Bari, Italy: Where the Past Smells Like Salt and Espresso (and My Drumsticks Got a Little Rusty)
okay, so bari. i didn’t plan to end up in bari. touring with the band kinda throws your itinerary out the window, you know? one minute we’re in berlin, the next i’m staring at a map trying to figure out where i am. apparently, it’s southern italy. lovely.
my drumsticks are probably weeping. i haven’t touched them properly in days. the humidity is…aggressive. i just checked and it’s clinging to everything like a lovesick octopus. hope you like that kind of thing. it’s 13.81°c, feels like 12.11, which is basically “bring a sweater and a prayer.” pressure’s at 1007, humidity’s a solid 33%, so… yeah.
but honestly? it’s kinda amazing. the old town, Bari Vecchia, is a labyrinth. i got lost at least three times, and each time i stumbled upon something incredible - a tiny workshop where a guy was hand-making leather sandals, a nonna hanging laundry out of a window, the smell of fresh bread wafting from a hidden bakery. i’m seriously considering just ditching the band and opening a drum shop/bakery combo.
food. oh god, the food. i’ve been living on orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta) with cime di rapa (broccoli rabe). it’s simple, it’s delicious, and it’s everywhere. someone told me that the best orecchiette in bari is at a tiny place called Trattoria La Piazza - apparently, you have to queue for an hour, but it’s worth it. i haven’t tried it yet, but it’s on the list. i also had some sgagliozze, which are fried polenta squares. basically, italian donuts. don’t judge me.
“Apparently, if you ask for tap water, they’ll look at you like you’ve grown a second head. Always order bottled.”
that was drunk advice i overheard at a bar last night. seemed legit. i’m sticking to bottled.
and the people! everyone’s so…loud. in a good way. passionate. i’m used to the quiet professionalism of european tour life, so this is a nice change of pace. if you get bored, molfetta and ruvo di Puglia are just a short drive away. i’m thinking of checking them out tomorrow.
“Don’t even think about trying to parallel park. Just…don’t.”
that was something a local warned me about. i’m taking that to heart. i’m walking everywhere. my drumsticks are safe, and my sanity is (mostly) intact.
getting around is easy enough. there’s a decent bus system, and taxis are relatively cheap. i found a few good spots on TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g194701-Bari_Province_of_Bari_Apulia.html. Yelp is a bit sparse, but there are some hidden gems if you dig deep https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=restaurants&find_loc=Bari%2C+Italy. I also found a really helpful forum with local tips https://www.baritour.it/en/.
okay, gotta go. i think i hear a nonna yelling at me from across the street. probably because i’m staring at her laundry. it’s a beautiful chaos, this place. i’m kinda digging it.
check out some more italian travel blogs here: https://www.italyheaven.co.uk/ and https://www.theplanetd.com/italy-travel-guide/
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