Bari, Italy

As I have never really explored Italy, let's start here! 

August 2020

My wonderful colleagues surprised me with a trip to Italy for my 30th birthday. They managed to be super secretive about it till the last minute. Literally, until we entered Riga airport at 4 am in the morning. We met in the evening in Tallinn city centre and walked in an unknown direction for a while, went to eat some bbq then and took a Vilnius bound bus at 10 pm. Had to fill in the covid declaration in the bus, I had to close my eyes when they wrote our final destination on the paper. Bari is just a direct flight of less than 2,5 hours away from Riga, Latvia. 

First time on a plane after 5 months.. Has not been that long for years and years. 

Well, saluti! I am not sure if it was because covid or not, but eating and drinking out in southern Italy was quite cheap. And everything was fresh and delicious. Sitting on terraces next to the beach drinking wine and eating fresh seafood in + 30 sth sunshine and warm ocean waves right next to us.. I would almost sell my kidney to do that right now.

Bari old town is small and compact and very charming to walk around at. 

Bari is a port city on the Adriatic Sea, and the capital of southern Italy’s Puglia region. Its mazelike old town, Barivecchia, occupies a headland between 2 harbors. The metropolitan area population of Bari is ca 622,000.

We had a little apartment in old town right on top of a local pasta-makers workshop. She was a kind neighbour who lent us things like a knife (para chorizo) and always greeted us happily. We also had a little balcony on which to enjoy local cheese and wine in the evenings and watch all the lively, bustling evening family dramas unfold. 

We also had a poltergeist, one night A discovered a huge pine cone on the floor, she woke us with these news in the morning and we thought she has very vivid dreams, except there were quite some traces on the floor. If it was not a small earthquake or upstairs neighbours renovating their place, I have not many more explanations for where it came from. 

Old port of Bari with the iconic blue boats, and some newer ones as well. 

Photoshoots all around

We took a daytrip to Alberobello - an exceptionally lovely little town that we could not mostly pronounce. Train travel was easy and comfortable in the south. Just buying the tickets was often an adventure, coming back from Alberobello the train station was closed so they sent us to the nearby gas station where they were printing tickets from the most ancient machine, that you had to climb behind the cashiers table with the cashier to understand what they wanted to say and show you. 

Alberobello is a town in Italy’s Apulia region. It’s known for its trulli, whitewashed stone huts with conical roofs. The hilltop Rione Monti district already has hundreds of them. The town of Alberobello altogether boasts more than 1000 of these curious dwellings, which has led to it being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are many artisan shops scattered around town, and lovely eateries serving Puglian specialties.

Tiramisu for breakfast.

Trulli church

Another daytrip to Monopoli, 40 minutes by train from Bari. It's quite a hidden gem, not too crowded, a compact historic centre and a glorious promenade, lovely old port, loads of gelaterias, cafes and seafood restaurants and many many lovely little beaches between caves. It was incredibly enjoyable to keep walking along the promenade stopping for a swim every now and then.

Last swim, wine and fresh tuna before an early morning trip back to Riga. 

We stayed in Riga for a couple of days as it was quite sunny and warm in the north as well. Discovered Riga's hipsterville (Tallinas Ielas Kvartāls), Jurmala beach and new outlet village in Riga. 

Until next time!