Travel Hints

Palazzo Tour

/ brisbanefrannie / 3 Comments
  • There’s something lovely about breakfast on a terrace with a beautiful view. Do you agree?

Today we sat on the terrace and had coffee and planned our day.


We planned a trip to the beach but before we left we spoke to Sonia our host at the Palazzo. I asked could we have a tour of the house as our Swiss friends had yesterday and told us the owners were happy to show guests their house.

She was lovely and organised her father to take us.

We had to walk out our door No 27 and along to No 39 -they own it all. We re entered and Luigi Senape was there to greet us. He guided us through their private Palazzo. Too many rooms to count. All very luxurious. He explained the family history – all in Italian and we understood almost all.

Luigi Senape in one of the tooms of the Palazzo

The Palazzo has been in the family for 300 years. Luigi grew up in this place and like his father was an advocat – a lawyer.

There are many old valuable items in the house including 3 pianos,  one a grand which Luigi plays.


He was so charming and at the end told us he was 88.


In the library Steve saw a Dan Brown book he had just finished. He pointed it out and said (in his best Italian) that he had just read it.


Later in the afternoon, after our trip down the coast I saw his daughter and she asked if my husband was Dan Brown!

Lost in translation!

So after the Grand Tour we left for the rest of our day…….

A drive down the coast road to the tip of Italy. A little seaside place called Santa Maria da Leuca.

To get there we drove past : hundreds if not thousands of Italian beach lovers with their umbrellas, plastic deck chairs, buckets, spades, blow up play things. And all the women wear bikinis. Young, old, thin and not so thin. I’m definitely overdressed.

It’s a colourful scene and proves its not just Australians who love the beach!

We stopped for coffee at a little beach side cafe. All blue and white tables and a smiley, friendly nonna served us – but it was very windy so we didn’t swim.

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We passed trattorias, osterias, cafes, apertivi bars, camping grounds, holiday homes with shutters down against the heat or …..perhaps they were empty?

We arrived at SS d Leuca in time for a lovely swim and picked a place for lunch right on the beach. The place in the photo above the blue umbrellas.


Once again simple delicious food

We watched the swimmers and soaked up the atmosphere.

Naturally we finished with a gelato – just a small one! As we walked also the promenade.

We arrived back at Gallipoli and our Palazzo Senape and decided to take another swim. This time at the beach at the end of our street.

I love the blue mats running down the sand so when you get out you don’t have to get sandy! This beach unlike many of the rocky beaches has coarse sand.

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We’re back at the Palazzo writing and preparing for dinner at Bastion a lovely looking restaurant recommended by our hosts.

More later!

The Sassi of Matera

/ brisbanefrannie / 2 Comments

Most Australians don’ t put Matera, in the little known Province of Basilicata, on their list of places to visit in Italy.  

Now I’m wondering why not?

It’s an amazing place. Built into the caves of the hill, the houses are centuries old. Matera consists of 2 Sassi. Sassi Caveoso and Sassi Barisano.  Picture a butterfly:  it’s body is the ridge where the now new town is built and the wings either side are the two Sassi. The caves are stacked so the path you walk down is actually the roof of the cave below.  
We are staying in  Sassi Caveoso in a B&B in an old cave. It’s a wonderful experience.


When we arrived yesterday and looked down from the ridge I wondered at my stupidity at booking something that looked inaccessible by car. But it turned out you can drive down a narrow winding street drop of the bags then drive up park and walk in. Steve managed it all very well!

Looking back across to our cave B&B. its the one above the lone white umbrella on the piazza 

But it’s worth it. Tizianna our host at the B&B only speaks Italian so I have had to use my Italian to speak to her. She’s charming and even understood my request for gluten free.

Our bedroom has a terrace and we look at the Sassi across from us. Last night we had dinner at Francesca’s just near the B&B. It was very good. I had a gluten free pasta with canelli beans, mussels in a pesto sauce. Delicious.

Then as we were preparing for bed there was an almighty BOOM across the valley. The most colourful fireworks started and went on for ages. We sat on the terrace and enjoyed the front row seat. I asked Tizianna what it was all about and she said it was the festival of the local Saint – a festival that lasts two weeks and last night was the conclusion.

This morning we had breakfast on the terrace before heading off to meet Antonio on the ridge looking down over the Sassi. He was a lovely young man. So good looking it was distracting!

Lovely Antonio our guide 

We  joined a family group from Ireland and they were perfect to have on the walking tour with us. Antonio led us all around the Sassi telling us stories about how the caves were used in the past and how they are used now. He pointed out they have just transformed over 3,000 years as the uses changed. They have always been occupied.

Then in the 1950’s the Government removed the occupants and bought all the cave houses. The living conditions were so bad that was the only way forward. Now the city has developed a tourism industry that comes from the uniqueness of these strange houses. So people are leasing the houses back – for almost nothing , then the new occupants renovate them and start businesses. Like the one we are in – Le Corte dei Pastori.  
He told us Matera is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and has been chosen as one of two cities in the world to be listed in  2019 as a cultural centre so they will be expecting many more tourists to come. So if you are planning to come make sure it’s before the large group tour companies put it on their list.

We walked with Antonio for 3 hours in and out of cave houses, churches and lookouts and ignored the heat bearing down on us. It was so interesting and Antonio was very knowledgable. And did I mention good looking?

There were 156 churches in this city. Big ones and little ones in caves

We finished at 1pm and made our way to a cafe with beer. Steve is in training to swim the straits of Messina on Wednesday.

The segways here are shaped like a Vespa at the front. All different colours. 

So this afternoon we are having a siesta. Such a great idea.

Has anyone been to Matera? Let me know what you think about the place.

Top Travel Hints

/ brisbanefrannie / 3 Comments

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.