Poligano a Mare

Let's talk about this gorgeousness. 

You remember that lunch that I sat in Bari with the three young Australian women? The kept talking about a place they referred affectionately as 'Poli', saying how beautiful it was, so having sussed most of the churches in Monopoli, walked the port and tried to find a place to swim, we decided to jump on the train and go to 'Poli'.  It's 20 minutes away by train - imagine that, two such iconic towns so close together. 

Of course it took almost  as  long to get the ticket machine to spit the tickets out - the stress added to by the fact that the train was due in 2 minutes and there was a queue behind me as I tried to battle the ticket war. 

The old town of labyrinth-like streets is smaller than Monopoli, there being another vaguely younger part with cobbled gridlike streets adjacent to it.  You have to imagine that this part of the world built their villages with the aim to reduce the intense heat - and, remembering the streets of Korcula in Croatia, curving around in some instances to reduce the prevailing winds. Houses were whitewashed  - a middle range creeping towards Greek colours.

I am a bit fixated by the gorgeous street numbers on the buildings in Italy and keep thinking I may find a shop that sells them - I can't be the only tragic traveller who wants to take a bit of Italy home to add to their house, surely!

The main tourist attraction, if you will, is the beach called Cala Porto. We found the viewing spot that most of the photos on any tourist trail have been shot from - truly beautiful. We didn't wend our way down to swim there (gotta love the way that it's always described as a sandy beach - it isn't - it's sharp pebbles that need reef shoes and a spine that is not like mine to lie comfortably on) but the main reason is that those intrepid friends who have gone before us have questioned the pristine-ness. Not so clean. Beach a bit littered, a bit smelly... But the photos are great!

The whole town has gorgeous little corners with plants and pots. There are a lot of ceramic shops in the streets, and the pots for sale are everywhere on terasa's and stairs.  No street numbers for sale though, despite my asking.

The guy who sang 'Volare' came from Poligano a Mare (not Dean Martin) - Dominico Mudguno- and his statue is of course in one of the piazzas.

I suddenly needed something to eat and drink - we are still on the caffe lecesse buzz, so sat in the piazza and thought about that. I was also thinking a crepe with lemon juice and sugar. The waiter said yes, yes,  - I said 'limone' and mimed squeezing a limone on the crepe and rolling it...*sigh* - this Italian obsession with Nutella. Crepe, crispy (not soft) filled  with nutella (chocolate hazelnut sweet sickly sweet spread) with nutella dribbled on the top, and then two scoops of limone gelato. I tried, honestly, I tried. And then I walked around saying how 'ick' I felt, how I wanted to drink limone juice to try to neutralise that sickly sweet. I'll know for next time!