• Part 1 - Calitri
• Part 2 - Calitri continued, Matera, Albarobello, Lecce
• Part 3 - Adriatic Coast, Monte Sant' Angelo
• Part 4 - Orvietto
• Index

October 1 - Friday

We checked out after yogurt and cappuchini and bread. We decided we wouldn't go back to Albarobello, it was ok for once but not worth a revisit - too touristy.

We got some cash and more wine and headed for the Adriatic coast. We decided to stop in Trani to see the cathedral which is right on the water. It was very tall because it was built on top of a former Byzantine cathedral. Trani itself is a real rats nest of streets but really pretty with lots of palm trees.

We left Trani and drove up the coast along a small road. There were miles and miles of olive trees. Then wine grapes by the thousands. Then we came to big salt evaporation flats.

Trani Cathedral	Trani Cathedral	Trani Cathedral
Church bells in Trani	Trani harbor	Along the Trani harbor	Palm in Trani	Luther in Trani	Trani castle

We stopped in Manfredonia (right) - a coastal town at the beginning of the Gargano peninsula. We found the recommended restaurant - Trattoria Il Baracchio - near the old port. Being a port, seafood was in order and I was hungry.

We shared a seafood antipasti and it had everything! Sardines, snails, octopus, cockles, anchovies, a mussel cooked in its shell surrounded by cornbread like polenta and other things that were unknown. It was excellent. Then we both had grilled seafood which consisted of 2 little fishes, a giant prawn and what may have been cuttlefish. It was great too. We had a little pitcher of white and one of red. The red was not so good.

Restaurant interior

House white

Seafood Antipasti to share

Grilled seafood

Then we were off to drive up-up-up to Monte Sant' Angelo. This town was 800 meters above the sea. The road was a series of switchbacks. It took at least 20 minutes to get up there. We found Pasquale - the agent who had the keys - without too much trouble. He lived in the new part of town which was quite rough. He was an older gentleman who drove across town with us following. We drove down unimaginably small streets and parked. He showed us around the flat.

It was actually pretty nice, if spartan. There was a good sized kitchen with a table, a living room with the most amazing view over the sea and a comfortable bedroom. The best part for Luther was that it had a TV. He had been missing watching his Italian shows. Once we got settled we set off to find ingredients for dinner.

Apartment kitchen

Apartment living room

View from apartment out to the Adriatics sea from high above

We walked down this street and found little to buy. We ended up with pasta, cheese, wine and bread. We had Orecchiette with pomodoro sauce. It was adequate.

October 2 - Saturday

We stopped for a coffee and asked where the market was. The man said we were very near. We found it shortly after and it was a beaut. There are few stores in rural Italy. The markets are a chance for people to buy what they need and it's like a department/grocery store comes to you rather than you having to go to a store. The stalls were set up all along the street and into Pasquale's piazza. We got fish, beans, tomatoes, and potatoes for our Sunday dinner.

Monte Sant' Angelo streets, churches, market and scenes

We took our purchases home and spent the rest of the day reading. Luther had bought ham so he had itty, bitty ham sandwiches and I had a tomato mozzarella salad which was really good!

We had intended to eat out this night. We had heard about the passaggiatta where all the local folks stroll about the town in the evening. We went up and joined in at about 7:30. The shops were all open. We had a restaurant in mind but its doors were locked. We decided we were just too early so we went back to our flat to wait awhile to see if it would open. We had noted many other places that were seemingly open but with no customers. It was confusing.

About 9PM we went back and the restaurant door was ajar. Luther went in and was told they were closed! We were disappointed but went to another one that looked good but they said the same thing (!) They were all lit up and there were good food smells but no, even though the doors were wide open. We were really unable to figure out what was going on.

Finally we went to one down some steps where the lady had invited us in earlier. We were the only people there. We did get fed but it was not pleasant. We had a pitcher of local wine and orecchiette with spinach and garlic and really awful lamb. The orecchiette was good though.

October 3 - Sunday

Getting the car out was scary. Lucky for us someone told us we couldn't go out the way we were going. Glad he told us! Whew! We got out finally. We took the other road down from the top and headed up the coast to Vieste where we stopped for a stroll - it was a very attractive seaside town. Approaching it was a long road along the sea with tons of tacky vacation hotels, discos, bars and restaurants all closed for the season. The town was busy with lots of locals about. We walked around some and bought some wine for than nights dinner.

Path to the sea

Sea

Vieste

Stone from legend

We headed on up the coast. The road climbed and dipped in an endless series of switchbacks. The water was a beautiful aqua color. The next town, called Peschi, was smaller. We got down into the centro storico and suddenly we were in the path of a marching band (!) We tried to duck over as best we could as they marched by. Then we backtracked and found a parking place with less trouble than usual.

Peschi town walls

Peschi pleasant place for a beer

We were looking for Porto di Basso, a recommended restaurant with views of the sea and great reviews. Alas, when we found it, it too was closed like much else. We took our tour book out and found Restaurante Fra' Stephano and it looked good. We were early so we went and had a beer at a pretty place with a covered leafy patio.

The restaurant was really good and the people friendly. They brought us bread and anchovies while we looked at the menu. Luther ordered a red wine. I ordered Carpaccio of seafood and orecchiette with vongole - little sweet clams. Luther got a big bowl of mussels and then spaghetti with mussels. When I ordered the Carpaccio the chef brought out a beautiful fresh fish for me to see what my lunch was coming from. He also suggested I get half fish and half octopus which I happily did.

The Carpaccio was on a long white rectangular plate. The seafood lined up along it with a drizzle of olive oil and a lemon wedge. It was exquisite. Before we left they brought out what looked like donuts but were very hard and crisp. Then we had expressi and they brought some sweet wine to finish. It was VERY nice.

Restaurante Fra' Stephano	Anchovie snack	Bread and wine	Carpaccio primi	Mussels primi
Orecchiette with sweet small clams	All gone	I can't believe it's not a donut	Sweet dessert wine

We headed up the coast and took the road that cut across the peninsula through the Gargano Forest. It was very scenic but 40 kilometers of major switchbacks. We saw 2 ponies trotting down the road (right), then further on we saw free ranging cows, sheep and even pigs!

We arrived back in Monte Sant' Angelo to major crowds - what on earth were all those people doing there?! We parked and an old man tried to get us to pay him for a parking space (2 Euro). Ha! What a scam. We moved the car. We had decided not to drive our car back down that rat's nest of streets. That meant we'd have to schlep our luggage up the next morning but it was worth it.

That night we had the mullets (fried in olive oil), potatoes, green beans and tomato mozzarella salad. It was good. Luther watched TV while sitting on the balcony with his cigar. There was a stiff wind which blew the smoke away from the building.

• Part 1 - Calitri
• Part 2 - Albarobello, Lecce
• Part 3 - Adriatic Coast, Monte Sant' Angelo
• Part 4 - Orvietto
• Index