontorio del Gargano, limestone mountains, Foresta Umbra, one of Italy’s last remaining original forest. Have not visited yet myself.There are walking trails and many beaches.

Bari to Brindisi. Spring and (very hot)summer there are flower meadows, many insects, swallows etc. Twisted ancient olive tree plantations. No surface water as you go south, all underground. At Castellana Grotte, limestone cave system, open to public, fabulous stalactites and strange formations. I don’t recommend Fasano zoo because of the bears having small enclosures.

Alberobello, town of trullis, conical stone houses, countryside area with trulli farms of olives, almonds and vines, built possibly by people from Greece, or Crete. “White” towns, Ostuni, Martina Franca,Locorotondo with ancient paved centres. Otranto, Greek influence, mosaic pavements, limestone cliffs and deep blue Adriatic. Lecce, city of baroque buildings. Gallipoli and Taranto.

Basilicata, Matera, interesting city with cave dwellings.
Naples, Vesuvius and Pompeii, a must see if in southern Italy.
I don’t know very much about the rest of the far south. There are train routes to or near all of the towns, but some agricultural areas in south Puglia are not particularly walker friendly as there are often no marked routes, but small attractive country roads, a car is better here for getting around.
kathy

[paul m]

Many thanks - I had discovered something about the Promontorio del Gargano and can now look up the other things; the Foresta Umbra sound excellent ....

Yes we'll probably get the train to Napoli, do the historical bits and then hire a car!

Look forward to some pictures, sooner or later ...

Originally Posted by swallow

Hi Paul, here's a potted look at Puglia! I would like to upload some photos but my dial up weedy connection is worse than usual at present, so will try sometime later
Promontorio del Gargano, limestone mountains, Foresta Umbra, one of Italy’s last remaining original forest. Have not visited yet myself.There are walking trails and many beaches.

Bari to Brindisi. Spring and (very hot)summer there are flower meadows, many insects, swallows etc. Twisted ancient olive tree plantations. No surface water as you go south, all underground. At Castellana Grotte, limestone cave system, open to public, fabulous stalactites and strange formations. I don’t recommend Fasano zoo because of the bears having small enclosures.

Alberobello, town of trullis, conical stone houses, countryside area with trulli farms of olives, almonds and vines, built possibly by people from Greece, or Crete. “White” towns, Ostuni, Martina Franca,Locorotondo with ancient paved centres. Otranto, Greek influence, mosaic pavements, limestone cliffs and deep blue Adriatic. Lecce, city of baroque buildings. Gallipoli and Taranto.

Basilicata, Matera, interesting city with cave dwellings.
Naples, Vesuvius and Pompeii, a must see if in southern Italy.
I don’t know very much about the rest of the far south. There are train routes to or near all of the towns, but some agricultural areas in south Puglia are not particularly walker friendly as there are often no marked routes, but small attractive country roads, a car is better here for getting around.
kathy

[paul m]

Anyone travelling to the south will travel through Tuscany and Sienna so worth stopping over for the historical and artistic sights: especially Florence/Firenze (stay outside the city near the train line: trains are fast, regular and cheap while car-driving is a nightmare).

On the natural side, the Maremma Natural Park in southern Tuscany is a must (stay on the coast near Grosetto - plenty of campsites and hotels ... and sea). The Park has lots of different habitats - umbrella pine woods, marais, sandy shore, cliffs, river, marsh, orchards, ancient farmland:


The area is so well preserved because some parts can only be reached when accompanied by an official guide in a small party. Well worth the effort.

Parco Regionale della Maremma

[paul m]

Beginning to have second thoughts about this: the plan was to go to Naples and then wander around the deeper south .... but Naples has had very little rubbish collected for the last year and four people have been killed. So might miss out Naples but I've heard rumours that the problem is spreading to Puglia and other regions. Does anyone have any up-to-date information?

I've always wanted to go to Portugal .....

[frostfire]

Haven't heard from any of the people I know who are spending or have just spent a couple of months in Italy that they noticed much of the problems, but they were all further north (Rome, Cerveteri, Florence and Boulogne). But you could maybe find more up to date information on what you want in the Italian papers, quite a few do have English versions.

List of Italian Daiily Newspapers
Corriere della Sera - International

Hope they are of some use!
~*~Frostfire~*~

[swallow]

My husband visited puglia in May....all is well, the people are delightful and friendly. There is no problem about being "bothered" unless you are a local.
The fields are full of wild flowers such as have not been seen in the UK for a couple of centuries.
Usually by the bins there is rubbish everywhere and on the coast, most people aim it at the bins rather than putting it in.
The coastal motorway has potholes in it. ha, but still beautiful scenery, baroque towns.
Naples always a place of dark doings, but worth a visit, and Pompeii, never to be forgotten.
The Dark Heart of Italy by Tobias Jones a good read about the mindset, tax evasion, football, general attitudes!

[paul m]

Thanks for the reassurance and advice. Also thanks to Frostfire. Okay, I'll start organising now!

Originally Posted by swallow

My husband visited puglia in May....all is well, the people are delightful and friendly. There is no problem about being "bothered" unless you are a local.
The fields are full of wild flowers such as have not been seen in the UK for a couple of centuries.
Usually by the bins there is rubbish everywhere and on the coast, most people aim it at the bins rather than putting it in.
The coastal motorway has potholes in it. ha, but still beautiful scenery, baroque towns.
Naples always a place of dark doings, but worth a visit, and Pompeii, never to be forgotten.
The Dark Heart of Italy by Tobias Jones a good read about the mindset, tax evasion, football, general attitudes!

[paul m]

Originally Posted by paul m

Thanks for the reassurance and advice. Also thanks to Frostfire. Okay, I'll start organising now!

So, I started organising and something else came up so southern Italy is postponed for a year or two.

Now I have new questions .......