The wind blew in, whipping up the sea, and I hung out at the Calidoski beach club all day. The youth of Campo di Mare gathered there too, sitting around tables chatting, playing cards and meeting new people. While I’d prefer a beach free of deck chairs, the beach clubs in Italy do provide a good place for young people to socialise – I’ve never come across a scene like this back home.

I joined some people to learn Briscola, a classic card game played with a deck of Napoletane cards. One of them, Allesandro, also had type 1 diabetes, the third diabetic I’ve met on my trip I think. Talking to someone who understands exactly what it’s like always leaves me feeling better and it’s interesting to hear how other people manage their diabetes.

Salento’s speciality snack is the rustico, a delectable puff pastry pie filled with potato, mozzarella, tomato and bechamel. Multiple people insisted I try the rustico, and unable to break it to them that I’d already eaten enough of them to power me to Venice, I obliged, each time pretending it was my first bite ever. Yes I’m putting on weight.

The next day I set off at 7 am and battled a headwind all morning past the power station and the port of Brindisi.

I came ashore at Specchiolla and sat in the shade of a tree to fry up some courgette for lunch and some other people joined me, sharing their bread, watermelon and figs. Plus some coffee that was so sweet I had to discreetly chuck it. Again, would you ever see some people who had never met share lunch together back in England? I think not, it must be the weather.

I pushed on until Torre Canne and was resigned to a night on the public beach until I met Rosa, who offered me a bed. I packed up my stuff and carried my boat up to the road to wait for Rosa while she took her dog back home. I guessed what had happened when she didn’t come back, I imagined the conversation went something like ‘I’ve met this boy on the beach who looks like he’s been lost at sea for weeks, can he stay here?’, answer: ‘no’. Sure enough, Rosa returned eventually, focaccia and beer in hand and very apologetic, saying her boyfriend had said no. I didn’t mind, I just thought it was amusing, and it was nice to share the focaccia with her and have a chat.