From heel to sole and back….
Just like last time this journey started with a phone call from one of the sisters of Vladi. After that we spontaneously decided to book a flight to Italy and visit the family. As we wanted to see a little more from the South of Italy we booked a flight to Bari, in Puglia which enabled us to visit both Matera and Bari at the end of our journey.
Less than a week before departure we adapted our plans and rescheduled our outbound flight to Bari which added another three days to our trip so we had more time to view some sights of beautiful Puglia.
A couple of days later Henk, our friendly neighbour, brought us to Maastricht Airport, a short twelve kilometre ride. The last time I flew from Maastricht was more than 19 years ago.
Our Ryanair flight, delayed by an hour and a half, initially was uneventful but when we approached Bari we had to circle for half an hour as the airport was closed due to a thunderstorm. Finally we landed in Bari where a taxi was waiting for us to bring us to our apartment. It was located in central storico, the old city, a perfect point to start our exploration.
The rest of the afternoon we strolled though the old city and soaked the typical Italian atmosphere in the narrow streets. People hang around and chatted or were just watching the world go by, just like we did.
We found a crowded terrace in front of the cathedral where we enjoyed a limoncello spritz. Then we headed on to find a restaurant close to our apartment for our first Italian meal of the day. We were just in time as not much later people queued up in the street to get a table on the terrace.
The piazza in front of our apartment now had come truly alive. People sat everywhere with a bite to eat, something to drink and enjoying each other’s company. We ended up at another terrace for another glass of wine after we went to bed for a good night of sleep.
Next morning we had a bit of a sleep in before we started our adventure. One of the things Vladi told me about his youth was a school trip to the Caves of Castellana.
So we headed to the station and took a bus there. We bought tickets for a guided tour through the caves. I was shocked by the amount of people in the group but once inside we were divided in smaller groups.
The “Caves of Castellana”, a vast underground system of karst caves, and generally defined as one of the most beautiful and spectacular cave systems in Italy.
The caves extend for 3.348 meters total and reach a maximum depth of 122m below street level. We opted for the full tour excursion which lead into an astonishing scenario made of stalactites, stalagmites, fossils, cavities and caves with fanciful names. Our final destination was the grotto Bianco, the white cave, It was a stunning experience indeed which lasted two hours, absolutely worth the trip.
Back in Bari we looked for a place to eat but finding an empty table at a terrace was not easy as 21:00 is prime time for the Italians to have dinner. Still we found a great place just outside the old city centre. We skipped il primo piatto and opted for a starter and a main course, accompanied by a nice bottle of white wine. Both of us choose grilled octopus as a starter and tuna for the main course. They were equally delicious.
We ended our day at the terrace of our apartment with a nice bottle of red, overlooking the very lively piazza where people were still queuing for the pizzeria at 23:00. One just has to love Italy, we could not have chosen a better place to stay than where we are right now… mesmerising!
The following day we returned to the station and boarded a train for the 30 minute journey to Polignano a Mare. It was a short walk from the station to the old city centre which was built on steep cliffs at the Adriatic Sea. Like so many other beautiful places in South Italy it was overcrowded with tourists but this was to expect.
Still we loved the atmosphere, the narrow streets, their old houses and countless shops. There were a couple of viewpoints over the Adriatic from where you could see the famous caves in the cliffs. It was possible to book a boat tour but we decided against it as the city was picturesque to enjoy ourselves over there.
From one of those terraces we saw a beautiful beach with crystal clear water, which was extremely inviting, but as we had not brought our swimwear we could only watch the spectacular scenery.
Not much later we found a small restaurant which had an even smaller balcony overlooking the sea. It hardly was big enough for the both of us but we could not resist to sit there, it was a unique location and luckily the table just became available when we arrived. Lunch was a nice collection of small regional bites and we opted for a nice bottle of Puglian white to accompany it. We definitely enjoyed the experience!
Obviously we could not leave Polignano a Mare without having an ice cream, so we had one before starting our journey back to Bari.
In the old city centre we went to a pesceria (fish store) we had seen the day before, as we were earlier than most Italians start their dinner we found a place. Inside the store I made a selection of fresh raw fish and also ordered some fried fish. Unfortunately no sea urchins were available as it was not the season. Food was nice but definitely not spectacular, we had expected better to be honest.
We finished our evening with some more red wine at a salumeria next to the piazza where our apartment was, something which turns out to be a kind of tradition.
Next morning was already out last day in Puglia and we decided to make another day trip to Alberobello, which is called one of the most beautiful villages of Italy.
The bus took about an hour to get there after which we made a short walk to the city center from where we could see the famous trullis. They are now declared a UNESCO world heritage site. Trullis have a round form with a self supporting domed roof made of stones. They originate from the 15th century when the owners of Alberobello imposed on the residents to build their houses dry, without using mortar, so they could be easily demolished when decided so by the counts.
It was a relatively small area and completely overcrowded by tourists. Beautiful indeed and very unusual. They definitely were worth seeing but after about two hours we decided to return to Bari for a late afternoon nap.
Later in the evening we returned to Le Stagione, the restaurant where we had such an excellent dinner two nights before. Also this evening they did not disappoint us. A had a tartar of red shrimps and Orichiette (ear formed pasta) with cime di rape, a puglian speciality.
Like the evenings before we ended up at the salumeria where we were greeted by the friendly owners. It turned out they also own the apartment where we stay our last night before we go home, what a coincidence.
It was time to leave Puglia and start our journey to Crotone. As our train did not leave until shortly before 11 we enjoyed a slow start of the day before once again heading to the train station. Our first train was a regional train which brought us to Taranto. There we switched to an intercity for the final three hour trip to Crotone.
Vladi had already arranged a taxi to bring us to our B&B which was waiting for us at arrival. The Dame B&B was the same place where we stayed last time and was centrally located, only one block from the lungomare.
Both of us immediately agreed we want to relive the experience from our first visit to Crotone and dine at exactly the same restaurant where we dined four years ago at the first night of our stay.
However, the spaghetteria was no longer there and was replaced by a fine dining restaurant. No other excuse required, perhaps not at the same restaurant but at least at the same location.
We opted for the degustation menu; Aperitivo di benvenuto. Amouse bouche e mini Drink di accoglienza. Due antipasti in sequenza: Gambero , Pomodoro e Anguria. Fettuccine di Tonno,Guacamole e Mentuccia. Primo piatto: Spaghettini Zucca,Burrata & Calamaretti. Secondo piatto :Trancio di Ricciola , insalata Riccia e Mela Verde. Dolce: cheescake Passion Frutti Rossi.
To keep the tradition alive we had our final drink at the same bar where we went four years ago before we returned to our B&B former a well deserved sleep.
Next morning, after a breakfast Italian style, a cafè e Cornetto con crema at a small bar, we walked along the lungomare towards the cemetery of Crotone.
Four years ago we visited the grave of Vladi’s mother and in spite of her being buried over 50 years ago she is still there. I was really happy that Vladi could visit her once again as he lost her far too young.
We did not find the grave of his father as many things have changed at the cemetery since his passing, but Vladi was in peace with that.
By now the temperature was almost unbearable, we met Roberto, a cousin of Vladi, after which we had a light lunch and returned to our air conditioned room for a siesta.
Then Luigi, one of Vladi’s nephews called and we met at a beach bar for a drink and to catch up. We decided to spend the afternoon at the beach with Luigi so we quickly changed at our B&B after which we headed to the beach. We spent most time in the refreshing water whilst Vladi and Luigi had the time to chat.
In the evening we went to a nice restaurant with Maria and Enzo, Vladi’s oldest sister and her husband. Again there were many stories to tell but as my Italian still is extremely limited I kept quiet most of the time, these days were meant for Vladi to catch up with his family after all.
Enzo treated us on a liquorice ice-cream before we said our goodbyes, the end of another wonderful day.
As expected when we woke up it was another hot day in South Italy but that did not stop us from at little bit of sightseeing combined with interesting stories from Vladi’s youth…
First we visited the castle of Karl V, which area used to be the playground for Vladi and his school friends.
Next to it was the old part of Crotone which I think is the most charming part of the city. By then the temperature was soaring hot, and both of us felt drained. Time to return to our B&B for a well deserved nap whilst enjoying the cool air from the air-conditioning…
At the end of the afternoon we were picked up by Luigi to visit his parents, Saverio and Rosetta his and sister Sandy. It was a nice visit and there was a lot to talk about, after all it was 4 years ago since Vladi and his brother last met.
In the evening we had dinner with some of Vladi’s nephews and nieces, their partners, and children. We sat at a large table outside overlooking the sea and it was nice to see a typical Italian family gathering. The pizza, as expected was simply fabulous.
Next day started with the by now traditional cafe e cornetto con cream. Then we received a visit from Vladi’s sister Theresa and her husband Pasquale. As it was already very warm we stayed in our B&B whilst the three of them caught up. They decided to join us for dinner on our last evening.
In the afternoon we met with Luigi again for a drink at the lungomare and spend some hours in the cooling water again. It was really nice and whilst I floated around Vladi and Luigi spent the whole time chatting and reviving childhood memories.
Later the two of us walked to Gini’s, an American burger bar ran by Danilo, another nephew of Vladi. We also met Gabriella again who is helping out there every night. The burgers were really tasty and with a full stomach we returned to the lungomare for a final drink at our ur favourite bar before we went to bed.
Another day, another cafe e cornetto con crema… Then we were picked up by Tonino, another brother from Vladi to spend some time at their place. Olga his wife was also there and not much later we were joined by their daughter Barbara and her son. Some time later she brought us back to our B&B where we enjoyed a siesta before we met Luigi again for a drink and some fun at the beach.
It was not that warm that day but still we spent most of the time in the water. Whilst we were here we wanted to enjoy the beach as much as possible in between the visits to Vladi’s family.
In the evening we made a stroll over the lungomare looking for a place to eat. There were plenty of restaurants to choose from and in the end we decided to to go to a place, just outside the hustle and bustle from the crowded area. As it was only 20:15 we were the first guests to arrive, but half and hour later the terrace was full. We opted for a selection of antipasti, followed by pasta, tuna and onion in a white wine sauce. A good choice indeed though we had already eaten enough after the six different antipasti.
Time flew by and the next day was already our last day in Crotone. As markets are amongst my favourite places to visit when abroad this morning we paid a visit to the small but picturesque market of Crotone. The fish market was in an cooled building but vegetables were sold open air. The market was surrounded by small shops which sold cheese and meat.
After that we continued our stroll to the harbour (and as ‘by coincidence’ we passed the gelateria I could not resist another liquorice ice cream).
Next it was time for a rest (and escape from the heat) before we met with Vladi’s nephew Luigi Laratta one last time at the beach… As usual we had a drink at a beach bar after which we spent some hours in the water. A lovely afternoon.
After we said our goodbyes we returned to our B&B and got ready for the evening. We were picked up by Enzo and Maria and went to the same pizzeria we had visited a couple of days ago. There we met more of Vladi’s family and spent a wonderful evening of talks, laughter and good food. The perfect way to finish our stay in Crotone.
As our train did not leave early next day we had a lazy start. A final visit to our favourite pasticceria for breakfast and then a taxi that Vladi had already arranged to the railway-station.
It was a long day of travelling as we had to catch three trains with stopovers in Taranto and Bari. In Bari we had time enough for a meal and something to drink before we caught the final train to Matera where we arrived at 20:30. No taxi in sight so we walked to our vacation home. We had not been able to communicate with the owners (apparently they had issues logging in to booking.com) but we found a phone number at the entrance and not much later we could enter what was without doubt the most beautiful apartment of our stay.
We enjoyed one final drink at a nearby bar, after which we returned to our home for the next days for a long and well deserved sleep.
After a good sleep in we enjoyed a coffee and got ready for the day. Outside it was sunny and already very warm and by 11am we were ready to discover the area.
I think by now it is obvious this trip is split up in two parts, visiting Vladi’s family and sightseeing. By now we started the last couple days of sightseeing. Our expectations were high but would Matera live up to them?
To be honest it does not happen a lot I burst into tears at the first sight of a city but today was one of those days. The panorama was absolutely breathtaking. First we visited one of the old stasi’s, houses build in a cave. There were beautiful frescos to be admired and the owner proudly told us about the story of his family and the house. It was extremely interesting.
Then we proceeded to the old town and without a fixed goal just wandered around. There was so much to be seen and discover, truly a delight for all senses.
It was also very warm so we stopped at a terrace in the shade and enjoyed something to drink and a bite to eat before we continued. The place was absolutely magical, at one point we visited a sight with some underground sights but it turned out to be a bit disappointing.
Fortunately there was enough to see everywhere else and once we found another terrace we treated ourselves on our first limoncello spritz of the day, a well deserved one.
Then we slowly headed towards the borders of the old town where I discovered a busy gelateria which had liquorice ice. It turned out to be the best liquorice ice of this trip. Not so creamy as no milk was used but definitely the one with the most intense flavours!
Back at our apartment we enjoyed a well deserved rest and by now it was already clear to me that Matera was the most beautiful full place I have seen in south Italy so far.
After our siesta we returned to the old city for dinner in a truly amazing restaurant. The surrounding was breathtaking , as well as the food.
Next we went for a stroll through the old city and that’s where it absolutely hit me… such a breathtaking environment, such a lovely place…
We enjoyed another bottle of local red wine at one of the many picturesque squares. By then I could only think how happy I am in this wonderful place with this wonderful man next to me…
One more day in this beautiful city. I could not be in a better place than this! Not sure if I will be ever happier than now… We wondered through the narrow streets of an area we had not visited yesterday.
Once again we had no fixed goal but just wanted to enjoy the atmosphere in this absolute gem of South Italy. No wonder it has been chosen as a location for many films, it is beautiful beyond imagination.
Unlike Alberobello it does not feel overrun by tourists and for our taste it is definitely so much more beautiful.
We enjoyed lunch at a place we discovered yesterday and continued our exploration. By “coincidence” we passed the same gelateria as yesterday where we most likely enjoyed the last liquorice ice cream of this trip.
Next we ordered a bottle of wine with a view which truly was no time to die…. (Neither was it for James Bond).
Such a perfect day!!! We returned to our apartment as it was time for a siesta!
Later we returned to the old town where we enjoyed dinner at a small family run restaurant whilst we watched the world passing by.
Then we went for a short walk and ended up at the same place as the previous night for a final Campari spritz and a nice chat with the owners.
The next morning we had to rise early though as we had booked a taxi that brought us to the busstop. The rush was for nothing though as our bus was delayed by more than 40 minutes.
Back in Bari we dropped our suitcases at our apartment and looked for a place for our first Prosecco. It was a bit early perhaps but who cares, it was my birthday after all and we were in the mood to celebrate.
After our Prosecco we made a short stroll through the city to the street where ladies were making hand made pasta, a speciality of Bari. Next was the Castle of Bari. The outside was impressive but in spite of some expositions of old artifacts and some multimedia presentations it did not leave a lasting impression.
It was extremely warm so we returned to our apartment for a shower and a short nap. When we steps out of it we found ourselves in the middle of the old city and went for a pre-dinner drink as it was to early to have dinner.
After our nap and a refreshing shower, we returned to “Le Stagione” our favorite restaurant in Bari where Vladi treated me on a delicious birthday dinner. We then enjoyed another glass of wine at a terrace in the old city but nit go to bed too late as the next day would be an early start as we will flew home.
Another journey had come to an end and it had been absolutely fabulous. It was great to see Vladi’s family again and combine it with sightseeing of truly magnificent places.
Grazie mille Italia, you have been marvellous, alla prossima volta!