Travel Hints

An Italian Opera

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No we didn’t get to an Opera last night. We went out for dinner in a local osteria. It’s almost the same.

We joined the local passeggiata at apertivo time and enjoyed the atmosphere of Gallipoli. The village seemed quiet, but after siesta the whole town woke up and got onto the Main Street which of course is for pedestrians only.

We saw couples walking arm in arm. Babies sitting alert in their strollers learning about being Italian. Children scampering around and swinging on the chain fence surrounding the church. People sipping Aperol, Campari and wine red or white. And nibbling on olives.

We saw a young,  just married couple walking through the town accepting all the well wishes from the locals. The husband, a policeman, was resplendent in his uniform with several friends looking equally wonderful.




Then we found a little restaurant that looked good. It had a crowd – which at 8.30 is amazing in Italy. And they weren’t tourists. So I went in and asked for a table to be told no. I decided to book (in my very best Italian) for the next night and used the name Francesca. Then the owner, who looked a little like an actor from a TV series, came over and said they would bring the table in from outside for us. Much scrambling around and …….. we were seated.

We had a wonderful meal. Probably the best (except of course the special one from the Grotto on day 1). We shared fritters of seafood so crisp and light they were delicious, along with grilled vegetables. Then Steve had sea beam baked in the oven topped with crisp  mashed potato. I had fresh tuna with rocket and tomatoes and cheese. Yum!

No room for dessert or even gelato tonight. Though we did enjoy the limoncello offered with the bill. And then went out and bought a bottle for the room. Another addiction from my trips to Italy. Somehow it always tastes better here?



We were in a prime position to observe our fellow diners. There was the young couple obviously in love but also very hungry. The birthday table for a young woman’s celebration. And the table of fakes. I called them that because there was a lot of Botox going around. And fake boobs. Oh boy.

They went to leave and stood at the pay table where the own Mr TV series sat like mission control and I’m sure he strung out the farewell so he could have a good look.

So our night out was both delicious and entertaining. What more could we ask for?


Our little courtyard outside our room.

 

Gallipoli. No not we’re not in Turkey. We’re in Southern Italy!!!

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Antonio came to wish us goodbye. Really it was to make sure we hadn’t wreaked havoc on his place and to retrieve the keys.

So we decided to head south. Gallipoli is only about 45 mins from Lecce but we decided to visit a few places on the way. So we headed south to a rather uninspiring place called Maglie. We wanted coffee so headed onto Scarrano and drove into a piazza filled with activity. There were cranes and men all working to take down amazing lights. Like Christmas but even more! It was to celebrate a Saint – St Dominica. I love these Italians and their zest for a festiva.


We headed for the coast and found a lovely spot – Porto Tricase , where a swim could have been great but the weather had turned windy. So we went further south to Novaglie. A little port with lots of rocks and people sitting all over them. We decided to  have lunch then take the 2 hr boat trip for 15 euro to several of the natural grottos in the area. Fortunately the weather improved.


We boarded at 2 pm with 2 Italians in their 30’s  and 9 Polish people. Three couples and  3 children. It turned out well. They were all lovely people. I understood most of what the boat captain was saying. He had no English and the  Polish had no Italian, so Luna,  the 30 something Italian girl did most of the translation.


We motored down the beautiful coast line and saw various grottos with descriptive names. We got to one where we were told it was very dangerous but we could swim through a blow hole to an inside pool. It was all in the timing. Well off we went and naturally I got the timing wrong and bumped my head as I dived under to go through the arch. Fortunately no blood! I got out  ok though so all is good.

Then another grotto to enter. You had to swim then  climb rocks over a hill to a fresh water lake. It was also described as dangerous. So sensibly Steve and I decided rock climbing dressed only in a costume was not for us. We swam in the outer grotto instead.


Back to shore and emails exchanged with our new friends and off we drove to Gallipoli.

Gallipoli is named Gall meaning point and Poli meaning city – and is a fishing village with the old town over a bridge to a small island.

We found our B&B – Palazzo Senape Pace just as a big windy storm broke. That certainly cooled things down.


Our room is on the roof of the Palazzo and I think the Grandad of the family-run business checked us in. It has lovely seating areas out side the three rooms on this level. It’s charming and the room itself really old world comfort. I love it!

We prepared for dinner. It was dinner with theatre as well. Not really theatre,  just Italians being entertaining. A whole separate blog post!


View from our terrace.

Me enjoying the terrace.

The entrance to our Palazzo

An Italian Treat: Hello Italy 

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If you’ve ever experienced an Italian who fancies himself as Fangio you’ll identify with my words about our taxi driver on arrival in Bari

We docked at 8 and got through customs and got Fangio in a taxi to Avis at the airport. For normal drivers it would be 20 min. For us and our curly haired, spectacle wearing Fangio it was 10 mins. As he drove with one arm out the window he intermittently brought it in to straighten his curls at one time doing 120 kmh in a 70 zone!

Welcome to Italy! Everyone is so friendly , even when things don’t work.

After exploring the city centre and the rather impressive large public buildings of Bari we drove south.

I had booked a table at Grotto Palazzese,  a rather special restaurant,  built into the cliffs overlooking the sea at Polignano.

We drove along the coast and looked at the Italians setting up their umbrellas and deck chairs on the public beaches. It’s good to see its not all controlled by the big hotels where you have to rent a chair and umbrella. So far these beaches are free. And crowded.

Polignano is a lovely seaside place with high cliffs and just a few places to access the sea. We walked through the old town before arriving at our restaurant, perched high on the cliff top. But looking over the edge at the viewing point we could see the tables set below the level we were at.

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There is a dress code for this upmarket place and I had Steve’s long pants in my bag just in case!!!!!. He wore his blue linen shorts and a nice navy shirt. He looked good, so we wondered if he would be rejected😕 or if it was an evening dress code.

So in we went and were greeted at the front door and told to proceed down the 100 steps to the restaurant. When we made it down and stepped out into the space it was magnificent. The water below so clear and blue. We were given a table by the railing and felt great.

As it turns out some very underdressed people were admitted included a lady who looked like she was wearing exercise gear! Tacky

Steve looking very sophisticated!
 We proceeded to eat great food and share some wine and toasted our successful swim trek, ie : we both were happy with our swims, we scooped the prizes and were the eldest there by quite a few years but managed to keep up!

I had stuffed zucchini flowers followed by char grilled squid. Steve had scampi followed by a hot smoked salmon that had him licking his lips. We were very bad and had dessert. Ice cream for me and tiramisu for Steve.


A very happy me. 😃🍸 – and Steve’s cute glass of Campari and soda!


Looking straight down from our table

We left feeling pleasantly full and arrived at a piazza to see the final touches being put to the flowers on a church for a wedding that afternoon. I couldn’t resist waiting to watch because if the glorious flowers were anything to go by then it would be a well dressed wedding group. Which would be in  contrast to one we’d seen in Bari this morning – which was nice but slightly overdone! Dresses too short, heels too shiney and way too high

We waited  and the guests started to arrive by limo and small bus. To paint the picture – it was 4 pm and stinking hot! The ladies were mostly wear long floaty dresses with various degrees of suntan. The men in dark suits working up a glossy sweat. Someone told me it was an English girl marrying an Italian man. And there must have been money somewhere.

Even the cafe staff got in on the act when it was too much for the dads 

We saw red, lime , citrus, grey, black, blue and green dresses. Tutti colouri vestiti.

Guests were going into the church and some coming straight back out fanning themselves. Mothers of the 4 flower girls and 4 page boys were placating their small children whilst they tied bows, put flower wreaths on heir now sweaty heads and the little boys had ties done up by perspiring English dads and arms stuffed into men type suits by their equally red faced mums. Poor little kids. I think they  may have been sedated, as there was not one complaint or whimper let alone a definite NO! Very well behaved.


Finally the bride arrived in a beautiful,  heavily  beaded, skin tight gown. Exsquite but oh boy she would have been be so hot. I certainly was and I had a fan!


At this point we too we too hot and headed for Alberobella. This unique Unesco  World Heritage Site is like a fairytale village. It has many all white, grey shingled roofed houses called Trulli.


I had booked a little Trulli house for our stay and it was so charming and comfortable I could stay a week. Up a hill away from the Main Street it had a lovely main room , huge bathroom and a kitchen that didn’t get a thought from me even though it was great.

We had already enjoyed a wonderful lunch so didn’t feel hungry. Thirsty,  yes because of the heat so we rested awhile, then when it was cooler headed into the little Trulli lined streets. It’s very touristy but the majority had left and was busy with local families as there was a festival on. Children were dressed up in olden  day costumes and were recreating scenes from long ago.



There was a town dinner, but we missed seats for that, so after our passeggiata we sat in a cafe (drinking cool white wine and eating grilled vegetable for me and a cheese and meat snack for Steve) in a piazza and watched the locals. I love the Italians. They dress up to parade and greet their friends. They eat gelato and the men gather in groups around the towns many fountains.


Finally made our way home to our little Trulli.

Has anybody else been here? If not you should visit.

Lake,River and a Singalong

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A big break with routine today. Instead of our boat Orca, we boarded a bus for a two hour journey south to Lake Skader.

Everyone was quiet on the bus – the swimming days (and socialising at night) is taking its toll and making it harder to get going in the morning.

But our Hipermarket stop woke us up and we raided the Lolly, chip and water aisles. ‘Rocky’ aka Steve and the Tea Wallah (Sam) made a quick visit to the pharmacy for drugs. Both have colds 😑. Lady Mary also came to Steve’s rescue with some super strong nose drops.

Back on the bus,  until a photo opportunity high above a gorgeous little jewel called Sveti Stefan. It’s a popular holiday destination and sparkles in the blue water.

Lots of winding roads later we arrived at the Lake Skader and set off in a new boat. Big and well shaded we enjoyed the trip through what looked like mangroves with lily pads until we reached a small island – a former prison. From here we set off for a 2 km trip. It felt different in fresh water and with no salt, not as buoyant as we’re used to.

New boat for the group

It was also rougher, making it harder, but I loved it. The optional 1.3km trip was with the wind and made for a lovely swim. The disappointing thing is the lack of clarity in the water. You can’t see anything much. It’s like swimming in a bubble.

A picnic lunch in a shady  remote restaurant gave us a rest but no ice cream! Colldark ! We swim better with ice cream. The afternoon swim was in the river Moraca and we were prepared for the cold. We’d been told it was cold enough for a wet suit but it wasn’t. Just refreshing. Until we swam into the river debris – floating natural material, a little slimy. Not so pleasant.


At the end of any good day there is a refreshing beer in the lakeside cafe before heading back.

Time passed with us singing karaoke and Jacki Wills ( now known as the Singing Budgie) excelled remembering words of lots of songs, Lady Mary with dance moves whilst seated, Flamingo with his beautiful voice, Pirate John his famous ditties – but ‘One Hit Wonder’ failed to deliver! A storm with lots of rain gave inspiration for song selection, and finally we arrived back.


Pizza night in house with red wine and our t-shirt distribution. A memento from our trek.

Another beautiful day and fun night. We’re looking forward to our last big day tomorrow – visiting the Adriatic Sea which will be windier and not as still as the bay.

Top Travel Hints

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People who travel learn along the way……… and often get asked for a few suggestions!

Well I have certainly been learning over the years and I think I’m a much better traveller than I was in the early days.

So what are these hints?  Some are to do with: Packing! Flying! Accommodation! Getting around and Eating!

Packing:

The old rule “don’t take too much” is so important.

In the days before you leave, put everything out on a spare bed and don’t pack till the day/night before you leave. This gives you a chance to review what you are taking and then NOT add things when you do pack  – just because you have some space…..resist the temptation to add!

It doesn’t really matter how long you are going for, 3-6 weeks or longer you tend to need the same amount of clothing. I find no matter what the season you need things in 3’s:   1-2 dresses if summer,  3 bottoms, 3 tops , 3 sets underwear,3 scarves ( 2 and a pashmina) 3 pairs shoes and a light jacket or cashmere cardigan or heavier coat for winter. I find it easier to wash as I go  (use hotel shampoo if you don’t take any wash)  so having more clothes is too much. I get favourite outfits and wash and wear them a lot.

It might be different on a cruise but then you have to be clever. Go for a base colour – black /navy and add highlight colours to make it look different. 3 of everything !

In the suitcase I always roll – it really does stop creases. I also pack underwear in large ziplock bags . Always makes it easy to find in the case and also good for dirty clothes. I pack my shoes in the socks you get from the airlines One for each shoe. keeps them from touching the clothes. Into the shoes  – if there is space,  I put vitamin bottles or travel electrical plugs. anything small

Aim for no more than 14kilo in weight.Then you can manage your bag easily.

Flying:

When booking try and get your seats sorted early. Everyone will have their own way of choosing their “best ” seat but a few little tips include:

In a row of 3, if there are 2 of you, book an aisle and a window and hope no one chooses to put themselves in the middle…. If it’s not a full flight it will be left. If someone turns up then one of you will offer to swap and give them an aisle or window. They’ll love you!

Pay extra for extra leg room in bulk head but avoid bulkhead with cots! Go onto seat guru and look at the seating suggestions.

Don’t take too much on board. I only  take only  1 bag  on board. Not a handbag AND a carry on. It’s too much to carry or wheel through a big airport. I use a Longchamp medium size bag and take: passport holder, small wallet  – not my usual big one, phone, ipad with books and podcasts loaded, small bag of essential toiletries  – small deodorant, nose drops, eye drops, sample sized face cream, lipstick, a few pantyliners ( yes girls they keep your undies fresh) pawpaw cream,toothbrush (though they give them out on board) earplugs,  – spare set underwear, and light change of clothes ( leggings and long top: or light dress if going to summer (and these one one of the sets of 3 clothes!)  and always a wrap. Try not to lug around magazines, bottles of creams all too heavy.

Accommodation:

Hopefully you get the right accommodation. Check out the blog post ” How to pick the perfect accommodation”. Use the search button to help you find it.

Getting Around:

Make use of your phone. You can either get a new travel sim for your own phone OR buy a cheap preloaded phone when you get there OR check out where you are going first and see if there is a company offering phones for rental when you arrive. There is a good one in Paris called Insidr Paris . Comes loaded with helpful apps like maps and Uber, links to museums etc

Make use of the buses and trains and buy tickets in bulk to save time lining up.

Walk as much as you can. It’s the best way of getting to know a place – even in strange cities. Take walking tours. They are usually run by interesting people and don’t cost a lot – some are free.

Use maps on your phone  when walking. Load where you are going when you have wifi and then  follow on your phone. I also use my ipad . It’s better than the tom-tom.  On the ipad –  you are the blinking blue spot,  so you can tell where you are!!!!

Very good for the person without the map reading gene!

Use trip advisor forums to investigate how to get to and from the airport. There is always someone with a great suggestion.

Safety:

We always make copies of important documents and then email them to ourselves. Passport details, insurance forms, bank numbers, itinerary, bookings, plane flight details. This works in the case of theft or missing luggage.

Eating

We all love food – but it costs so much you have to be smart. Avoid tourist places . They may have enticing menus but are generally boring and have way too many frittes, fries, chips what ever you call them in foreign  lands. Once or twice but after that no more frittes. Go local. Follow locals! They know where all the good food is served. Ask the local shop keeper, apartment owner, barman, little old lady. People are friendly and will give great suggestions.

 

 

 

Not long till the next Swim Trek

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To get you in the mood I have included this to tell you how I got into swimming!

Life is going swimmingly!

“You do realise this swim trek is a swift swim?”

That sentence leapt from the email. What have I done I asked myself?

My husband, a keen swimmer was wanting to go on a swim trek holiday. Some people choose walking holidays , some choose to cycle (activities I enjoy)  but my husband wanted to swim! “I don’t swim” I said. “You’ll love it!” replied my husband!

I did think it sounded great,  puttering around on a boat in the blue waters of Sardinia, enjoying the scenery whilst my husband swam.  Then I found out I couldn’t go on the boat unless I was a swimmer! I’d be left at the hotel on a small island all day by myself.

So I decided to take up swimming.

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To start with, I couldn’t swim the length of a 50 metre pool, so I quickly switched to a 25 metre pool and took a few lessons. I’d recently retired so had time to get to the pool each day and swim. Slowly. Up and down.

I was slow. So I added fins. I persisted. I started to enjoy it.

I counted down the days till we left. I checked the website describing the swims we would be doing – 2-3km a day. Each day. Every day for 6 days!

Then we had to email our swim times over 1km. Proudly I entered 32 mins. I was quite chuffed that I could even swim a kilometre. Then that email arrived. A Swift Swim. As opposed to their usual leisurely slow swims – let’s enjoy the scenery type swim. I was the slowest by far.  Longer distances for more experienced swimmers.

I replied quickly saying I would wear fins , would improve daily, and know when to get out of the water. They agreed. I’m not sure if I was pleased or not.

We arrived on the beautiful island of La Maddalena  and I felt physically ill during the orientation chat,  when meeting our fellow swimmers  and telling “our swim story”. I was the least experienced swimmer, and despite my husband’s constant encouragement started to wonder about my stupidity at joining the swim.

On the first day I hyperventilated during the orientation 300 metre swim. It was only our beautiful, caring, encouraging guide, Italian Francesco, my fellow swimmers and my husband who kept encouraging me that I did some of the afternoon swim.

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Francesco

Then slowly and surely I got in to swim a little after the other swimmers had started. About 3 km after! Then on day two I swam about 2 1/2 km. The next day I jumped in earlier and sure enough covered about 3 1/2 km. And each day it increased and as it did so did my confidence and my enjoyment. The swims were challenging, safe, but most of all fun. The waters were clear and beautiful and I would hate to have missed out.

At the end of the week’s fantastic farewell dinner I was presented with Francesco’s ‘Capo Bianco’ for the most improved swimmer. What an honour! The friends we made on that first trek have remained friends and we have swum together several times, included a crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar – from Spain to Morocco. No I didn’t do that!

Who would have guessed that 3 years later with 2 more swim treks to Sardinia and gorgeous Greece I would become a very keen swimmer. I’ve joined a local squad and though still not very fast and still sometimes using fins, I actually love swimming.

July 2nd we start our week-long swim trek in Montenegro. I’ll keep you posted on my swim journey. I’ll be sending in a post to this blog. Read along as I swim!

 

Who said you were too old to take up a new sport?

 

 

 

Noto

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S

Onto is a wonderful little baroque city with a magnificent cathedral.

We stayed at a wonderful B&B. It’s a big house and is now run by the son. His father had been a doctor and there Erene display cabinets set up showing the instruments he used in his practice.
An  over night stay here is a good idea to soak up the atmosphere.