Road Trip Through Southern Italy – Bari, Giovinazzo & Monopoli, Puglia
After having been to Naples, Pompeii and Ischia, I dropped my friends off at the station, and later picked up another one, with whom I continued my trip. We headed on to Bari, which was our base for the next days full of exploring Puglia, according to many, the most beautiful part of Italy.
Puglia is located just at the heel of Italy, and famous for its little towns and beautiful, crystal clear water. As we were there in April, it was not yet time to go swimming, but at least we were able to explore all these beautiful places without masses of tourists.
We arrived in Bari late at night, and therefore started the next day fresh into exploring Giovinazzo, of course, I had some trouble with my car, so also this part of the trip stated not as smooth as initially planned. When we finally arrived in Giovinazzo, it was already time for lunch, so we immediately went on having some fantastic Italian Pasta.
Giovinazzo is a cute little town, just next to the sea, with lots of buildings made out of sandstone; therefore, it has a gorgeous beige colour. As we were pretty early regarding the season, we were nearly the only tourists in town and got to experience everything in a calm way. The only things we heard were the waves and some occasional church bells. Giovinazzo has a charming square with a church, which is perfect for a little break or some ice cream. I guess every Italian square fits just perfect for an ice cream stop.
For the evening, we decided to head to Monopoli. I guess the name of the city reminds you all of the game monopoly? Well, actually Monopoli is another, a bit bigger, Italian town next to the sea. I just loved how, due to the form of the landscape that resembles a heel, no matter where you are, the sea is always close by.
Monopoli is very similar to Giovinazzo, but there are even more cute alleys and churches. We decided to have a little break at the haven and watch some fishermen prepare their work.
But now, let’s talk about Bari, our home base during our time in Puglia. Bari is the capital of Puglia and can’t be compared to the little towns mentioned before. Bari has a charming old town, with lots of cafés and restaurants, and that’s why we chose to stay there. We went off to explore the surroundings during the day, but at night we always headed there for dinner and some shopping.
Just next to the sea, the Castello Normanno Svevo is located, and when surrounding it, you have an excellent view over the whole harbour and the coast of the city, as you can see on the title picture. To be honest, I know that lots of people dislike Bari, as it is a bit more industrial than other cities, but I quite liked that, as the other towns were nearly empty, and in Bari there was life, and it was nice visiting some shops and enjoying some city life. Of course, during summer, you might enjoy the little towns in the surroundings way more than the hustle and bustle of the city, but the moderate spring temperatures were quite perfect for both.
On our last day in Bari, we went to Lecce, one of the prettiest towns I have ever seen, an I can’t wait to tell you all about this, and Alberobello and Matera, next week, as I thought otherwise this week’s blog post could get quite crammed together. Hopefully, you are enjoying your first week of July, and I can’t wait to tell you all about my current trips very soon!
