Moving day.

This morning, after coffee, we walked the Trani harbor one last time. We both really love watching the boats and the boatmen (no boatwomen).

We got a ride to the lot where our car was parked and took off for Bari, about a 40 minute drive.  Dropped off the luggage at this cool little hotel (Hotel Imago) and drove the car back to the airport to return it and took the short train back into Bari.  I could have planned this part better but…

Walking back from the station we were both hungry so we stopped in a tiny spot just around the corner where I asked if they made sandwiches.  As the woman was answering me an older man turned to us and pointed into the glass case, swiped his thumb down the side of his cheek and said “Buono”  (good).  So I asked what it is and she said “pizza” but it had a top crust.  So we got a large piece, cut into 2 and a piece of a different kind, too.  They wrapped the warm pieces in paper and we took them to the piazza where we sat on a bench and ate them.  Both were delicious.  The first one had ham, melted cheese and fresh tomatoes.  The second had green olives and well cooked onions.  The dough was thin and delicious.  Italian quesadillas?

We came back to our quirky hotel for a rest.  This hotel is dedicated to photography and books.  The are very large (like 3 feet by 4 feet) prints on the walls in the rooms and small paper prints on the stair rail.  Anyway, the room is large, light and comfortable.

Around 5ish we took a get acquainted walk from here and dipped into the old city.

In Bari Vecchia

This part of Bari is super urban and for some reason reminds me of Brooklyn. The streets are all lined with large apartment buildings which are above the shops.  In the center are 3 pedestrian only streets where most of the designer shops are, but the side streets are chocked full of every kind of store you could imagine–from hair salons to baby clothes to fruits and vegetables to ceramics, flowers, candy and restaurants.  The energy is really nice.

We just got a tiny taste of the old town but it is classic with twisting alleys and white stone buildings.

Dinner was at Terranima, very nearby.  The hotel recommended it and I had read about it before.  Overall it was a less than wonderful meal.  We shared a sampler app which includes cured meats and cheeses as well as a fish dish and some cooked veggies.  None of it was very good–not bad, just OK.  I ordered the black chick pea soup with local peppers and mint.  Ken had a veal stew.  We drank a bottle of Primitivo which we both thought was the best thing about the meal.

Walked back to the hotel where there were some teenagers playing around in the piazza.  Just like Brooklyn.