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Puglia, Sicily via BarcelonaPuglia, Sicily via Barcelona
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Puglia, Sicily via Barcelona

September - October 2019
  • Carol Rakicic
September 2019 Read more
  • Carol Rakicic

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  • Carol RakicicTravelerPuglia, Sicily via Barcelona

    Otranto - Santa Cesare Therme

    September 14, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    A difficult nights sleep at B&B Lilium with traffic that shook the balcony window glass forcing me to wear and turn on my active noise cancelling ear phones.
    It was a shame as Roberta and Antonio were lovely (though in need of B&B101 training as rule one must be do not leave previous mornings dirty breakfast plates etc on the main table). Roberta is a teacher at Santa Cesare Terme so drove me there and back today and detoured to the lighthouse at the most easterly point in Italy Faro Palascio. The coastline is littered with ruined towers from the days of watching for the attacking Turks. I walked to the gorgeous cove of Spiaggia di Miggiano - deep, clear water with plenty of fish. Above this cove was a resort with several infinity pools which actually looked great also. Then passed the old bath house built in early 1900 in the moorish style.
    Said goodbye to Roberta and family and I then checked into the gorgeous Palazzo Marzo less than 200 yards away but uphill in a calm area.
    Had had a panini at Santa Cesare (proscuitto crudo and white mozzarella) so sat out the hottest middle of the day, then had a divine cafe and coconut gelato for lunch from Martinucci before walking north as far as Canal Monaco. Still too much swell up there but it would be gorgeous on another day. Swum in the shallows at the north end of the main beach. Water temp must be 26 and air temp a hot feeling 28.
    Had a good sausage and chicoria pizza and red wine for dinner.    Read more

  • Carol RakicicTravelerPuglia, Sicily via Barcelona

    Last day Otranto

    September 15, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    You can tell the time in Italy by the smells in the air. Morning has wafts of croissants and pastries and dinner time it changes to capsicums.
    Breakfast at peaceful Palazzo Marzo was sweetness in the extreme, making me dizzy half an hour later on my tough walk. It was slow progress walking along cliffs with paths through low scrub, alongside eroded cliffs and through narrow tunnels of that pampas grass like plant. Canal of St Peter was gorgeous swimming in deep water but as no shade and too great a distance between access point and place to leave my backpack meant I pushed onwards ending above the gorgeous beach at Mulino d’Acqua. I stood precariously above it with no way to access. Amazing how promise of a pristine swim can obviate my fear of heights. The camping ground was charging 10euro to access their pool but the authorities have closed the beach due to rockslide but if you *choose* to go there they will not know about it !
    Couldn't face doing the same return one hour trip due to the difficult terrain so took the local road which came out near Lido de Spina. Swum there and lay in the shade, then walked the only sea/rock part and actually slipped over. Only a couple of grazes on the right wrist but bit of a fright as it was so quick and could have been nasty.
    Came out near Hotel Plancia and had nicest swim all day so far.
    To stay out of the mid day sun decided on the cliff top ViaPunta7 for italian tapas and a calice of chardonnay. After 5mins a dozen tradies from the film festival took a table which is always a good sign of hearty food.
    It was excellent - big tapas bowl of mussels in tomato, oil and garlic, fava bean puree with chickory and a chardonnay. And all with sea and city views for 15euro ( included 5euro wine and 2euro cover).
    The mare was calmest it has been so had the best swim just before the lighthouse in clear deep water as two italian women fished to the left.
    Aperitivo on the cliff overlooking old town and castle and then prawn orchiette with english/NJ acapuncturist Linda Covelli. We shared travel stories and laughs over italian town name pronunciations.
    Buona noche.    Read more

  • Carol RakicicTravelerPuglia, Sicily via Barcelona

    Otranto to Lecce

    September 16, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Fig and yoghurt for breakfast while speaking french to Chloe and her husband from Warsaw.
    Once again bus service worked well except for the nutter passenger who insisted I sit in my allocated Seat 3 despite bus being largely empty. He took exception to my bag but with tables in the bus it was difficult to manoevre round. A young dutch guy found the situation amusing also.
    Easy walk to Casa Q B&B owned by Antonio Quarta and nice room also. Explored the pristine baroque streets around the Duomo, the magnificent Santa Croce and other churches. Had lunch of polpette (pastry in shape of chicken) and lemon granita with english girls from Southhampton. Then to the private Museo Faggiano. So refreshing as I met the father who bought the house to set up a trattoria for his sons but a humidity problem led him to dig for the sewerage pipes but instead he discovered layer upon layer of roman history.
    Back to Alvino to try an Amare from Salento. Noticing a lot of brightly clothed africans in the streets and also as waiters.    Read more

  • Carol RakicicTravelerPuglia, Sicily via Barcelona
    Alberobello
    Polignano a Mare

    Valle d'Itria

    September 17, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    No breakfast at Casa Q but self serve nespresso, yoghurt and cornflakes.
    First stop on the day tour was a beautiful though hot, crowded and surprisingly large Polignano a Mare.
    Then Alberobello which as expected was extremely touristy but worth seeing over a thousand trulli with mortar free pointy roofs.
    Very hot and humid but enjoyed a fresca panini of proscuitto, white mozzarella and pomodore and then an esspresso on ice.    Read more

  • Carol RakicicTravelerPuglia, Sicily via Barcelona
    Ostuni
    Piazza Duomo in Lecce

    Valle d'Itria Part2

    September 17, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Next stop was Locorotondo in the sleepy early afternoon. There were panoramic views over the surrounds, and buildings were white washed and cute.
    Final stop was the very baroque Ostuni with the cathedral at the top again surrounded by white washed streets. The main square was vast and rounded and worthy of more time.
    Back in Lecce for a puglian amare and eggplant pomodore pasta and veges at Prendici Gusto.    Read more

  • Carol RakicicTravelerPuglia, Sicily via Barcelona
    Main town beach in Gallipoli was beautiful
    Pick your type of mozzarellaHealthy home salad at Casa Q

    Gallipoli

    September 18, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Early bus with me and the brightly clothed African and Pakistani beach sellers who loaded their sheets full of handbags and beach towels into the luggage.
    Walked the Lungomare for gorgeous swim, then back down and on to the island. The old town was the same as the others in recent days but the town beach stunned me. Turquoise water, still as a mill pond
    Trattoria Scoglio delle Sirene zuppe de cozze with complimentary hot chilli oil
    Funny their menu called lobster the cicada of the sea    Read more

  • Carol RakicicTravelerPuglia, Sicily via Barcelona

    Monopoli

    September 19, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    One hour train trip to Monopoli where I had a much craved for bacon and scrambled egg pucce and tasty espresso with almond milk syrup. Then a thunderstorm closed in so got marooned inside the interesting bar with books, glass floor over kegs and roman ruins.Read more

  • Carol RakicicTravelerPuglia, Sicily via Barcelona
    Matera
    BruscettaRestaurant in a cave

    Monopoli to Matera

    September 20, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Another egg and bacon roll, amble round town then swordfish (spada) and caprese salad at Locanda dei Mercanti before catching the bus to Matera via Bari Airport, port and centrale. A long convuluted walk from bus fermata to Le Dodici Lune including dozens of steps.
    Even before the incredible sassi landscape the town had some noteable architecture.
    Drained after a long day and no energy to get lost again, I went to nearby PanneCotto for excellent bruscetta and rocket, local soup snd una calice
    Rosso de San Vito.    Read more

  • Carol RakicicTravelerPuglia, Sicily via Barcelona

    Matera

    September 21, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    My cave at Le Dodeci Lune was cute and italian sweet breakfast included salami and cheese. Explored the sassi area and the baroque churches, then over to Murgia for the sunset town in italian. Saw the set for Mel Gibson The Passion of Christ and remnants of cave frescos which the guide shone torches on as we scrambled over rocks in the dark. The three other english speakers were costume crew working on the new James Bond film being shot in Matera and coastal Sapri. Caprese salad and soup again and met bike riding canadians.Read more

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