Umbra forest, kingdom of biodiversity

This time I want to go trekking in that marvelous place which is the Umbra forest.

Carlo, a friend of mine, want to join me. The day before we deal to meet up at 9:00.

I pick him up and head straight to the Umbra forest, which is located in Gargano, north of Apulia.

The forest is roughly 40 miles from Manfredonia, where I am temporarily based.

The scenarios changes very quick. The landscape is beautiful.

So, we get close and close to the forest.

We are entering a new dimension.

Hundreds of millions of years ago, Gargano was an island, fully covered by forest.

Indeed, Gargano is pretty much different from the rest of Apulia.

Once in the forest, I have the feeling that I am at different latitude. 

We have left behind a valley of prickly pears (Manfredonia) to enter a dark forest, where trees are huge and moss covers anything.

I come across a family from Bergamo while trekking. The man proudly shows us a porcine mushroom he collected earlier.

I hear some German tourists trekking.

Germans have always been fond of Gargano.

Two German botanists have recently discovered a plant which was supposed to be extinct for more than one hundred years.

The forest offers a wide range of nature trails for those who wishe to go both trekking and biking.

Nevertheless, If you want to take it easy and simply contemplate, bird watching may be the best activity to do here.

Centuries-old beeches trees are very common here. Additionally, I find around maples, ashes and linden trees.

In terms of plants, I see hollies, anemones and mezereons.

The main animals who populate the Umbra forest are local roe deers, wild cats, boars and stone martens.

In terms of birds, the main ones are woodcocks and wood-pigeons.

At 5 pm I am exhausted. Therefore, I end up on a wooden bench.

I feel high though. it is like to smoke a dope. What a wired sensation.

It must be the reinvigorating influence of mother earth...


Post Scriptum
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