We’re off to Ostuni today. I remember a few years ago when we were taking the train from Bari to Brindisi – Antimo told us once we saw the “white” city of Ostuni to get our luggage together because the next stop would be ours. It was a good thing he warned us because the announcement of our stop on the train was not really audible. It was more like a mouth-full-of-marbles muffled voice of a McDonald’s drive-thru. And today, we get to visit the “white” city!
On the way to Ostuni, we stopped to see a couple of trulli houses by the side of the road.
Once we were in Ostuni, Antimo parked the car and we started walking to the old part of the city. Today I’m clueless how many steps we are walking because my Fitbit broke (add that to the list) and I’m without a watch or pedometer. I picked up a cute watch in a shop in Ostuni to help me manage my time, but I’ll still have to calculate the steps in my head. Before lunch, I can count my steps pretty well, but after a shared bottle of wine, I’m useless, so gave it up – counting the steps, not the wine!
Antimo goofing around with hats. Shall we call this his “mafia” look?
Do you see how wide the actual door is? It’s only 3 slats wide. I’d have to enter sideways!
We wandered down a few streets that had the most interesting entryways. The steps up to the front doors were everything from a few old marble steps to very steep stairs most without railings and then a skinny door to enter the property. I just don’t know how these people navigate (like with groceries) what looks to me to be a very dangerous entry.
In the town square, there were these cute little three-wheeled scooter trucks called Ape (Ah-Pee) with a back seat. These Apes were giving people city tours. Antimo told us his father had one they used as a farm truck back in the day. These had been converted to seating where the truck bed once was. Antimo inquired about riding one around the city and the next thing I knew we were sitting in the back seat and being tootled around the town.
What a thrill ride it was up and down narrow and steep streets. You definitely had to keep your arms and hands inside or risk your knuckles braizing the sides of the buildings. This street was actually walkable with steps on both sides.
This may be a good use for our luggage after this year.
Juussst missed…. you know how I’ve mentioned how people park their cars any which way, well here’s someone who couldn’t find a place to park their bike, so there it is on top of a pole above the rooftops.
On the way to pick up two more travelers from Portland who would be joining us, we stopped by a grove of olive trees, most of them certified with plaques as over 1,000 years old. The trunks of these olive trees are gnarly and shaped oddly which makes them so interesting to look at. It’s beyond my comprehension who the people were that planted them so many years ago.
Dinner was in Oria this evening with Bryan and Daniel. We had a delightful walk around the town before dinner. I accused Antimo of making reservations for 3 instead of 5 because surely 2 of us would be dead in the street before dinner – hit by a car or scooter. They could easily make a “Survivor” show here. As we turned each corner more cars would squeeze through the narrow streets. Just when you think a car couldn’t possibly come down a street, barely wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side, you were proven wrong. The countdown was on – who would survive the streets of Oria until dinner?
Ricardo’s clams and pasta.
My grilled squid.
Ending the day with gelato seems to becoming a habit. Oh well, go with the flow…… And just in case you are curious, Bryan and Daniel did survive the streets of Oria!
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