annhig

Well if you get to Venice proper you might like to say hello to some new residents:

https://video.nuovavenezia.gelocal.i.../131347/131867

russ_in_LA

That’s wild! I had no idea. I’ll let you know if I see them.

russ_in_LA

So, we are packing our bags tonight after 5 wonderful days in the beautiful Puglia region.

Our first day was a rainy one, so we explored some towns close to our base in the Itria Valley. Our closest neighbors, whitewashed Cisternina and Locorotondo looked dazzling, even in the rain, but UNESCO listed Alberobello, with over 1500 trulli, definitely stole the show. Although the gray skies didn’t make for the best photos, the rain did help keep the tourists at bay.

The next day, with warmer weather and sunny, blue skies, we decided to explore some nearby Adriatic coastal towns. We had a delicious lunch in Monopoli but came up against the fact that everything closes from 1-4pm in the off season, including churches and shops, so we headed to Polignano a Mare, which definitely wins the contest for most photogenic. Hilltop Ostuni, however, was the most fun to wander around. Its serpentine streets in the old town reminding us that we were closer to Greece than to Rome, both architecturally and as the crow flies.

The next day, we headed for Lecce, about 100km to the south. There is a really great walking tour of churches, with Greek and Roman ruins and a medieval castle to discover as well. If Baroque ecclesiastical architecture is your thing, Lecce is your place. Definitely the most carvings of flying babies we’ve seen, outside of Rome.

The next two days were our bonus days, the two extra we hadn’t originally planned. Saturday we headed for Grottaglie, famous for its pottery and the many workshops you can visit. Our favorite was one studio where the artisan explained to us the story behind the ceramic wine bottle, in the style of a woman with a mustache, that every store seemed to be selling. The story goes like this:

At one time, it was decreed that all new brides had to spend their wedding night with the feudal Lord. One young man decided to put an end to this ‘law’ by dressing up in his wife’s wedding dress and presenting himself to the Lord. Armed with a knife, he went to assassinate him. Meandering through the dully lit hallways, he made his way to the Lord’s chamber. However, he was soon arrested because, in his haste, he had forgotten to shave and his disguise was revealed!

There are two theories surrounding the outcome of his fate. One was that the Lord was bemused by his audacious plan, that he exonerated him and ordered him to handover all his good wine as a penalty for his actions. Another (more plausible) theory was that he was executed. However, it is believed that from that day forward, brides were spared the ordeal of spending their first evening of marriage with the Lord.

So that was fun.

Our last day didn’t start out very well. We decided to go have lunch along the Ionian Sea, about an hour south of us, because that is where we had spent so much time on our trip two decades ago. However, this being Sunday, all the restaurants we tried were booked solid with weddings or family engagements or just Sunday dinner. My problem, as a migraine sufferer, is that I can’t change my meal schedule too much or I’ll have a massive headache which can incapacitate me for days. As it was getting late, I was getting a little panicky. In desperation, we called Sale e Pepe, a place near our AirBnB that was owned by friends of our hosts, and got their last table.

Showing up two hours after we would normally be eating, the parking lot was a riot of vehicles, parked in every which direction. We were seated in a covered patio that had two other massive tables, one with 18 people and the other with over 50, and the volume was deafening. All the rooms inside were packed as well. It reminded me of the dozens of my family’s Italian-American wedding receptions I had attended over the years. Except this was just a typical Italian post-church Sunday dinner, in which we were the inadvertent participants.

We ordered a shared antipasto platter because we thought it would be quick, and it turned out to be the best decision we could have made. What came out was 13 separate plates with a variety of antipasti, which together comprised an entire meal. There was marinated eggplant and cauliflower, battered and fried cauliflower (almost as good as my mother’s), roasted sweet peppers (as good as my mother’s), polpette di pane (deep fried balls of bread with herbs and egg inside), capicollo, stuffed peppers, mozzarella and ricotta cheese, two different kinds of focaccia, beef involtini, a purée of chick peas, and rapini. Pure culinary bliss. The best part: 12 euros per person, reduced to 11 because we were guests of their friends. With water, wine, and the service charge, the total bill came to a whopping 30 euros! So, in the end, I’d say that divine providence was truly with us today.



Alberobello

Alberobello

Alberobello

Monopoli

Polignano a Mare

Polignano a Mare

Polignano a Mare

Ostuni

Ostuni

Ostuni

Ostuni

Lecce

Lecce

Lecce

Lecce

I though we had a lot of pot in California, but Grottaglie has us beat!

A bearded bride of Grottaglie

Some horses and a pig, because, why not

Very happy at Sale e Pepe

Sale e Pepe, Trulli wonderful!



...and more kitties

yestravel

The colors on your Polignano a Mare photo are so pretty.

Adelaidean

Such an interesting part of Italy. Thanks for sharing it with us.

annhig

Now all I've got to do, Russ, is to work out how I'm going to get back to Italy!

TDudette

Add me to that list, annhig!

Paqngo

If I can’t be there at least you are posting beautiful pictures. Following along and enjoying your adventure.

Treesa

Alberobello is enchanting. Feels like a fairy tale. The magic symbols. I purchased a couple of silver charms.

russ_in_LA

So, it’s been a busy few days since we left Puglia. We first drove 5 hours to Ascoli Piceno, mostly to break up a 10 hour drive to Venice, but also to see a town we didn’t know much about. Of course, it always seems to rain on our travel days, which I don’t mind so much, given that we are not out walking around in it.

About 3 hours along, we made a stop in Termoli for lunch, a small city on the coast of Molise. Since it was cold and wet, we were worried about finding a place to eat outside, as we are not eating inside due to COVID, but we managed to find a place with a covered terrace overlooking the beach, protected with plastic sheeting, and with only one other table occupied at the extreme other end. They even had heaters, so we were happy.

This is the region that my grandparents are from, so I was excited to see cavatelli on the menu, which my mother used to make. I ordered a stuffed eggplant to start with, and the filling tasted just like my mother’s, except she tended to stuff peppers instead. Warm and satisfied, we continued on our way.

Ascoli is a charming small city with a very nice central pedestrian zone. Unfortunately, it was also a little disappointing. We could tell that it has a beautiful main square, but there were major renovations happening, with a lot of scaffolding on one side, and a large crane in the middle of it; but it also makes me happy to know that they are maintaining the city for future generations.

This was one of only a couple hotel stays, since it was only for one night. Since there was no chance of outdoor seating with the rain and the drop in temperature, we just brought pizza back to the room and called it a night.

The next day we had another five hour drive to Venice, so we broke it almost exactly in half with a stop in Ravenna, famous for its 8 UNESCO listed buildings, most built in the 5th and 6th centuries, containing some of the most beautiful mosaics in Italy. We were fortunate enough to not only have a gorgeously crisp but sunny day, but to also find outdoor seating in the sun for lunch in the Piazza del Popolo.

Back when we were living in Bologna, I had gone to Ravenna twice a week for a month while teaching English at a company located there. I first met my friend Martin at that time, as he was also commuting from Bologna on the same days to teach another group at the same company, so we would often explore the town while waiting two hours for our return train. At that time you could just wander into these magnificent early-Christian structures, some of which were built on the foundations of older Roman temples.

Today, it is a bit more organized, requiring a scheduled appointment at each location; however, this meant that we were often the only people in some of these spaces. I absolutely love mosaics, since they never lose their color, and I’m always amazed at the level of detail they could get with little pieces of glass. If you’re the same, then you won’t want to leave Ravenna off your next Italy itinerary.


Ascoli Piceno - the already restored side of the Piazza del Popolo

Ascoli Piceno - Piazza Arringo

Ravenna - Piazza del Popolo

Ravenna - Piazza del Popolo

Ravenna

Ravenna



Ravenna

Ravenna

Ravenna

Ravenna

Ravenna

Ravenna

Ravenna

Ravenna

Ravenna

TDudette

More gorgeous shots! Am enjoying this trip very much.

annhig

<<Add me to that list, annhig!>>

It'll be a while, I'm afraid to say, TD. The UK government just added Italy to the list of countries where you are required to self-isolate for 14 days after you return. Not a surprise but unwelcome nonetheless.

More wonderful photos, Russ. I keep promising myself I'll get to Ravenna one day, and there was a possibility I might have made it this year in September but it wasn't to be. Venice has some good ones too: as well as the ones in the Basilica di San Marco [for the best view go up to the museum on the first floor which gives access to the mosaics at eye level] those in the Basilica on Torcello are terrific and well worth the trip if you've not made it before.

bon_voyage

The composition of the photos of the mosaics in Ravenna really shows them off to best advantage. Your report continues to bring back many good memories—thanks!

russ_in_LA

We left Venice yesterday but I’m a bit behind on my posts. Unfortunately we didn’t make it to Torcello, as the weather wasn’t cooperating, but we did make it upstairs in San Marco. More to come.

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement everyone!

russ_in_LA

As I mentioned at the beginning of this report, our lengthy Italian sojourn came about because we were supposed to be flying home from France on Oct 1, but with COVID being so bad at home, and Italy being much better (at that time), we decided to delay a bit, to take advantage of the relatively tourist free sights in Italy. We realize how absolutely fortunate we have been dodging the crowds all along our trip, but nothing could quite prepare us for our experience in Venice.

Our first trip to Italy 25 years ago was the last time we drove into Venice, and I remember very little of the logistics. This time, I decided to to make it easy on ourselves and book the closest parking lot to the vaporetto stop at Piazzalle Roma. This turned out to be a good move, since throughout this trip Sam has insisted on bringing along every jar and bottle of unfinished jam, wine, olive oil, and laundry detergent, in addition to our suitcases. I’m not saying that this wasn’t a good idea, but knowing that we had a five story walk-up apartment waiting on the back-end of this leg, I decided to start it with the shortest front-end slog possible. This ended up working out perfectly, as we exited the car park directly onto the vaporetto quay, just in front of the ticket office.

When we were living in Bologna, we must have gone to Venice half a dozen times, and yet that 45 minute ride on the Grand Canal to Piazza San Marco never fails to take my breath away. It has to be the most beautiful “bus” ride in the world, with front row seats to views of many of the most celebrated palazzi and bridges in the city.

We were super happy when we arrived at our AirBnB apartment on the top floor, with a great view of the San Marco Campanile. The location was spectacular, only 30 seconds away from St Mark’s Square, but hidden on a quiet side street. We dropped off our bags as quickly as possible and dashed out the door, in order to catch the fading rays of twilight.

Entering the piazza, our jaws positively dropped. Never have see seen it so devoid of people. There couldn’t have been more than 20 people on the entire square. After a little prayer of thanks to the travel gods, we walked toward the Basilica, turning right and past the Doge’s Palace, hanging a left at the water, before stopping at the Bridge of Sighs. Without the normal hoards jostling for position, we were actually able to take our time to admire it. It felt absolutely decadent.

After a trip to the market for provisions and dinner at our place, I went for a solo walk. Piazza San Marco was starting to take on a few inches of water with the high tide, just as it normally does this time of year, but that was the only thing normal. No vendors hawking cheap souvenirs were to be found. No music from jazz trios or string quartets wafted romantically across the square. No clinking of glasses or peels of laughter emanated from the porticoed cafes, all of which were shuttered tight. Just the beautiful reflection of the lights in the gently rippling water; and silence - serene, but eerie silence.





An almost empty Rialto Bridge.






That ripple in the middle is water coming up into the square.

yestravel

Incredible! You are fortunate to be able to experience all these wonderful places without it being jammed with tourists. Love your TR and esp your photos. I know each of your posts brings a smile to my face. Thank you for taking the time to do this.

TDudette

Just WOW! More soon, per favore!

annhig

Just feeling soooo jealous that you got to see Venice like that. I was so tempted but mainly I didn't want to run the risk of being required to quarantine when I got back because I wouldn't be able to see my mum for a fortnight. . As I suspected the UK gov finally introduced it starting tonight but my mum is in lockdown anyway because one of the staff where she lives tested positive. Ironic or what?

But I'm so glad you got to see it like that and have been able to share your photos with us. I have some that Bill and I took on our first trip to Venice back in about 1983 and even then it wasn't that empty. Do you mind if I ask for details of the air Bnb you stayed in in case I get an overwhelming urge that I can't resist?

russ_in_LA

Here is the link to the AirBnB. His prices for Nov and Dec are insanely good, and that’s for a two bedroom, two bath!

https://abnb.me/EfPoThtnFab

Fantastic location, one minute from Piazza San Marco, but hidden on a quiet side street. 3 minute walk from San Marco vaporetto stop. Lots of windows, so nice and bright, and being on the top floor meant a great view, and privacy (higher than adjacent buildings so no one can see in), as well as no noisy neighbors above. Heating, hot water and WiFi all worked really well, and the bed was very comfortable. Having a real clothes dryer (not a washer/dryer combo) was awesome. The place was clean and the house keeper who met us even helped with our bags. A rare two bedroom, two bathroom (one ensuite).

FYI, since were preparing and eating all meals at home due to COVID, we found the kitchen to be a bit lacking. There were only 3 forks, which could be a problem for four people 😉. No pasta drain (colander), no cheese grater, no dish towels. There is a fridge but no freezer. There are no clothes closets, although there is a clothes hanging rack in the living room. We didn’t need the a/c, but be aware it is only in the living-room and not the bedrooms, if going in heat of summer. The 67 stairs up to the apartment could be a challenge for some, but it was fine for us.

Despite any minor inconveniences, I would stay there again and would highly recommend it, especially if you don’t plan on cooking.

russ_in_LA

When we headed back to St. Mark’s the next morning, there was a bit more activity, with a total of about 50 people on the square. The morning high tide was peaking, leaving about 50% of the piazza under 3 to 4 inches of water. Surprisingly, the cafes were open - the servers seeming to walk on water, while catering to the intrepid explorers who had the foresight to pack appropriate footwear. For the less prepared, raised platforms were placed end to end, creating a bridge across the ephemeral lake in the square, where a steady parade of tourists shuffled along, like a row of penguins in a nature film. We joined a line that seemed to be heading into the basilica, only to be told it was closed for renovations. We were devastated. We were so looking forward to the beautiful mosaics inside. It was cold comfort to be told that we could still enter the museum, which we had never done before.

Fortunately, the museum is accessed by stairs just to the right of the main doors of the cathedral, so we were still able to admire the gorgeous mosaics which decorate every surface of the domed ceiling vaults and pillars of the vestibule. What we hadn’t realized was that this museum is actually on the balcony at the back of the basilica, giving us spectacular views of the ceilings and walls, from an even closer vantage point than had we entered the church through the front door. I was so overwhelmed by the sight, I had to suppress the urge to burst into tears.

The museum also gives you access to the terrace overlooking St. Mark’s Square and the campanile, as well as a view past the Doge’s Palace to the lagoon. While not exactly empty up there, it was possible to take photos without being in everyone else’s way. In fact, people were generally friendly and patient, one local Venetian woman even exclaiming in Italian, to no one in particular, that Venice was the most beautiful city in the world. At that moment, I had to agree.

Since the weather report was predicting rain for the next day, we decided to spend the rest of the day wandering around and enjoying the views outdoors. We wound our way to the Rialto Bridge, then up to the old Jewish Ghetto area and back. Since the day was warmer than expected, we decided to splurge on what would be our only meal out in Venice, stopping at the lovely deck of the Gritti Palace Hotel, right on the Grand Canal, with views of passing gondolas backed by the picturesque Santa Maria della Salute. Certainly the prices were double that which could be found elsewhere; but there was the million dollar view, as well as the excellent food and service, and we were the only customers there for the first hour.

Later that afternoon, after many more miles of walking, we found ourselves back at St Mark’s Square. Needing to give our feet a break, we did something we had never done before, due to the mobs of people. Stopping at one of the cafes that line the square, we chose a table with a killer view of the cathedral, ordered a drink and soaked it all in. The perfect end to a nearly flawless day.

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