GERI and RON'S NOMADIC TRAVELS

Monday, September 22, 2014

PUGLIA & THE HEEL OF ITALY

Polignano a Mare

Main square old town

Italy is shaped like a high heeled boot and Polignano a Mare is at the top of the heel. It is a quaint town perched on a cliff dotted with sea caves. A bridge spans a deep ravine that cuts through the city. A small, pristine beach is at the mouth of the ravine. It is believed that Polignano a Mare was part of ancient Greece, and the old town indicates Greek influences as well as Spanish and Byzantine.

Polignano's narrow streets

Domenico Modugno

Poignana Mare ravine & beach

With its narrow cobblestone streets, charming old town and sea caves, Polignano a Mare has become a popular tourist destination, and its economy depends heavily on it. Polignano a Mare also proudly claims Domenico Modugno -- singer-songwriter most famous for "Volare" -- as its native son.

Santa Croce

Typical ornate interior of Lecce's churches

Our next stop, Lecce, has been called The Florence of the South thanks to an abundance of Baroque palaces and churches.

Baroque architecture began in the late 16th century and was as far removed from the simple churches we recently saw as possible. The style is very ornate and theatrical and was meant to signify the triumph and power of the Catholic Church. Some thought Lecce the most beautiful city in Italy while Marchese Grimaldi said the facade of Santa Croce made him think a lunatic was having a nightmare. Though Lecce was once a very important city in Italy, it doesn't seem possible that they ever had enough people to fill the 40 churches that are often just around the corner from one another.

Fountain outside Charles V Palace

Duomo, Bishop's Palace & seminary

Bell tower

2nd century amphitheater

Lecce's cathedral was built in the 12th century. Several hundred years later, the Bishop's Palace, a seminary and a tower over 200 feet high were added. It was in this square that the townspeople would gather during an attack because there was only one narrow entrance, easy to defend.

Otranto

In 1901, construction workers discovered a 2nd century amphitheater underneath the main piazza.

Enticed by the pictures, we moved on to a resort in Otranto. While the grounds and sea were gorgeous, the rooms were the worst we have ever been in. Small, dark and dingy. Fortunately, we were able to cut our stay from 5 days to 2 and extended our stay in the next town, Castellaneta Marina on the Ionian Sea. It was like going from hell to heaven. One of the perks of traveling in the shoulder or off season is that you often receive an upgrade.

Kalidria pool

Kalidria Hotel and grounds

Kalidria

At Kalidria Thalasso Spa Resort, we were upgraded to a suite with a large living room and balcony.

This is our last stop in the province of Puglia. Now we drive across the country -- what would be the arch of the boot -- to the west coast of Italy.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

ITALY'S ADRIATIC COAST

Gate to old town Termoli

Tower of original castle

Fishing cabin and nets Termoli

View from our balcony - beach & old town

Termoli Basilica

Termoli is a small city on the Adriatic coast that is known for its old town as well as nice beaches and clear, blue water. It is a popular summer destination for Italians. Few outsiders know of Termoli or come here so we were a rarity. When Ron went for a haircut, they were anxious to know how we got there.

Our hotel was nestled between the old town and the beach; our balcony overlooked both. The old town is mostly residential with a very simple but beautiful cathedral in the middle. Built in the 12 – 13^th centuries, it was restored to its original appearance. A wall surrounds the old town and rising from a corner right next to our hotel is the tower of a castle that was originally part of a wide fortification.

Rainy days in Vieste

Sea caves Vieste on a rare sunny afternoon

Jutting out from the spur of the boot of Italy is the Gargano promontory. It has about 110 miles of coastline with sandy beaches, limestone cliffs and sea caves. At one time this piece of land was connected to Croatia. Today much of it is part of a 30,000 acre national park. We stayed at a beach resort just outside the small city of Vieste. Unfortunately, the rain caught up with us. We arrived in pouring rain and had several days of it. This has been an unusually wet summer for much of Europe.

We had three lovely days in the beautiful town of Trani. At one time, Trani was a primary trading point for wine, fruit and grain and its port was the most important one on the Adriatic Sea.

Trani's Cathedral

Interior of the cathedral: simplicity & double columns

The old town winds around the large, protected harbor. Countless narrow, cobblestone streets veer away from the water. Many of the buildings have been restored and the local stone has a pearl-like glitter in the sun - no doubt giving rise to Trani's nickname "Pearl of the Adriatic."

As was the case in Termoli, the cathedral reflects its original design which is very simple and pristine -- no statues or stations of the cross. Across from the cathedral is a massive castle built by Frederick II. The city

The cathedral is perched between the sea and the port

Local fishermen at the port Trani

reached its peak of wealth and prosperity under his rule in the 13th century. He was one of the most powerful Roman emperors of the Middle Ages reigning from 1194-1250. A man of great intelligence, culture and ability, historians consider him the first modern ruler.

Puglia is the name of this province in the southeast section of Italy, and the strip of land that is known as the heel runs between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. The area has an interesting mix of Greek and Turkish flavors aside from Italian as it was invaded by those countries and more over the ages.

The interior of Puglia is mostly farmland with endless olive groves that produce 80% of Italy’s olive oil. 80% of Europe’s pasta is produced here. The towns are quaint with white washed buildings. The coast line is jagged with powder blue water and sandy beaches.

Ron beside the entrance to Trani's harbor

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

RETURN TO ITALY

Bridges across the Passer River into Merano

Flowers in Merano

Merano's concert hall

Wide promenades along the river

Medieval gate into Merano's old city

Slightly south of the Austrian border is the city of Merano, Italy. In this mountainous section of Italy, the people speak both German and Italian as the area was part of Austria until after World War I.

Merano is a beautiful city situated in a basin beside the Passer River. Surrounded by the south Tyrolean Alps that rise up to 11,000 feet high, the town is noted for a mild climate and health spas. Merano counts Ezra Pound and Franz Kafka among famous residents of the past.

Our hotel near Vicenza

Continuing south, we spent a few relaxing days in a hotel on a mountaintop just outside the city of Vicenza before moving on to Ravenna.

St. Francesco Church Ravenna

Ravenna has a large, interesting historic district as it was the capital city of several ancient empires. There are 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites here. Ravenna is mentioned in Dante's Inferno and he is buried here.

Piazza del Popolo Ravenna

Basillica St. Vitale Ravenna

Seeking beaches and sunshine, we made our way to Italy's Adriatic coast. We spent four days in Bellaria-Igea Marina followed by four days in Alba Adriatica. Both are typical seaside towns. The beaches are lined with umbrellas and lounge chairs as far as the eye can see. A walking and bike riding path runs alongside the beach, and hotels, cafes and shops line the streets. It seems like every Italian family in the country vacations along this coast. As Americans, we are a rarity. Most of the hotels, including the ones we stayed at in each town, have a private section of beach and provide umbrella and beach chairs.

Beaches line Italy's Adriatic coast

Most also offer full board. As opposed to half board which includes breakfast and dinner, full board also includes lunch. Lunches and dinners are four course meals. First there is a salad buffet, then a pasta dish, an entree and dessert. Breakfasts are always described as 'sweet and savory' meaning lots of pastries and breads. From what we have seen of the typical diet here, it is a wonder all Italians aren't obese.

We now continue south toward the heel of Italy.

Our hotel in Alba Adriatica

Hotel's private beach

Saturday, August 9, 2014

AUSTRIA TYROL

A rare sunny day in Kaltenbach

The spa in Kaltenbach

We visited 3 towns in the Austrian state of Tyrol. All are popular ski resorts as the area is in the heart of the Alps. They are also popular summer destinations as Austrians love hiking the mountain trails.
Unfortunately, rain and clouds continued to dampen most of our days but not our spirits.

Semi-sunny day in Kaltenbach

Kaltenbach had one of the nicest facilities of the trip. We had a large, bright room with a balcony. Food on the half board menu was excellent. There was a spacious garage for the car and a new beautiful spa area.

Seefeld

Aurora & Alan

Climbing even higher into the mountains, we arrived in the charming town of Seefeld. For once there was more sunshine than rain which was a real blessing since we planned to meet friends there.

Seefeld

Flower Power Parade

You may remember Alan from previous blogs. He met us last year in Montpelier, France and the last 2 winters, he came over from Colorado to spend a few days with us in Palm Desert. This time, Alan is traveling with his friend Aurora. It was wonderful to spend some time with them. We were fortunate to be in Seefeld for the annual Flower Power Parade and had a perfect view of the flower floats, antique tractors and fire engines from Alan and Aurora’s balcony.

St. Anton am Arlberg

St. Anton am Arlberg, our last stop in Austria, had everything we have enjoyed about this country… magnificent scenery, a pristine town, pure mountain air and beautiful alpine architecture.

Scenes around St. Anton am Arlberg

Our hotel was in the pedestrian district and in walking distance to 6 ski lifts which is why the town is best known for skiing. Our hotel was new and modern and every room had an infra red sauna cabin. The benefits of infra red saunas are numerous. Once again, we chose the half board option and the food was the best we have had on the whole trip.