The town of Ugento was by the Gulf of Taranto, part of the Ionian Sea. We chose to stay in a resort because we urgently needed to use their laundry facilities.
The Laika carried 120 litres of water which was 3 to 4 days supply if used carefully for drinking, washing up etc. Most sites provided big sinks for laundry purposes or, better still, a washing machine which left the clothes well spun so drying was speedier. One of the first jobs when we arrived anywhere was to string up a washing line (blue job) so, when the sun shone, laundry could be hung out to dry and bedding hung out to air.
Small items of clothing were easily washed and dried but it was the towels, dish cloths and tea cloths that were problematic. Cloths left in a damp state soon began to smell and if a cloth was used in an emergency, for example, to mop up some spilled curry sauce or to wipe hands after gutting a fish, that cloth soon began to hum; as did beach towels after a few days at the beach.
I would scald dish cloths with boiling water and a drop of vinegar to keep them sweet, making sure they dried out between uses. Larger cloths were not so easy to keep fresh. If the weather was wet, the problem multiplied and I have occasionally been forced to carry a sealed bag of toxic laundry in the garage, waiting for hot washing facilities.
Riva di Ugento was a huge site alongside a beautiful beach. The pitches were randomly set in shady clearings in a pine forest. The ground was sandy and covered in pine needles.
Dotted about the site were rental cabins as well as caravans set beside large wooden decks which had fridges and cooking facilities, as well as table and chairs. A good place for a family holiday. Unfortunately, thunderstorms made regular appearances and every time we ventured out, we got soaked. The weather was warm enough, 21°
