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Back in monopoli

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 We stayed here last year and I really enjoyed it, smallish old town, good food, bars, meandering little streets and walkways, surprising things behind big doors. I still like it, totally worth a visit. The weather was cooler again this morning, cool enough to send me back into my room to grab a long sleeved shirt, and even then I felt I needed to shelter from the wind.  Basilica Concattedrale di Maria Santissima della Madia is the name of this beautiful church but there are 18 others to choose from, including one which has depictions of death on the door, mummified administrators in the crypt and is a place to go and pray for those in limbo - it's a purgatory church. Today there were three weddings at the Basilica and honestly, we need to up our game in terms of wedding clothes. The prize went to the couple who both were a deep purple - his suit and her dress. Men were mostly in sneakers with their Italian suits, and it was all sparkle and gold for shoes for the women. It was a fe
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on a bike again

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 I gave myself three days in Gallipoli because there was a day cycle tour that looked interesting from that little town with Salento Bici Tours. As is sometimes the case, the booking form defaulted to two people - seems it was. not possible for a solo traveller to book - this was resolved with an email to the company. I only point this out because it happened to me in Bordeaux years ago. I get that if you are a tour operator and you want 10 bums on bikes, a person like me mucks up you maximising numbers, but sometimes there are more than one solo traveller in the world at any given time who may want to bike. This can also happen in restaurants when travelling, but enough said on that. 9 am meeting at the train station, and a mint green bike for the day. We are cycling 20 ks to a villa for a cooking course, a three course meal and a swim. We are a group of 6, a french woman cycling Salento area for 6 days, an Italian couple from Bologna and Guilia and Laura, sporty spices from Lecce and
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Gotta keep up with me

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 And.. on the move again.  Another day of travelling yesterday.  Walk to the Ostuni bus stop - bus to the Ostuni train station - train to Lecce - caffe lecesse & pasticotto while I wile away an hour - train to Gallipoli which is (not in Turkey) on the west coast of Puglia. (Sorry, i have to keep pointing that out, soooo many people presume it is the one associated with ANZAC etc). I'm in the old town in the most beautiful apartment - beautifully decorated, spacious, terasa and mezzanine bedroom. Loving it. There is even a well in the portico before ascending the stairs to the apartments. B & B Corte Kampanes if you are ever over in this part of the woods.  The old town is joined to the new part by a bridge, and was a fortified city in its time. Surrounded by little fishing boats, streets with ochre coloured buildings. Washing hanging out windows, vintage vespas, beautiful linen shops.. what more could I want. Of course the menus are full of seafood dishes, which, as those w
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