Wednesday 30 October 2024 A day to read and relax for some today. Lady P headed off on the train to Cisternino, a very hilly white city/town halfway to where we went yesterday. At around 12.00 noon, Flashy went for a stroll in the sunshine, looking for a place to contemplate the surrounds. His favourite bar was shut. 90% of all restaurants were shut. Lots of shops were shut. However, noticing the young African lass setting tables at Vino, Fritti e Cucina, he ventured in to sit down as the only patron at 12.30 pm. Ordering a glass of vino rosso, he sat back and watched as the place gradually fill up. Build it and they will come. Smart to be the only one open. The wine came in a bucket. A glass here is 350 mls! Pasta was average. The Apuliga food is peasant based, as is a lot of southern Italy and based around bread rather than pasta, with orecchiette being the traditional shape and strong tomato sauce the ubiquitous addition. Like parts of Spain, their drinks are generous here and
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Tuesday 29 October 2024 Today we decided to try the Italian railway system. Now, as you now, a certain Italian bloke sorted the trains in 1943. The country was very grateful for that but sort of forgot he fixed the trains in 1945. Nonetheless, they still arrive and depart on the minute, are comfortable and clean. Go Benito, I say. So, off to Matina Franca today. Another white, limestone city about an hour away. After wandering around the old city, we found a place for lunch. Now, here’s the thing. Do you go to the busy, white tablecloth place or, the 4.9 rated place with no one? Ah, clearly the former is full of Americans eating pizza. We chose the latter, with momma and the boys waiting patiently at the door to welcome us. Of course, we attracted many other diners as the day went on. A couple of pasta dished of the region, lots of tomato sauce! And a wonderful vino rosso made the lunch a great experience. We took photos with momma and the boys. Under their restaurant sign of c
Monday 28 October 2024 Another glorious, sunny morning. Some admin planning for the next three weeks of our Italy stay. A walk all the way 50 metres to the deli delivered some amazing mortadella, prosciutto, coppa and a chili salami. Next door of course, was our local bar and we do need to support local enterprises. So, an Aperol Spritz and Heineken at 11.30 am, along with a gaggle of other locals, was just what we needed. This is supposed to be ‘just living in Italy.’ I’m sure we didn’t have a beer at 11.30 am most days in Cairns! Flashy will have to restrict his nightly wine to one bottle at this rate. Momma Mia! The antipasti we purchased we had for lunch in our apartment with some ripe cherry tomatoes and bread toasted in the pan with a little butter, as there is no toaster here. We are staying in a famous food writer, book writer and TV personality’s flat. It is well positioned in the edge of the old town and hobbling distance to restaurants and bars. Flashy is however strug
Sunday 27 October 2024 Domenica today and you know this by all the church bells announcing mass from 6.00 am!. That woke us up for a British fry up brekky. Sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes, bacon and eggs and fried bread with vegemite, tea and coffee. After that light fare, we headed off for a Sunday drive in the glorious sunshine. Our destination Gallopili. That’s the one in Puglia, not Turkey or Türkiye if you are PC. A beautiful seaside city, almost at the heel of the boot, overlooking the Ionian Sea. A relaxed day of walking around the town, having a drink here and there and eventually walking down the cliff to the water’s edge at La Bastione Restaurant for a light seafood lunch. Flashy was taking no chances. Deep fried fish and chips for him. The unusual bottle of wine was a lucky choice and Lady P’s calamari (something familiar here) was also delicious. The trip home, via a different, less direct route was suggested. What could possibly go wrong? The Google girl loved it. We wen
Saturday 26 October 2024 We went to the local market today. A relaxing walk of about 10 minutes, except we got a bit turned around at times but found a very pleasant market selling fruit, vegetables, cheese, seafood, clothes and other stuff. We purchased a few items of food, including some good French style bread and a naughty chocolate bun. We also visited our local butcher 10 metres away and got some sausages, bombettes of beef and veal and retired home for a long siesta. Our home stay host had recommended a seafood restaurant I Capatosta, in the old town and after a couple of post market, refreshing beers in the square, walked to the restaurant to make a dinner booking. Being brave, we made it for 8.00 pm. Late for us. We might just make 10.00 pm before bed. Flashy was ready to make the reservation in Italian but the lad spoke perfect English so instead of Venti he could say twenty - as in twenty hundred hours. He did notice that there were only two other reservations in the boo
Friday 25 October 2024 Sophie departed at 6.00 am and we moved slowly, doing washing and sorting our room. A walk around the old town after Lady P’s morning coffee in the square and we found the local little supermarket for some basic ingredients, as the market is on tomorrow. Our little bar is 20 metres away and after shopping, we stopped for a tartine and a beer. The tarts are toasted focaccia open faced, topped with salami or mortadella, a little radicchio and a splash of olive oil. They are delicious. Gin and tonic medicine tonight was taken in the piazza in a cocktail bar overlooking the view to the sea. And, we found St Anthony Piazza, resplendent with a statue of St Antonio du Padua. That’s him. Another one for nanna! Then home to make chicken Caesar salad, as we still crave the fresh salad and decent cooking. A team effort tonight, with Lady P on assemblage and dressing. Another delicious meal without having to walk around and find a suitable restaurant. So nice to have a
Wednesday 23 October 2024 The shuttle to the airport from right across the road is only €20 and 10 minutes, so we have plenty of time at the airport. Makes you long for train travel. A full but long delayed Ryan Air flight of 50 minutes sees us at Bari and to another long queue at the car hire desk. And, surprise – “We have upgraded you to another car. No extra, signora.” This means they were all out of the car type you actually booked and were giving you a bigger model. Not a chance with Lady P. Some excited and loud Italian (this is just normal) and we have to come back in an hour for the smaller automatic car. Or we take the VW Tiguan on offer. We wait. Do the paperwork and walk 200m to the yard only to discover they have given us a mid sized car. Again, not likely with Lady P. We know what it is like in ancient towns with narrow streets and mad Italian drivers. As it turns out and of course, nobody tells you this in the entire booking process, the automatic cars are all
Tuesday 15 th to Friday 18 th October 2024 A relaxing few days in cooler, wetter, sometimes sunny weather, getting ready for the next move to Italy on Tuesday. Saturday 19 th to Tuesday 22 October 2024 Helped Johnny cut back, that is prune heavily, two fruit trees as the last tasks at LPR. Lady P and Emma Louise took off for Il d Re for the day of lunch and shopping. On Tuesday morning we drove the hire car back to Bordeaux and flew to Palermo. Lady P had booked a BnB close to the airport because the next morning we are on another flight to Bari. It reads well on Booking.com, with a bar and restaurant and only 8 minutes drive from the airport. After an easy 2 hr flight on a full plane, we arrive at Palermo kerb side to a fleet of clean, white taxis and about five guys assisting travellers into cabs to Palermo city (€40).”How much to Torres Pozzillo BnB?” “€40,” he said. “Same as Palermo.” So, of course Lady P argues with him and half an hour later we are no closer to our 8 minut
Sunday 13 th October 2024 More washing. Fog this morning and a bit colder. Some cooking done – chicken, garlic, ginger and turmeric soup (Jewish Penicillin). We got inspired as the sun came out this afternoon and Lady P started mowing the estate and Flashy played with the pool, because London to a brick, Emma Lou and Johnny will want a swim next week, even if it’s 15C!! A Salad Niçoise for dinner tonight, with all the fresh ingredients from the market and a Bordeaux red. Good to be back home. Monday 14 th October 2024 Some interesting observations, as today is a lazy day at home. We only have 73 days to go before we fly home. The year has flown. Flashy reckons his dodgy heel/Achillies tendon is related to the month long viral infection (sinus and cough) he had. Lots of people coughing at functions - could be Covid, who knows? Well, Flashy’s clean living has helped see this off now and as the symptoms waned, so did the pain in the foot. Or, maybe it’s the butter. France consumes 8.4
Wednesday 9 th October 2024 Lay day today. Sleep in, pack, a snack at 12.00 and meet the Lads around 3.30 pm for a few drinks. Snacks at a tourist Italian joint. Luckily they have Champagne and CP cracks a bottle. Interesting fact, we have drunk all the stock of Jack Daniels in the Pestana Hotel bars at Potro and Lisbon, They have not re-ordered either. Absolutely pathetic! Thursday 10 th October 2024 Travel day. Up at 4.00 am to head to the airport for the 1.5 hrs to Bilbao. Lisbon is a very busy airport and TAP has a lot of aeroplanes. Seamless flight on a full plane and the taxi into town was easy. Bilbao is busy and our accommodation is in the old town, so no cars and a short walk to the Air BnB apartment. The pilgrims don’t arrive by car from Santiago de Compostela until late in the day, so Flashy finds a little café, stores the bags and has a bit if admin time, coffee and croissant. We all meet for a dinner at a nearby restaurant which at 7.00 pm is still half ful
Tuesday 9 th October 2024 A tour of the area out of Lisbon has been planned today. After a frustrating search for wineries and restaurants, two things became obvious. Firstly, it is impossible to just arrive at a winery and have a tasting. You have to book a tour operator; sit on a bus with 20 others; put up with another explanation of Portuguese wine making; grape variety; family history and look at the bloody barrels etc. The second thing is that the wineries don’t always promote their restaurants, if they have them. So, after much cursing and Googling, Flashy eventually found a winery an hour north of Lisbon, called AdegaMae Sociedade Agricola. This is a stunning, multi million Euro constructed shop, tasting room and a highly regarded restaurant, Sal na Adega. We managed a booking and planned a long lunch and some wine tasting. After conferencing with the Lads, it was decided to book a private car for six hours to take us to the winery and do a little coastal sightseeing on the
Monday 7 th October 2024 We decided to head out of town, down to the Atlantic coast beaches today. This took us over the Ponte 25 de Abril (25th of April Bridge) which is a suspension bridges with iconic towers and cables, and is painted the same international orange colour as the Golden Gate Bridge. Thence to Casa Reia beach side restaurant. This place would go off big time in the summer, with plenty of seats and many right on the sand. It was largely full of ladies who lunch. Some not wearing much either. A Champagne and a nice Rose accompanied our lunch of smoked butter and bread, sheep cheese and praline; a large flame grilled sea bass and of course, a wagyu steak - all served share platter. A salad and grilled zucchini and a few chips on the side. Some cocktails for dessert then an Uber back to our hotel. Later, a quick pasta for dinner and just like Porto, the bar ran out of Jack Daniels. Apparently, some Australian guests had been having doubles for nightcaps and the sla
Sunday 6 th October 2024 An early start today to find a laundry to wash days of clothes. This was successful and on return to the hotel to lay it all around the room like a Chinese laundry, we noticed that the breakfast buffet was offering Champagne for breakfast – along with an array of other delightful morsels. A quick sip then off to find the 11.00 am Gourmet Walking Food Tour of Lisbon. Almost four hours later, Carlos had us back near our hotel, after an informative and tasty tour of the back streets. Very few tourists about in the areas we were taken. First off was a stop at a local snack bar for some flame grilled chorizo and a bifana. This is a tasty, slow cooked pork in a soft bun. Our group of six Americans and us three Aussies enjoyed this with beers and wine. Second was a small family run café in the old red light district. Here we had chicken and beef samosas and more beer and wine. As Portugal once had Mozambique and Goa as colonies, the samosas were a reflection of t