Author: leanagallagher

After a nap we decided to go for a swim in the late afternoon sun. The zero clearance pool overlooks the valley and a few small Trulli that have been here for hundreds of years. There is a peace here and a natural beauty that sort of sweeps you away.

The V’s got back around 6:30 from an action packed day of slides and wave pools and our chef arrived to prepare Kayla’s surprise birthday dinner. We all decided to get dressed for a formal affair, and here we are in our finest.

Dinner was a bit of a bust. Chef was lovely, but food was made for a different sort of American guest. We had bought wine at a local farm stand, and it too was sub par, but honestly, we were all having such a good time that we didn’t even mind. The joy and love among the group overcame all.

Celebrating Kayla was the reason for the dinner, but the energy and love within the group was the real celebration. The acceptance of one another, the happiness that we are together, the way we all interact with one another is what is special. We truly had a fabulous time with one another. Now that is a gift.

Today marks are youngest grandchild’s birthday, Kayla Marie Vacirca turned 7 in Italy! To mark this auspicious occasion, Auntie Cathy hung streamers and sister Addie helped Grammy make Nutella stuffed French Toast and Special scrambled eggs with Proscuitto.

Tonight we’re having a special formal dinner at the Villa complete with birthday cake. To celebrate the day Kayla wanted to go to the water park nearby. We all had good intentions of tagging along with the V’s, but the 100 degree heat was going to be a little too much for us older folks, so we opted for some air conditioned sightseeing.

We really haven’t explored the area since we’ve gotten here. There are small towns around us — none noteworthy, but all with long histories and traditions. They are charming, and ancient, and uniquely Italian. It has a special feel, a bit Ancient Greek, a bit Sicilian, a bit itself. The churches are built on 6th century ruins, but they are small and crumbling and not particularly beautiful and almost more interesting because they are so real.

It is a small area, but the roads are tiny and winding, it takes 30 minutes to get anywhere. The natives are accepting and gracious. American tourists are as rare as hen’s teeth, and you totally feel away. Like years away. I’ll leave you with some pictures.

We drove over to the sea for lunch at a local spot. After lunch, back for a pisolino (nap) before heading to the pool. And the day goes by…

A bit about The Valle d’Itria, the area of Puglia that we are in. This valley is the largest olive growing region in Italy. The olive oil is smooth and creamy, the trees can be 600 years old, and they are ubiquitous. Every inch of ground is planted with something. At the gas station, the owner has the perimeter of the station planted with tomatoes, cucumber, herbs, onions, garlic, and zucchini. It reminds me of every Italian immigrant family I grew up with — everyone had a garden, not a yard. There is a reverence for the land, a love of the soil, and a gratefulness of the bounty. The people here care deeply about how the land is tilled and worked. It is almost all organic and there is pride in farming in the old ways. There is a twinkle in their eyes when they tell you to pick and eat because there is no spraying.

It’s not all glory here. As we drive back to Bari to pick up our suitcases (yay! — we picked up because courier could have taken 2 more days), we passed many areas that looked like communist block housing we saw in Romania. The south of Italy is poor, people live simply and their desires are modest by American standards. It’s different – not good, not bad, just different. Italy has a special feel, there is a grace to things, even the poorest areas have a softness to them. There’s a lilting presence in the people — men discussing the day, ladies doing the daily shopping, softly and with charm.

I always feel at home here. A past life, an idolized vision, too many movies, who knows. All I know is that I feel good here, I feel I belong, I feel my best self. It doesn’t hurt that I am surrounded by love either.

Onto another day. Kayla’s 7th birthday will be celebrated here. What a gift.

We scheduled a wine tasting in Martina Franca tonight. All of our phones lost cell service for mapping halfway there. We stopped at a Masseria to ask directions and this was the result:

We thought we would never get there, and then this

The vineyard is very special. 3000 bottles of wine per year, and only heritage vines from this particular region. The chefs were spectacular, the food was local and made with love, the Trulli were 1200 years old, and the owner makes the wine for the joy of it, not for profit. We got a wonderful tour of the vineyard, learned about the history of the region and the cultivation of the grapes. Oh, and we had a fantastic dinner paired with great wines!

We were fed the most exquisite local food. Perfectly crisp foccacia topped with ripe tomatoes, zucchini frittata, special coppa from Martina Franca, salami, gorgeous cheeses from the next door farm, eggplant Parmigiano, and fresh cherries. We washed it down with rose and red wine made from Susumaniello grapes.

We took a few interesting turns on the way home, but what a day! La dolce vita!

I woke up early this morning and decided to do a quiet walk in the countryside. It was so cool that I actually needed my cotton sweater for the first time since leaving the airport. I saw a Fox and heard the birds and wandered aimlessly for an hour in nothing but nature that has looked this way for hundreds of years.

A quick breakfast then off to the Adriatic Sea. Lido Bambù is a beautiful beach club with a restaurant and bar. The water was turquoise blue, the sand soft, the breeze heavenly, and the temperature was perfect. We all floated and dipped and sat on cushioned lounges under straw umbrellas and counted our lucky stars.

Then a glorious lunch at the beachside restaurant and more frolicking in the ocean.

The afternoon siesta was long and languorous. These are the moments grandmothers dream of.

We woke up to ice cream pops and then went harvesting in the gardens while mom and dad met some friends.

After all that farming we decided to take a dip in the second pool. The sun was setting, the breeze picked up, not a soul in the world but us on this vast estate.

The girls are making the best of all of this. Lots of sightseeing in Paris and Rome was tremendously fun, but one location with a pool seems like heaven. We could have probably done this in California, but it all seems so very special here.

And if all this isn’t enough, we had wood fired pizzas at the Villa!

Family is everything, and now the girls have gotten to know their Auntie Cathy and Uncle Lorenzo who have spoiled them with pool toys, beautiful outfits and special sun creams. We are enjoying each other’s company and the memories we are all making which we will have forever. This is bittersweet as we are missing Kirsten, Missy and the boys. I think of it at every turn. Guess we had better start planning 2023!

I didn’t sleep well last night. Still chasing luggage, wishing Kirsten’s family was here to enjoy this magical spot. When I awoke at 8:30 the house was abuzz with the breakfast ladies. Homemade jam (sorry Michael), croissants, eggs, prosciutto and fruit. Excellent coffees and the sunshine of Puglia.

After breakfast I changed into my second outfit (bathing suit) and the day pretty much went like this:

After pool time we made some lunch, orecchiette and zucchini, ricotta and lemon, salad with tuna, beans and capers, and pasta pomodoro. The girls helped me cook and learned to grate lemon rind. No pictures, but we all feasted. Then, in Puglian style, we all settled in for a nap.

Monopoli is really a special town. Ancient, comfortable, authentically Italian. The Passeggiata each night, no American tourists, no chain hotels. And the light! Limestone walls and buildings against a blue ocean, locals in the water, the man selling apricots in the three wheeled truck, all of it. It’s the way we imagine an Italian town.

We took a last stroll along the waterfront this morning. Brad in his natural habitat looking at boats and talking to fishermen.

Breakfast was gorgeous as always, and the view! Wish you could feel and smell the soft, salty air.

We checked out and walked to the park to have our car delivered because the streets are so narrow, it is only for pedestrians. Because we have no luggage (still) it was an easy walk. On our way we stopped at the local beach — like a scene from My Brilliant Friend.

We drove into the heart of the Val d’Itria to our Villa, which is nicer than the gorgeous pictures. The compound is remote, but breathtaking and the two houses are spectacular and commodious. We got there first and what did we find but a vegetable garden! First thing I did was pick zucchini! After all, there was no unpacking to do!

Next thing, we hear a meowing….. a new friend for the week! A bowl of milk goes a long way in making friends.

Everyone arrived, we had aperitivo as the sun set over the hills with the town of Ostuni glistening in the distance. We grilled three kinds of sausage and the zucchini, made a huge salad and drank great wine out on the terrazza until the kids fell to sleep. No pictures, you’ll just have to imagine it. More photos tomorrow.

So tomorrow the whole family was going to meet at the Villa we selected in 2021. The good: Jeff and his family have diverted a one day air strike and will be taking the train to Bari. The bad: our bags have not been found yet. The ugly: Kirsten and her family had their flight cancelled, and no rebooking till Monday, which means not here till Tuesday and Jet lagged and leaving Saturday. They are not coming. Very sad, very frustrating. We’re still trying to make peace with it, but we head to the Villa tomorrow with spare beds if anyone is interested.

So today we explored Monopoli, an historic Roman town that connected Rome to the East. 17 churches, a massive fort, fishing boats and a lovely town with lots of piazzas. We tried to do some clothes shopping (Brad is not a fan) and came up with a bathing suit for each, a dress for me and a pair of shorts for him before not speaking to each other for the long silent walk back.

We broke bread and made peace at a lovely restaurant with the most amazing fish.

The fish is so fresh, it smells and tastes heavenly. Puglian food has been so light and delicious! I ate gelato for dinner, which was exquisite as well.

We are licking our wounds and rallying for the rest of the week, but we are crestfallen. Nothing more to say tonight. Hoping for a better day tomorrow.

The many faces of Italy. We are in the South, the Deep South of Italy, the Mezzogiorno. This is where grandmothers hold sway, people discuss things loudly, and time crawls by. It’s intoxicating. You can spend the whole day doing almost nothing very comfortably. Nothing is expected of you, and relaxing is encouraged.

We have both commented that when we got here last night, after 20 hours of travel and lost luggage, we were underwhelmed by the town and disappointed with our room selection. But this morning, our room, which is in a separate building a block away from the main (10 room) hotel seemed really private and comforting. The neighborhood felt welcoming, the town quaint and interesting. It’s different here, even different from Sicily.

It is not a tourist spot, it’s the real Italy with clothes drying, dogs barking and cats everywhere. When I selected a hotel I picked a place where Italians go, and I got it. The breakfast, however, is tourist worthy.

We are heading out to buy bathing suits and sun screen and some underwear. If the bags don’t come, reconnaissance will have been done. And now a nap before lunch.