Taking it easy

Today was one of those leisurely days, where we didn't really do a whole lot and it's just what we needed. In the rush of wanting to see important things when travelling, sometimes you can forget to relax. So, we spent the morning wandering the streets of the little town we're based in, experiencing their daily routines and enjoying a coffee in the piazza with the locals, watching the world go by.

Pallo del Colle while small is still a busy place and people hoon around in their little cars and Vespas. We enjoyed wandering through the narrow streets, greeting the locals as we came across them. We called into the town's three churches and admired pretty frescoes and altars.

 

 

We went back to our apartment for a little rest and planned a lunch stop in town. Shannon checked up on Tripadvisor, which is generally reliable and we came across a restaurant that looked good. We arrived at 12:45 and there were no other customers. We thought maybe they'd decided to shut, but the door was open so we hesitantly ventured in. I asked the young girl at the front counter if we could have a table for two. She glanced at her mother, clearly the chef, who promptly replied yes! She cooked us a lovely lunch of pasta orecchiette for me and a lemon, rosemary risotto for Shannon, followed by roast pork. We only saw two other people come in during our time there and were grateful they opened up for us.

We gave our host Mimmo a call and he took us to his car park to collect our car. We then drove to Bari to meet Tony and Norma. We spent time catching up with them...at the bar....then with ice-cream...then a lovely dinner in town. Tomorrow we will spend the day together exploring Matera, but more about that tomorrow!

Side note - if you ever find yourself in Southern Italy, make sure you try the Pasticiotta. It's most famous in Lecce, but today we had an even better one in Bari. Crispy, sweet shortbread tart filled with a creamy custard on the inside. Delicious!