A
fter leaving the village of San Pelagio
[25] and continuing towards Prepotto,
always following the green arrows on a yellow
background, we hike along a few narrow
tracks between fences before crossing paths
that pass along rows of vines and olive groves
facing the Adriatic and that challenge the
Bora from their terraces. This is one of the
most panoramic and beautiful parts of the
trail, where one’s gaze can take in the green
of the vineyards and the olive trees as well
as the blue of the sea. The low vines that
are encountered are indigenous varieties
that have survived the epidemics that have
struck over the course of the centuries in
this area. The route only brushes the village
of Prepotto, where many traditional houses
still survive with their stone chimneys and
gutters, faithful witnesses to the Karst’s
characteristic rural architecture.
The path continues along the indicated routed
until you encounter a sign indicating the
“Grotta Azzurra” [26].
A small detour from the Gemina path is
required to reach the cave, following the route
indicated by red paint, first alongside some
vineyards with the path then winding its way
through the scrub, continuing until a less
obvious path appears on the right, narrower
still and also indicated – slightly ahead of the
1...,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24 26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,...70