Brindisi

Brindisi is a little chaotic, if you are looking for something specific. First we take the wrong street because there is no sign guiding us to the train station, then we look for the bus station, running up and down, until we were getting really tired so we sit down in a café and decide to have some breakfast. The waiter advises us to by the bus tickets in the tabacco shop around the corner (?!) which I did. There they are 60 Cent cheaper. With their instruction we eventually find the right bus station.

The hostel was very disappointing after all the other wonderful places we stayed until now. Rooms are dirty, noisy and everywhere are "Don't-do-this-don't-do-that"-signs. Not even one thing promised to be included in the price was actually happening. No free pick up from the ferry, no internet, no bike rental, no drop off at the airport. Not to forget the breakfast offered was lousy.

I didn't like Brindisi at all. It is a place that is used as a transfer to other destinations, and thats exactly the flair of the town. So we decide to take a train to Lecce the next day and rent cycles. We wanted to cycle to the San Cataldo beach. What we didn't know - there is no road for cycles to the beach. So we find ourselves cycling alongside the speed road in 30° C - 26 km back and forth in blazing heat. I looked like a fried lobster in the evening... Unfortunately the beach was really boring and not worth the effort at all.

The evening was nice, we bought a bottle wine, delicious Olives and bread and watch the sunset at the harbour. A few hours after an excellent lunch with calamari and home made pasta the next day we are sitting in the plane to Munich. Two weeks of sunshine, adventure and encounters with wonderful people - it was a great experience!

Corfu

28. Juli – 02. August 2011

We are sitting in the train to Brindisi with mixed emotions. Would we be able to travel to Greece without Aren's passport? Our plan is to catch the ferry to Corfu, Greece. It's a huge ship that travels 6 hours over night, and we have booked tickets for the Deck with no assigned seats, because they were the cheapest. Before check in we are enjoying a refreshing shot of “Limoncello”.

We were told that the police hardly checks papers but still it's a funny feeling as we enter the ship. So here we go, fighting for two deck chairs and realizing that we should have brought some food and drinks. The entire night there was a light drizzle, a little uncomfortable since we are sleeping under the stars.

And really, no one is checking the papers and there we are the next morning – IN GREECE!

We are told the taxi drivers are on strike so we walk to the bus station. The bus is already standing there but it is supposed to leave around 7 am so we have an hour and sit opposite in the park, as Aren sees

the driver getting into the bus and starting the motor. We jump up and run and find out, there is a one hour time difference, it was already 7 am…! Our ignorance...

The ancient bus brings us through green hills along idyllic coast lines and tranquil land to a sleepy little town called Pelekas. The only irritation was that the bus drops us in the middle of nowhere. We had no idea if we should walk up or downhill, no signboards at all. I decide to call up Elvira and Petros from the guest house that we booked, and Petros picks up immediately.What a sweet couple they are! 70 plus, but very active, joyful and loving. Elvira is like a mama to us and Petros is a man with a constant smile on his face. His favourite saying is "mach ma langsam". Both speak German, as they have lived for 10 years in Bayreuth.

After checking into our tiny but comfortable room we are taking a walk into the village and decide to hire a scooter.Seriously, a scooter is the best way to get around in Corfu! Pelekas is a small typical Corfu inland village with narrow streets and traditional churches, close to a series of spectacular beaches on the island's stunning west coast, some of which we discovered with the scooter. Aren went fishing, and Elvira and Petros were excited to taste Aren's indian style fish curry.

One of the best beaches of Corfu we have visited was Glyfada. It is a wonderful sandy beach surrounded by hills covered with olive and pine trees and crystal water. I have never seen a beach as clean as this. This is how I imagine the Caribbean. We stayed until evening and enjoy the most beautiful and spectacular sunset.

The last afternoon and evening we stroll through the streets of Kerkyra, from where we catch the ship back to Brindisi. Pelekas is a great place to relax, and we had a very slow and quiet weekend.

 

 

Puglia

24.-27. Juli 2011

Our Train is leaving from Rome Termini in the night. Shortly after we made ourselves comfortable we are dozing off. I wake up feeling quite dizzy, looking around and I realize our googles are missing. It takes a little time until I realize that Aren’s daypack is gone as well. The door to the compartment is open and it is obvious that someone must have sneaked in and snatching the stuff that was lying around loose. The pocket camera, MP3 player and - worst of all – Aren’s passport was inside there. It is like a bad dream, totally surreal. Stuff like this happens only to other people, doesn’t it?

We reach Lecce early morning the next day, still a little in shock. Luckily my cousin and her husband are picking us up from the station and translating for us as we report to the police. We are a little worried if we will have problems when travelling to Greece and returning to Germany. But after smelling the delicious food my cousin’s mother in law prepared for us, everything brightened up. She is a special lady with distinct features and a jolly personality and she really makes me smile. It is wonderful to be with the family.

In the afternoon we meet Vincenzo, who is hosting us the next three days. He is one of those people that you meet and you feel at home immediately and with that kind of hospitality that just comes naturally. He cooks great Pasta with a delicious home-made tomato sauce, shows us the old part of Lecce and introducing us to some culinary specialties of the area, like Pitta Rustica and the delicious local wine of Salento that is very enjoyable when chilled, and takes us to Porto Selvaggio, a natural beach with crystal pure water.

One of the highlights for me for sure is my breakfast at Hotel Aloisi just opposite Vincenzo’s house, with Cornetto, a specialty of Salento and a Cappuccino artistically decorated and served flambé with a friendly “Welcome to Lecce”.

The next day we spend with the family again, visiting Porto Cesareo, where Aren tries his luck fishing. On the way back we stopped at a vinyard in Leverano, which looks like a petrol station: You just go there with your canisters and fill them with a tube, and a digital display shows you the litres and the price. Why don't we have that in Germany! In the evening we joined a huge grill party with all friends from my cousin's huband and tons of meat, wine and karaoke. For some reason Italians really seem to love karaoke…

Because of the rich Baroque architectural monuments found in the city, Lecce is commonly nicknamed "The Florence of the South". The city also has a long traditional affinity with Greek culture going back to its foundation. The buildings are very special, all made from the famous "Lecce stone". It is the city's main export, because it is a kind of limestone, very soft and malleable, thus suitable for sculptures. 

I love the little shops and markets here where you get fresh sunripened fruits and tomatoes, wild oregano and many other delicious things. Hardly people speak english but you easily get a smile and people's hospitality and helpfulness are a language for itself.

 

Rome

There we are, it's 7 pm and 23 degrees C°. We are a bit lost, since my google map print out seems a little outdated, but after asking several people we finally found our way to the hostel. It doesn't look like a hostel, so we passed it and figured out that we went too far only after realizing that we reached the end of the street. Our room is in the third floor and even though (I proudly must say) we did fantastic packing with only a 10 and 15 kg backpack for two weeks, I was devastated when the young lady behind the check in told us that the elevator is "morto". Ah, welcome to Italy!

Colosseo

After my coffee and croissant we decided to walk towards the Colosseo the next day. Rome is a city with 2.7 million residents in 1,285.3 km², but I think all the romans are on holiday and the only people I see is tourists and Bangladeshi. You could call the Termini area "Chota Bangladesh", by the way. But after a 10 minute walk we are standing in awe in front of the huge ancient Colosseum. WOW! It's a bit cloudy so I draw out my camera. Like good tourist do.

The Arch of Constantine

I regretted that we didn't buy our Roma Passes at the airport, so we were lining up in a looong queue. But the effort was forgotten as soon as we entered - we got carried away dreaming ancient dreams of the roman empire, imagining the gladiators struggling for their lifes and the festively dressed audience watching the cruel spectacular

cheering and waiting for the emperor to put the thumb up or down. Crazy times.

Back in the 21st century and a little exhausted we sit down on the stairs next to the Arch of Constantine with a cold Peroni. We decide to explore the the Palatino to escape the hassle of the city. The Palatino is a beautifully atmospheric area of leafy gardens, majestic ruins and memorable views. According to legend, it was here that Romulus killed his twin Remus and founded Rome in 753 BC. Archaeological evidence has dated human habitation here to the 8th century BC. All our tiredness was forgotten when we glanced at the impressive ruins of the Foro Romano, that catapults us again back into BC times.

After spending there at least 2 hours (I lost track of time), we went back to the hostel. On the way we passed the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, a pompous and large white monument that holds the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with an eternal flame, built under the statue of Italy after World War I following an idea of General Giulio Douhet and guarded by two armed soldiers which makes it very impressive. 

Forum Romanum

After taking a nap at the hostel, Aren went down to buy something. Thats when he met Rafik. Rafik is a jolly little man from Bangladesh with a funny accent and very expressive gestures. We met at Santa Maria Maggiore in the evening, had a couple of beers and a great time. We also met Aurora, a girl from Romania working at a hostel in Rome. As we sat there on the stairs in front of the church, Rafik suddenly asks me if I like "Pusketts". I had no idea what a Puskett is so he explained to me: "You know, PUSKETT!!! You wear on your neck a KETT, and on your ankles PUSKETTS!". OOookay, I got it! Fusskettchen! Rafik has some german friends and knows some german, but his accent kills me.

Fontana di Trev

In the evening they take us to Trevi Fountain. WOW, at night there are hardly people, and the few ones there enjoy a quiet evening with a bottle of wine and snacks, throwing coins into the fountain and make wishes. I could slap myself for not taking the camera. The light which illuminates the fountain made this evening a magical experience.

Rafik cracks me up: When he walks, he has the habit of stretching out his hand as if he is pointing somewhere and then drops down the hand on his head stroking his hair. Aurora and him, this two are great people to hang out with. We are glad we met them!

The next day we decided to visit the Vatican city and the museum. It was very tireing for me and I didn't like the flair. We were watching the Swiss Guards in their traditional uniform and marvelled at the huge pillars of Piazza San Pietro.

We walked back via Piazza del Popolo and climbed up the hill to the gardens, from where we had a fantastic view over the city, romantic live music from a busker and a nice picknik with olives,bread and wine. In the evening we were invited by Rafik and some of his bangladeshi room mates and we ate helishmas and rice. A good end to a good day.

On our last day in Rome we visited the Pantheon, a building commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in about 126 AD. On the way to the Pantheon we passed again Trevi Fountains, this time crowded by tourists but still beautiful. Before we headed towards Villa Borghese gardens to chill the rest of the day before catching the night train down to Lecce, we ate some serious Pizza. Not like you imagine Pizza. Italian food blows me away.