Yes, we were in the stunning seaside town of Polignano a Mare, just south of Bari in Italy. Little did we know that the 1958 blockbuster record of that year, known as just “Volare” was penned by Domenico Modugno, who was born in this popular tourist paradise. There is even a statue overlooking the white cliffs, honoring his contribution to pop music. I’m sure I’ll be humming this song to myself for the next week!
Carrie and I were taken aback by the beauty of this city; the white washed dwellings, the meandering narrow streets, the striking colors of the numerous flowers set against blinding white backdrops. There was charm in every little alleyway we walked down as we explored the maze of what is the old part (or old country as a guide called it) of the city,
Monopoli, another beach town a few minutes south of Polignano a Mare, was a great place for us to make a day trip, where we walked along the harbor and beach, and enjoyed the culinary offerings at an outdoor cafe.
Day trip to Alberobello and Matera
Carrie and I made a day trip with a tour group to these two interesting cities, both unique and historical. Alberobello is chock full of the Trulli style homes, conical structures with limestone slab roofs, which you can only find here. Our tour group wandered through the ancient village, where many of the homes have been converted to B&Bs.
Alberobello and Matera are both UNESCO world heritage sites. Matera has been inhabited for the last 10,000 years, since the Bronze Age. Early residents carved living spaces into the soft limestone, in an area called the Sassi. People have been living in them, along with livestock, without proper sanitary conditions up until the 1950s, when they were forced to move to more modern residences.
Some observations on our travels:
- if you are going to have coffee, why not spice it up a little? We enjoyed a “Speciale” coffee with Amaretto in Polignano a Mare.
- Alfresco dining is great, except that all the smokers are there. We have had to vacate a comfortable table on occasion when we were surrounded by smoke.
- In the beach towns we have been accosted by street vendors, even while dining, selling trinkets, bracelets hats and such. They don’t take no for an answer.
- Sunday is the best day to travel. We have found that it is difficult to get into a restaurant in some towns on Sunday unless you have a reservation. Its better to be on the road that day.
- We have stayed at both apartments and hotels. Both have their good and bad points: apartments have more room and comfort, while hotels might only have a bed to sit on. It’s easier to check in to a hotel which has a front desk, and they might hold your luggage for you. With an apartment, you can only check in and out at a certain time, and you have to communicate with the property several times to get check in information, house rules or access codes.
- Air travel vs train travel: We like the ease of using trains, in that you don’t have to arrive at the train station until a few minutes before the train arrives. If you miss your train, you just get on the next one. With air travel you have to get to the airport early, and if you miss your flight it’s a major hassle and another cost. Getting luggage on and off a train can be difficult, and you might have trouble finding a spot on the train to store it and keep an eye on it.
Digital Postcards 