What a great trip it’s been ! Today I headed to the Uk to catch up with friends and family . I lived there for almost 16 years so for me it’s a real homecoming . I thought how do I conclude my blog for now ? Then it seemed natural since so much of this trip through 4 countries has focused on food I thought I’d leave you with images of the amazing meals and food experiences we shared in Croatia, Montenegro, Greece and of course Italy . From complex cuisine to simple beautifully prepared everyday food it’s been a pleasure. They say food is culture, so if that’s true I’m very cultured right now lol. Catch you soon !

So, we checked out of our hotel this morning reluctantly. I think of all the hotels we stayed at this one was the best. Last night after a long hit day walking through Lecce we sat by the pool cooling off when suddenly the owner appeared with bowls full of melon and salty snacks for us. This hospitality was typical of our entire stay and we got very comfortable here.

So we packed our bags and hopped in the car with one more stop Alberobello.

This small town is famous for its trullo buildings . These small huts built entirely by stacking blocks and stones together without mortar have been built this way since the 1400s. Apparently, there was a tax on permanent buildings but if the structures were without mortar they couldn’t be taxed

Not much has changed here in Italy !

Really fascinating landscape as you walked through the village . No wonder UNESCO declared it a world heritage site

So, I fell in love with the Puglia region and especially Lecce. We came to the area to track down John’s family but I discovered a part of Italy I hadn’t known before . Beautiful coastal towns, Baroque architecture, amazing beaches, crystal water and simple but amazing food.

Of all the places Lecce really stands out. This beautiful Baroque city built from a light yellow limestone and a white sandstone captured me.

Our hotel was reasonable even though it was tucked inside a 16th century building in a small town just outside of Lecce filled with small cafes and restaurants.

The area demands we return and I’m already looking forward to it . Now I’m going to do something I seldom do … just let you see the photos and plan your own trip to Puglia

I first went to Pompei about 38 years ago. It was uncrowded and their were few restriction on where you could walk or climb as the case may be .

I remember wandering through the ruins thinking how sudden and tragic these lives ended. One minute living the next gone as ash and poison gas rained down on the residents

I remember being a bit freaked out by the molds made from the harden ash that allowed us to see with body position and facial expressions how many of the thousands who died perished

This trip was completely different . First it was jammed and tightly controlled. Rightfully they have roped off areas that were fragile and put in place measures to control the crowds . It seemed more museum than mausoleum and the focus on the history and life of the time was definitely emphasized. I think in this case Mass Tourism has made the experience more educational and less voyeuristic. I usually hate mass tourism despite being part of it ( if you’ve been to Stonehenge lately you can see how mass tourism has destroyed the experience in the name of conservation and profit) but here I think it’s given it more context and more gravity

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I’m glad I went and for once crowds have resulted in a better experience.

So, on this trip back to Italy we had two goals

Explore Puglia and search for John’s family which came from the region of Foggia. So, I looked for a place to stay that was interesting and off the beaten path and found Bisceglie.

A small fishing village just south of Trani, Bisceglie has yet to be discovered by tourists. We literally were the only non Italian speakers there

Situated on a small harbor we booked a house boat facing the shore and watched the fishermen come back every morning and sell their catch to the seafood merchant right on the Marina We would walk to breakfast at a small cafe every morning and see the fishermen mending their nets ready for the next day

It was the perfect base . It allowed us to make trips to various parts of Puglia while still coming home every night to our floating hotel. We Had some major great meals here translating the menu on the fly . We made a few trips to Trani a more popular destination next door but frankly everything we needed was right in Bisceglie .

I know it’s hard to believe but when I was a kid I was a bit of a geek. Lol. I was obsessed by Archaeology and Greek and Roman mythology . My mom used to take me to presentations at the San Diego Archaeological Society so I learned all about excavations in Turkey, Italy , Greece and Egypt.

I used to lie on the floor of the living room of my childhood home writing reports about Ancient Greece . They weren’t for any class they were just for “ fun”. Like I said a bit of a geek

All my life I had read about Delphi. Home to the famed mystical oracle of Apollo . People literally came from around the Hellenic world to seek the advice from the famed oracle . The advice was always a bit nebulous like the time she told a king when asked if he should go to war “that a great empire would fall “ he didn’t quite get it that the empire was his own.

Delphi was adorned with gold and marble statutes from cities and rich individuals who sought advice from the Oracle and sought to one up each other in terms of opulence .

The Oracles high priestess was Pythia. Named after the Pythian beast Apollo slayed on the spot to control this holy ground.

Science has determined that it wasn’t so much prophecy being dispersed as the hallucinations from the ethylene rising naturally from fissures in the ground. The gas produces a narcotic effect..perfect for a soothsaying prophetess . An earthquake in 400 AD ended the gas leak and they were out of business

Our fantastic private guide we hired tried to create a rich image of the place. Imagine a pagan Vatican . It suddenly was clear to me.

Visiting Delphi really was the culmination of a childhood immersed in ancient history and myth . The geek in me was very happy !

Wrapping up our trip to Greece. Tomorrow we head to Italy for a couple of weeks . I love Italy but I have to say Greece really surprised me. When I thought of Greece I thought about sun drenched islands and beaches.

On this trip I discovered a whole different place . Mountainous and almost Alpine visiting Meteora and Delphi has really changed my perspective.

Today on our way back to Athens we stumbled on to Arachova . A beautiful mountain town glued to the side of a steep slab of granite.

Beautiful shops, cafes and scenic vistas. I really need to come back to Greece again and again

So, when I was planning the Greece trip I wanted to visit places that weren’t just beach and city. A few people had suggested going to Meteora. I had vaguely heard of it but other than it consisting of several monasteries on rocks I really didn’t know much.

Wow , that’s all I can say . 10 monasteries more than 600 years old impossibly perched on huge massive boulders hundreds of feet high dominate the scenery.

At one time there were 40 monasteries but today only 10 remain . The government has been investing money heavily to rebuild and restore the ones still remaining but it’s daunting

I just had to sit and contemplate how these were built hundreds of years ago with nothing more than some ropes and pulleys.

Visually I can’t even describe it and photos don’t capture the beauty of this place .

If you get to Greece make the trek north to see this impossible place . However, be warned. We climbed probably 3000 steps and walked about 5 miles to see the monasteries we saw . You’ll definitely get your cardio for the day !!

Not much to say … I seldom go on organized tours . I prefer to read and walk and absorb . However, the one tour I always sign up for whenever I can is a private walking food tour. Food is culture and no better way to try and understand it but from the way people cook, prepare food and eat it . We’ve been on amazing food experiences in Thailand, Vietnam, Croatia and several in Italy.

So, I signed up for one in Greece .. it did not disappoint. No need for words . The pics explain it all. Almost all . Of course we started in my favorite place in any city ..the market

Then we ate …and cooked and ate and drank

The only pics that might be confusing is the incredible Greek coffee I had. They combine coffee and water and then slowly cook it in sand heated to 225 degrees and let it slowly heat. Not sure I’d be doing this at home but the coffee was great !

Despite all that I still managed to have a fantastic dinner outside with the Acropolis as my back drop ! Just a Greek salad …where do they get these tomatoes? So delicious

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I was trying to think when the last time I was actually in Athens was. I’ve changed planes here numerous times on my way to or from visiting my sister Carolyn in Cyprus but the last time I actually stayed here has to have been 2003 or so.

So 20 years later I’m revisiting and much has changed but much has remained the same . It’s still a big gritty city of 5 million . Graffiti seems to adorn everything from sidewalks to street fronts and the buildings still remain nondescript from their building in the 60s when Athens boomed and remain as tired as ever after Greece survived a 2006-2009 recession.

However, it’s still a fantastic city and great place to explore. What I noticed most is the vibrancy of the people and the hustle bustle . I also notice whole neighborhoods being reclaimed and becoming full of interesting cafes and music spots. When I first came to Athens life centered around Syntagma square. Now areas like Psyri, Plaka , Gazi are chocked full of bars and cafes going late into the night

Of course there is that whole history thing which overwhelms in the best possible way . The Acropolis , The Parthenon . The Temple of Athena , The Temple of Hephaestus, Hadrians Library and countless others . The difference this time is they are more accessible , well maintained , undergoing massive preservation and renovation fueled by pretty substantial resources from the EU.

The new Acropolis museum is mind blowing and presents history in a context that’s very easy to follow . the metro is clean cheap and very efficient.

I definitely think you need a minimum of three days to explore the sights and sounds here . I’ve spoken often of how destructive Mass Tourism has become while being part of mass tourism. I think here the Greeks have gone a great job of diffusing it, creating real context for tourists to absorb it and provide first rate experiences for people exploring it. Last night we went to a play that condensed major Greek literary contributions into an hour . It was a worthy objective . As I set on top of a building listening to the stories of Prometheus, Antigone,Medea and a few others with the Acropolis as a backdrop and a setting sun I felt quite glad we made the decision to linger here in Athens.Yes the Acropolis is still jammed from 10am to 2 but you can avoid it and sit in a nice cafe waiting for the hordes to go back to their ships and then it’s all yours