I started this day with a somewhat upset stomach; Anja was feeling just fine, although we ate exactly the same thing the night before. Perhaps one of my clams or mussels was past its sell-by date, or maybe it was the water in our B & B, which had a strange, oily smell. In any case we drank only bottled water for the remainder of our stay at the Gallo Felice.
After I decided I wasn't going to die, we drove to Ostuni, a town of about 32,000 quite close to Martina Franca. Like most of the towns here, it has a long an illustrious history. Today it is known as "The white city", the reason for which is apparent as one approaches from any direction (see the photo on my previous post).
We found a place to park for a modest fee in the newer part of town, and headed on foot to the old town. We found the old town quickly and without difficulty, arriving at the square near the town hall with a spectacular statue of the patron saint, San Oronzo:
After a cappuccino we got ready to reconnoiter the old town. The tourist office was near the main alley ascending through the citta vecchia; a visit there revealed some of the weaknesses in the tourist infrastructure unfortunately typical in the Mezzogiorno. An English couple was trying to find out where they could play golf; the gentlemen in the tourist office spoke absolutely no English (and obviously not German either). Fortunately I was able to help translate. I asked about one of the (for me) major attractions, an archaeological museum. I was told that it was closed for renovation. Later as we walked by the museum (located in an ex-church), I looked in vain for any sign that it was closed for an indefinite period of time.
The old town was charming, indeed very white; we walked about for an hour or so. Here is a sampling of some of my favorite pictures, without further commentary:
As lunch time approached, we looked for a place to eat. The town is really not ready for tourists in mid-June - most of the restaurants were closed, as were the only two public toilets we found. (OK, usually we rely on the cafes - order a cappuccino, use the bathroom.) After looking for at least a half hour, we found a small, unassuming trattoria just outside the old town and decided to take a chance (there weren't any other customers, which perhaps explains why the others were closed). We were rewarded with an excellent, inexpensive meal. The bathroom was also quite clean and functional, not at all a given in the Mezzogiorno. Unfortunately we didn't note the name, I think lt was 'Vecchia Ostuni'. In any case it's just below the massive statue of San Oronzo and to the right, in case anyone is visiting Ostuni soon.
After hanging around at the Gallo Felice for the rest of the afternoon (my stomach had recovered), we returned to Martina Franca for a very light dinner, just a snack, really. We settled down at a sidewalk cafe in the old town, ordered two beers and two focaccie and enjoyed an hour and a half of people watching (refilling the beers in the process). There were quite a few French tourists. An attractive couple with a little boy sat down next to us: when they left, Anja surprised them by wishing them 'Bonnes vacances'. We were amazed at how much traffic there was in Martina Franca at this hour, even at 8:30 as we headed back to our B & B. We were also beginning to understand the Italian system for driving by this time.
We dispatched the last of our bottle of local wine on the terrace, where we were rewarded by the appearance of several tiny geckos - trying to become big geckos.
After I decided I wasn't going to die, we drove to Ostuni, a town of about 32,000 quite close to Martina Franca. Like most of the towns here, it has a long an illustrious history. Today it is known as "The white city", the reason for which is apparent as one approaches from any direction (see the photo on my previous post).
We found a place to park for a modest fee in the newer part of town, and headed on foot to the old town. We found the old town quickly and without difficulty, arriving at the square near the town hall with a spectacular statue of the patron saint, San Oronzo:
After a cappuccino we got ready to reconnoiter the old town. The tourist office was near the main alley ascending through the citta vecchia; a visit there revealed some of the weaknesses in the tourist infrastructure unfortunately typical in the Mezzogiorno. An English couple was trying to find out where they could play golf; the gentlemen in the tourist office spoke absolutely no English (and obviously not German either). Fortunately I was able to help translate. I asked about one of the (for me) major attractions, an archaeological museum. I was told that it was closed for renovation. Later as we walked by the museum (located in an ex-church), I looked in vain for any sign that it was closed for an indefinite period of time.
The old town was charming, indeed very white; we walked about for an hour or so. Here is a sampling of some of my favorite pictures, without further commentary:
As lunch time approached, we looked for a place to eat. The town is really not ready for tourists in mid-June - most of the restaurants were closed, as were the only two public toilets we found. (OK, usually we rely on the cafes - order a cappuccino, use the bathroom.) After looking for at least a half hour, we found a small, unassuming trattoria just outside the old town and decided to take a chance (there weren't any other customers, which perhaps explains why the others were closed). We were rewarded with an excellent, inexpensive meal. The bathroom was also quite clean and functional, not at all a given in the Mezzogiorno. Unfortunately we didn't note the name, I think lt was 'Vecchia Ostuni'. In any case it's just below the massive statue of San Oronzo and to the right, in case anyone is visiting Ostuni soon.
After hanging around at the Gallo Felice for the rest of the afternoon (my stomach had recovered), we returned to Martina Franca for a very light dinner, just a snack, really. We settled down at a sidewalk cafe in the old town, ordered two beers and two focaccie and enjoyed an hour and a half of people watching (refilling the beers in the process). There were quite a few French tourists. An attractive couple with a little boy sat down next to us: when they left, Anja surprised them by wishing them 'Bonnes vacances'. We were amazed at how much traffic there was in Martina Franca at this hour, even at 8:30 as we headed back to our B & B. We were also beginning to understand the Italian system for driving by this time.
We dispatched the last of our bottle of local wine on the terrace, where we were rewarded by the appearance of several tiny geckos - trying to become big geckos.
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