Bari, Apulia, Italy

Bari Old Port

Planning any holiday with the Hub is never easy. He doesn't have leave, couldn't take any etc. I have therefore decided that I will just plan a trip for myself and the kids and ask the guy if he wishes to tag along. That usually gets him out of his "dunno can or not" refrain and then he would go whining at the kids that mommy didn't want him to come along. This way we managed to set out for Bari Capital of Apulia over the long weekend - insieme.

A street in old Bari

We flew with Ryanair to Bari Palese and hired a car for the duration of our trip. It was a tough Friday morning as the flight was at 6:30am. We checked in to our room at the 4* Mercure Villa Romanazzi Carducci and were tempted to sleep, but decided against it and set out to visit the city instead.

Mercure Villa Romanazzi Carducci

Actually our jaws dropped as we drove from the airport to our hotel. Not in awe but in horror. Bari made Modena look beautiful. There wasn't much of any landscape to talk about (except the occasional olive tree) and the buildings (many many flats) were ugly, haphazardly constructed and often surrounded by weirdly built roads. And boy do the people in Bari drive badly and dangerously. And honk indiscriminately. In fact in certain areas they actually put up no-honking signs to remind drivers not to honk!

The hotel's garden

The hotel was near the train station and was built next to the railway tracks. Once inside its gates however, you would discover a beautiful landscaped garden with huge palm trees, an outdoor pool, a gorgeous villa for receptions and a modern building housing the rooms (usually huge), gym, sauna etc. The rooms were expensive but we had no choice as decent hotel rooms are expensive everywhere in Bari. They charge you even for small children (e.g. 42 euros per child per night) which would be fine if they didn't give you a creaky sofa-bed that sunk in the middle.


We had it from different sources that Bari could be seedy and dangerous (drugs, organised crime etc) though to be fair we hadn't had any trouble during our stay and in the day at least the city seemed well patrolled by policemen in smart uniforms. Of course we didn't venture out into town after dark and that probably helped.

Lungomare

Bari however was saved by its location by the sea. The old town has a lovely esplanade flanked by majestic stone buildings leading to a small sandy beach. This is an important point as in most parts in Italy, you pay to access the beach (ridiculous, isn't it?). La spaggia libera is rare and once the season begins whatever little of it will soon be covered. We spent a lovely morning there - but there was no shower available and we had to clean the children in the freezing sea water. Shivers.



Bari's Basilica di San Nicola is also the resting place for Saint Nicolas of Myra otherwise known as Father Christmas. From its port, ships leave for Greece, Albania, Croatia and Egypt. It also has a fish market just by the port and fishing boats would park right in front of it with their daily catch.


The best thing about Bari probably would be the excursions that you would be able to make easily from the city. Near Bari are a few UNESCO heritage sites like the Trulli in Alberobello, Castel del Monte and Sassi di Matera (where Gibson filmed the Last Passion of Christ). If you have to bring the kids to an amusement park, Fasano's Zoosafari and Fasanolandia could be an option. Otherwise, there are beautiful villages by the sea like Trani (also known for its romanesque church) and Polignano a Mare and even a shopping outlet village at Molfetta. And of course we mustn't forget le Grotte di Castellana.

Bari and its region are known for its pasta : orecchiette or "little ears". It's made with hard flour and water rolled into sausage shapes and then cut into little disks with a knife. They are then pressed with a thumb to resemble little ears that catch and hold the pasta sauce. Seafood is also widely available though after a few meals of seafood risotto, seafood pasta and grilled seafood, I started feeling quesy and was craving for just a bowl of hot soup with rice vermicelli. Mention must be made though of its bread aka Pane Pugliese : it's excellent.