Volare

We wake up and go downstairs, yes we are in another room that involves a stair stepper, in fact three flights worth this time.

Breakfast on the Street

Breakfast is outside in the alley/street of our BNB. It is a decent spread of croissant, cappuccino, cheers, bruschetta, focaccia, and a fig tart. It is sunny but a little on the cool side. After breakfast, we start to explore the small town. We walk to a few viewpoints that overlook the sea which is a much bluer color today thanks to the sun. Across from the BNB is the small church of St Stefano which is now a small art gallery. We go back around the corner to visit the Matrice di S Maria Assunte Church we went in yesterday. Parts of the church date back to 672 A.D. and then rebuilt in 1295 and 1580.

Incredible Organ

It has a beautiful organ from the early 18th century which still works and a wooden painted ceiling from 1720 with scenes of the martyrdom of St Vitus. There is a unique balcony above the alter where the relics of saints are kept. We continue exploring this beautiful small town, passing a beach and then coming to a statue of Domenico Modugno. He lived in this town and is the one who wrote the song Volare, which has been sung by many Italian American singers including Dean Martin. I sing in front of the statue but the locals do not seem like they are impressed. We climb down some nearby steps and then onto the rocky coastline. We just sit soaking up the sun and watching the waves crash up against the rocks. The day is really turning out nice and we leave our rocky perch and follow a road that hugs the coast. We see a swimming hole below with people enjoying the water but continue on beyond it. Coming to a walkway, we follow it down to a small rocky area where a local is cleaning his small fishing boat. We cross the area and walk along a sidewalk to another beach area where people are lounging and talking. It looks more like a boat launch area than a beac but we sit there for a little bit. I decide that I need to swim and so I strip down to my Italian bathing suit underwear and slowly lower myself into the water. Once I get in, the water is quite nice and I stay in for quite a while before exiting to dry off.
When we are ready to go we notice a man with a bucket walking to the end of the concrete walkway.

Octopus Abuser

When he gets there, he takes an octopus out of the bucket and starts beating it against the concrete. He does it repeatedly which makes me think he is not just trying to kill it but tenderize it as well. As we walk by he takes another one out and does it again. It doesn’t seem like a great way to prepare it for a meal but who knows? We leave the swimming area and decide to see if we can find a place for a late lunch. I have a place written down that is off the tourist path and we walk about a mile to see if it is open. It also lets us see the newer part of town as we walk. When we arrive at the restaurant, it is still open and there are only locals eating here. They have different items in a display case and you choose what you want and then they heat it for you. I ask in Italian what some meatballs are and am surprised when she answers in English. I told her I was not expecting that as this is not an area where it seems tourists would go. She says she learned English when she spent some time with family in Chicago. We order a pasta dish, lasagna, meatballs and grilled eggplant and zucchini. As we eat, we chat with Anna, and Carol says she really liked the lasagna. It is made differently then we are used to with thinner noodles and a creamier sauce.

Friendly Girls

After a bit Anna went in back and then the chef came out to talk with us. He tells us he learned to cook in Rimini which is where lasagna came from and that the creamy sauce is a bechamel. We have made that sauce ourself in a baked sausage and penne dish we make. We tell him it was delicious. After our meal we end up spending another hour talking to Anna and the chef. After a bit she offered us a shot of limoncello. It always seems like when you are nice to the waiters or owners and spend some time talking with them, that they offer you a complimentary aperitif. We finally say goodbye and walk back to our BNB. The rest of the afternoon is spent reading and journaling on our rooftop terrace. Our late lunch was so filling that we skip dinner and just stay in for the evening. Tomorrow we drive across Italy back to the coast we started on. Time to get some sleep.
Expenses
Rental Car 90.3E
Parking 10E
Lunch at L’Officina Dei Sapori 25E
Casa Doris BNB 60E
Walked 5.5 Miles