Blogs from Lecce, Apulia, Italy, Europe - page 2

Time to pack the bags, load the car, and say our farewells to our hostess, our apartment and Matera. What memories we’ll take away with us. It has been a wonderful experience walking through this historic town and meeting people, especially in the two restaurants where we had such delicious food. We hope people reading our blog are inspired enough to visit Matera if they have not already done so. We move the car closer to the apartment to make loading easier. Within minutes two cars have filled the space left by one. Perhaps we parked in such a way we had a generous amount of space front and rear. Soon we were leaving Matera and heading for Taranto. We have one last visit to make. On the recommendation of our hostess we turn off into ... read more

Od dawna dawna chciałam przyjechać na południe południe Włoch. W samej Puglii niby już bywałam od dawna, ale wszystko poniżej Brindisi było czarną plamą. W ubiegłym roku mieliśmy zaproszenie na ślub przyjaciela Q - Mario, ale w końcu sam Q przyleciał na 16 h (3h na szukanie restauracji wśród pól oliwek i kamiennych murków, 3h na spanie i 10h na imprezę), bo ja zamknięta byłam w szpitalu. I był jeszcze ten świetny film Mine Vaganti, genialnie oddający lokalny klimat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT5OHzDcJBs Moje podróżolubne dzieci podróż zniosły fenomenalnie. Choć L ma ostatnio przydomek "Niszczydełko", to słodko zaczepiał współpasażerów, nurkował pod fotelem, żeby wyciągnąć M kredkę, drzemał i zjadł, co trzeba. M natomiast uwielbia latać samolotem chyba głównie dlatego, że wtedy wjeżdżają lizaki (na 3 lizy, bo potem są ble!) i... read more

Sunday, 14 September – Bari to Martina Franca After a short drive along the coast south from Bari, we arrived in Polignano a Mare, another medieval white city perched on a jagged cliff top pockmarked with caverns and grottoes. The historic centre is a succession of narrow streets and alleyways of bright white houses and churches. There is a rocky beach splitting the town, and sandy beaches either side. The rocky beach is a deep ravine squeezed between two small cliffs. We walked into the quaint old town, a space inhabited by a succession of invaders from the Huns to the Normans. There are touristy gift shops and shops selling olive oil. It is a thriving holiday destination and all the shops are open on Sunday and do not close for the four hour mid-afternoon siesta. ... read more

After the usual morning coffee and trip to the market, we started off the day making yet another shaped pasta-- this one's name translates to little penis, and looks kinda like a joint. What does it mean, exactly, that Sandy was the best in the class at making them?? These were served at lunch with a sauce made with garlic, pancetta, red pepper flakes and tomato sauce, and the sauce was definitely an example of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts--delicious! We also made a ratatouille type main dish for lunch and in between pickled and canned three crates of green beans. It was a busy morning! At 6 pm we met a local woman, Simona, for a guided tour of many of the classic Lecce sights. We had already seen most ... read more

We slept the sleep of the dead, but awoke refreshed and seemingly adjusted to local time. We started our day with another incredible basket of homemade goodies from Elisabetta, enjoyed on our patio. We spent a couple off hours exploring the sights of Lecce, with no agenda or schedule, while trying to get our bearings in the very walkable but not well marked town. The traditional rest period from 1:30 to 5 is strictly adhered to, so we followed suit, variously hanging out in our rooftop patio, napping, and fighting the balky wi-fi situation. At 7 pm we met the cooking school group in the main piazza, and set out for the cooking school, located in ground floor of a palazzo (a converted stable), for a wonderful dinner. The jury is still out on our fellow ... read more