Wow. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. Up to this point, I have been consistent with my goal of writing an article a week for this blog. Last week, I decided to dedicate more time to studying for my final exams than blogging. It was a prudent choice, but I admit I miss writing and the feeling of success after completing a post.

The nine of us landed in Bari around 9:30pm and checked into the apartment that would be our home for the next few nights. From the apartment, we walked along the coast to a nearby seafood restaurant. I wasn’t particularly hungry this late at night, but I was interested in trying Italian seafood and wanted to be adventurous. We ordered a couple bottles of white wine and several items from the menu to share. I have never been a huge fan of seafood, but if I was going to eat it anywhere, I figured the best place would be the Italian coast. I tried everything we ordered: octopus, crawfish, raw salmon, and sardines. The sardines soaked in fresh olive oil, red pepper flakes, and capers were my favorite. This octopus was ok, but the octopus we had on Sunday night was incredible. We finished our seafood feast with a small dish of lemon sorbet- perfecto!

On Saturday, we went on a mini road trip to a wine tasting and olive oil bottling factory tour. Our Italian friend, Luca, helped organize this part of the trip with his mutual friends. Our first stop was a small, Albanian- Italian town called Maschito (which sounds like “mosquito”) for a wine tasting. I wish I had a refined taste for wine so I could provide elaborate details about the flavor, but alas, I do not. One of the wines we tasted, came from grapes harvested from a vine planted in 1938! From Maschito, we drove to Venosa to tour an olive oil bottling factory. I really enjoyed the owner’s explanation of the process and machinery. (A job in industrial management of an Italian olive oil factory sounds like a nice career…) After the quick tour, he led us through an olive oil tasting with these three simple steps:

1. Warm the sample of oil by enclosing the cup in your hands (this will release a deeper aroma).

2. After a few minutes, lift your hand and smell the olive oil.

3. Take a sip, and then breathe a few quick inhales before swallowing (somehow this made the taste stronger in your mouth).

There was a pleasant kick of spice that lingered in the back of your throat from the olive oil we tried. After tasting it, we drizzled the remaining oil on freshly baked focaccia because why not?

In southern Italy, people like to dawdle, and things are not thoroughly organized. This explains why we ran late to almost everything we had planned for that day. From Venosa, we drove to another small town, Lavello, to rush for our lunch reservation. It was well worth the rush because this was the best pizza I ever had (sorry Papa John). Pizza was invented in this region, and the people have mastered the recipe. Like yesterday, we ordered several pizzas and shared them with a massive jug of house wine. My two favorites were the pizza with pistachios and the pizza with truffles.

After this delicious pizza, we drove back to Bari for Saturday vigil Mass, rested at the apartment, and then went into the city center. When we arrived at the center, I was shocked to see so many people out and about late at night. It just so happens, that this weekend, May 7^th – May 9^th, is one of the largest festivals in southern Italy- the Festa di San Nicola.

The celebration commemorates the city’s patron saint, St. Nicholas. In 1087, 62 sailors reclaimed the stolen relics of St. Nicholas from the Turks. We stumbled upon the night procession on May 7^th. On the 7^th, we saw people dressed in 11th-century costumes parade down the main street carrying torches, playing drums, and guiding a boat (the “Caravella”) with a statue of San Nicola to the water.

On Sunday, we wished Lydia good luck near the start of her race and then walked around Bari’s city center. The city was more alive than usual because the Festa di San Nicola did not occur in the past two years due to Covid. This year, churches were crowded, museums were open, and the atmosphere was so joyful. I did not hear much English spoken among the crow; it seems that this event does not attract many foreigners. In the afternoon, the Frecce Tricolore Italian Air Force acrobatic team put on a show. Initially, I was only mildly interested because I thought it was just a flyover, which I’ve seen multiple times at Texas A&M football games (whoop). But this was not just a flyover; the pilots did incredible tricks, spins, and formations for the crowd.

I loved the winding, slippery streets of Bari. It was white and clean like Vienna but felt much more inviting and homier. On almost every street, there was a wall shrine to a saint. The weather was cloudy and rainy, but it did not take away from enjoying the city. In the evening, we had more incredible Italian food (the local sardine orecchiette pasta was incredible, and the octopus tasted like steak) and then walked through the massive street market to see the fireworks. We heard music and we joined the street party. I made friends with Giuseppe, a ten-year kid who challenged me to a dance-off. He won, but he promised to still be my friend.

The sun finally came out on Monday, our last day in Bari. We went to a local grocery store and prepared a typical Italian breakfast: bread, olive oil, cheese, and tomatoes. While everyone went swimming at the beach, I studied at a coffee shop to work on a group project that was due that afternoon. It was hard to pass up on a beach day, but I wanted to be a good student and teammate at this moment. Plus, I will be at the beach later this month (any guesses where? 🙂 We then took the train to the airport and arrived back in Prague.

I’ll write again soon about my next trip and part two of the 12 Surprising Things About Prague article! 🙂