DAY EIGHT
FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2024
LA DOLCE VITA IN POLIGNANO A MARE
Today we were headed to the charming seaside town of Polignano a Mare. On the itinerary we were supposed to go stand-up paddleboarding around the grottoes there, but the water was too choppy that day so instead we went on a tuk-tuk tour of the area. Pulling into the town it was already beautiful even in the parking lot, with this dusting of purple flowers and the bright blue water and sky.
We continued driving in the tuk-tuks and found our way to the central square of the town, home to a statue honoring Polignano a Mare native Domenico Modungo, writer and performer of “Nel blu dipinto di blu” (better known as Volare).
We then made one final loop in the tuk-tuks to check out the rest of the coastline, before coming back to the main square.
After saying goodbye to our drivers, we set out as a group to explore the town, starting with its most famous view:
A few people wanted to visit a jewelry store, so we stopped there before splitting off for some afternoon free time around the town.
Leaving the store we “split up,” though I think most if not all of us went together to have a drink and a snack at a little cafe. I had an amaretto spritz and shared a truly delicious bruschetta + mozzarella with Carina.
We were right next to a cute boho clothing store, so some shopping inevitably happened amid the aperitif.
After our quick break, some people split off with specific shopping goals, and some went to have a more sit-down lunch. I was satiated from the bruschetta, so set out to just walk around the cute town and take some pictures, eventually catching up with everyone since it’s a pretty small town.
It wasn’t long before I ran into Kristen, and we ended up walking around the shops together.
Work inevitably following me on vacation.
We eventually found ourselves back at the cafe where we had our drink and snack earlier, as we wanted a pick-me-up. Kristen had heard about a “Caffé Speciale” that was local to Polignano a Mare: a drink with hot coffee, amaretto, cream, sugar, and lemon peel. It was genuinely delicious, and I only wish it was a bigger portion!
This was pre-drinking. Could’ve had three of them!
We met back up with the group, and made our way to the bus after a lovely day exploring this cute town. I love that over many of the streets, they have the lyrics to “Volare” along with musical notes, which all light up at night. Reminds me, maybe not ironically, of Little Italy in NYC.
Leaving Polignano, we found our way to our hotel in Bari. We had some free time in the late afternoon before our farewell dinner, so I settled into my (giant) room and wandered around the very pretty grounds.
After wandering for a little bit, I ran into Melissa, Carina, and Minesh and we stopped and had a drink and aperitif in the outdoor cafe area.
Doubling up with a caffe and Aperol spritz
Finally, it was time for our last dinner as a group. The trip flew by so fast! We gathered in the hotel’s restaurant and enjoyed a multi-course meal while reminiscing about our favorite moments of the last week.
For dinner, I had the burrata-stuffed ravioli with cacio e pepe fondue, the sausages & potato, and the fruit and semifreddo dessert. All very nice!
