My Family in Puglia

The first part of the journey

Well, this was an interesting start to the short break in Italy with the whole family. Robert and Lauren drove down to Gatwick on Tuesday, to catch the early flight to Bari on Wednesday morning and we did the same on Wednesday for the morning flight on Thursday. Angela and the crowd were due in Bari on Friday. Michael, the Middle Smiths and Susan and I all flew together. I did feel for Gary and the crowd, as they decided not to stay at the airport the night before and left at 4 am on Thursday. Our flight was delayed for an hour and a half and we only arrived at Bari just after 1 pm. A good 9 hours of travelling for them, some say travelling can be fun.

After a little mix-up with the Car hire, we nominated Claudia as our driver and set off in an Audi Q3 for Monopoli, some 50km from Bari. Great driving from her and we parked in Monopoli just before 6 pm.

Susan and I wandered the streets of Monopoli to find our flat and after getting totally lost several times and finally Susan not trusting my navigation skill, asked a storekeeper for directions, Google is not reliable down south in Italy. He kindly walked us to our street and we found our landlord patiently waiting for us.

Monopoli

My advice is to get a taxi to your chosen place to stay. The streets are very narrow, so narrow that two fat people have to turn sideways. Sorry, that should be chubby people! You will have time to explore once settled in.

A vibrant town, full of Italians. On arrival we started with a walk around the streets of our small town and caught up with the Middle Smiths, Gary looking for a Grappa and Claudia resplendent in a Mediterranean style frock, Birkenstock shoes being her chosen footwear. After a walk around the town, we realised we had lost Claudia, turns out a handsome Italian was hitting on her and being in Italy, the poor girl had to respond. We rescued her but not before she decided we were eating at a restaurant on the beachfront with no one there. After much deliberation, we sat down and it was amazing. What seemed like a casual dinner of Fish, Pizza and Anti pasta superbly accompanied by a few bottles of Italian merlot, turned out to be one of our many memorable meals in this land filled with Italians. Great end to what was an otherwise trying day of travel.

Gary did make an interesting observation about all the places we stay and the beds we sleep in. We all say it’s only for one night but they add up and I am into my second night of not sleeping well, not sure if the delayed flights, getting lost and dodgy drivers, are worth it all.

The next morning we did a little sightseeing, a lovely little village with the centrepiece being a vast cathedral: old fort and very narrow alleyway, all in a colourful bright white. We eventually found the beach and the Adriatic Sea did impress, clean and not too cold, we all swam. The Fay’s found us and we did form a crowd on this little beach. Gary and I went off in search of flip-flops for Alex, as his Birkenstock were not worn in and hurting his feet. Our coffees were excellent, Gary opted for a double shot of Grappa, as one does in Italy. We were somewhat berated when we finally got back to the beach, why? Well, we did not have any flip-flops.

At this stage, we all had time to kill before moving on to Fasano, the venue of the grand Miles event.

We found a little tavern in the main part of Monopoli and decided it looked good for lunch. Oh, no, Jessica Fay was fashionable gluten intolerant. I could just see the look in their eyes, no customers and a table for 9 setup, and it was about to go pear-shaped. Along came the manager, yes we can do gluten intolerance, please sit, and we did.

Claudia did her normal Italian conversation with the manager and we sat down and waited for the menu. No, no menu, that enterprising manager and Claudia had come up with an Italian food experience, it started with some bread, sliced meat and cheese and then pizza slices and it did not stop until we cried enough. Loads of wine and coffee finished off what turned out to be an incredible meal of pure Italy. Thank you, Claudia, not sure who paid but it was well worth it.

Fasano

Left Monopoli en route to Fasano, where we are meeting all the family for the weekend. This time in a hotel, the Masseria Borgo Ritella, which has a great view overlooking the town. We arrived at just after 4 pm and were amazed at the grandeur of our home for the next two days. Robert and Lauren followed, much to Susan's joy and relief. Shortly on their heels was the Dickens family. Angela was especially impressed with the large welcome party. Great reunion and much hugging and smiling, Susan's aim was to just spend time with our family and Angelas' arrival ticked that box. From the balcony, you can see the whole town and the sea in the distance. From the edge of the hotel, all the way to the sea are olive trees, some are really old but the green trees make a lush carpet with mainly apartment blocks towering above. They describe the hotel as:

Masseria Borgo Ritella is an oasis of relaxation with a quiet swimming pool surrounded by greenery, among beautiful centuries-old olive trees and prickly pear trees. Between the hills and the sea, with breathtaking views and in a strategic position to visit the best of Fasano and Puglia.

After the greetings were over, we had a swim in the large pool and then it was pizza night. I must admit the rooms were very comfortable and we had a small plunge pool in our patio area. Great to sit and enjoy a glass of wine listening to the gurgle of the water.

Talking of arriving, cars were always a talking point, the Dickons family in a very fancy Lancia sedan, with more luggage than the car could cope with, but they managed and seemed relieved to have arrived safely. Robert and Lauren on the other hand had a big Jeep Renegade all to themselves. All seem to have had the car hire treatment, making hiring a car almost impossible and they put the steering wheel on the wrong side, what is that all about?

Talking of driving, I did notice that all traffic signs are merely cautionary and the traffic lights are just to give some colour. Claudia did stop at a red light and this did not go well with the traffic flow. I do believe that this caused some Italians the inconvenience of having to reconsider why she had stopped and hopefully make them more considerate drivers for 10 minutes. In all fairness to the Italian driver, they just seem to get on with it and road rage did not seem to be an issue.

Matthew did manage to repair the gate latch to his apartment at the hotel, shortly after our arrival. After that, everyone was able to settle in and enjoy the superb hotel and views over the valley.

Masseria Borgo Ritella (26th/28th May 2023)

It is always a treat to catch up with everyone after a long time apart. We swooped stories until late in the evening while enjoying pizzas of all varieties. My favourite pizza was the bolognese topping. Pizzas are all about the topping and after many different varieties, that came out the best.

The girls did excel and I was quite proud of our family and their behaviour.

Angela with an off-the-one-shoulder floral dress which complimented her beautiful eyes. Lauren in an earthy orange turned heads and Susan in a fetching red and white frock which accentuated her flowing lines, all making a statement of happiness. Claudia looked lovely in her black and white top and loose-fitting, comfortable slacks, definitely getting Gary’s attention.

Morning had broken, too the best morning. That is from a popular ballad I remember. Well, we woke to a day of sunshine, almost as if the gods were looking down favourable on the soon-to-be happy couple. Time for me to recharge my batteries while the others all went into town to explore the sights. Angela and Claudia wanted to see what the Italian shops were selling, always interesting for shopaholics. This is one of those places, the hotel I mean, where you seem to find the time to sit and think, life is hectic and we are all travelling through at lightning speed, so that, a time for reflection does ground us and we appreciate the simpler things which are normally right in front of us.

I am beginning to wonder what the Italians really eat. We have had the same type of food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, every day since we arrived. Selection of cold meats, bread, cheese, pizza, fruit and olives. Another thing I find strange is the coffee, everyone either has an espresso or a cappuccino and bottled water. I prefer a ‘Long’ which is two shots of coffee with a small amount of hot water added and a teaspoon of milk. This is something the Italians cannot master.

As we were there for a wedding, certain areas are off-limits for a while, giving them time to set up for the big occasion. I hoped to get a few photographs of the happy event as it unfolds. But, alas, things did conspire against me and I was told not to do any photography, as the official photographer was the only one allowed to record this happy event.

Michael does seem quite excited, anyone would have thought he was getting married. That boy does love a good wedding. Enough said as I would never want to steal the show from those pledging eternal love. Well, eternal does seem like a long time, but I do honestly wish them a lifetime of happiness. If they have what Susan and I have had, for the past 33 years, it would be amazing.

This was an evening when the magic shone through, even in those champagnes-filled hours, someone, by just being there, enhanced the magic. The evening was filled with beautifully dressed people, mostly young and confident. The bride looked stunning and I will write more on that at a later date. This image of Gemma captured the mood and fun of the night and spoke of the celebration and wonder of a time, never to be forgotten.

This was a wedding that ticked all the boxes, great venue, great people and well-organised. I can only say a deep thank you to the Miles family and friends who made us feel welcome and included, thank you. These events last for maybe two days and you all excelled. Life has a way of rewarding those who are generous to a fault. For those who are wondering what the day was really like, that is for another blog, I am waiting on the official photos from the wedding to enhance this wonderful occasion.

Next blog, Ostuni and the White City