Peter Bargh

January 7th, 2016 by Peter Bargh

Bugibba

Check out of Gallipoli and train to Lecce, then Bari and flight FR9874 to Malta. Then X3 bus to Bugibba staying in Relax Inn hotel, triq halal. Budget hotel – smells of old people…lots of coughing and smoke and piss. But roof top terrace and great breakfast – hot and cold buffet style. Didnt enjoy the typical British old person conversation at breakfast, so kept head down.

Apartment was just a short walk from main square. Luckily fairly quiet but the area gets rammed in Summer. Was a good spot for me to explore the north which I hadn’t done previously.

Tags: Bugibba, Malta
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January 6th, 2016 by Peter Bargh

Gallipoli coast

Walked along Gallipoli coast northwards – not that interesting and a very grey day, with just a hint of sun as it set. did get a decent view of the old town from afar though! And also saw an impressive murmuration of Starlings.

Tags: Gallipoli, Italy, murmuration, Starlings
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January 5th, 2016 by Peter Bargh

Gallipoli

Train from Lecce to Gallipoli and short walk to b&b Anxa, via Parini 7, This was a spacious room, with my own bathroom across the hall. No one else was stopping there at the time so I had breaklfast to myself…and have to say this was the best continental breakfast I’ve ever been served in b&b. Absolutely masses to eat and impossible to finish all. Cold meats, cheeses, pastries, coffee, fresh juice etc – filled the table! Didn’t reckon much to Gallipoli though, poor weather didn’t help, but the old town just didn’t have an character and the modern town was basically a single high street with sterile kind of shops and restaurants. No desire ever to go back here!

Tags: Gallipoli, Italy
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January 4th, 2016 by Peter Bargh

San Cataldo

A walk on a straight 10.5k long (and most boring) road from Lecce to San Cataldo brought me to what looked a bit like Mablethorpe. And similar weather!

Tags: Italy, San Cataldo
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January 3rd, 2016 by Peter Bargh

Lecce old town

Decide on a day local today and wandered around Lecce old and new. Lots of fabulous architecture and details

Tags: Italy, Lecce
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January 2nd, 2016 by Peter Bargh

Otranto

Train to the seaside town Otranto. Was ok, nothing to write a postcard home about. That said the sun was out and I just relaxed by the harbour – after I’d sampled a couple of local pies, including local delicacy rustico.

I decided to walk back from here to Zolino station. I took the SP48 to Martano…a long, straight road lined with olive fields. When I eventually arrived in Martano I couldn’t see the directions out to Zolino. So I asked a local restaurateur. He insisted on taking me and I’m glad he did – it was further than I thought. I asked if I could pay him…and he said in Italian “from the heart”. Nice man.

Tags: Italy, Martano, Otranto, Rustico, Zolino
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January 1st, 2016 by Peter Bargh

Lecce

Train from Bari to Lecce staying in Oniro Via Nicola Cataldi 2, Lecce. Apartment was a short walk from old town. It was spacious and breakfast was a ticket to get a coffee and a piece of cake/bread/croissant etc from a cafe round the corner. The room next to me had a shagging couple and she was very loud and seemed to be enjoying things.

Lecce is similar to Bari in that the old town is walled. Lecce had some good restaurants, and I had a good running area around the streets for my 5k build up. I started to use the vending machines here to get coffees. Decent and just 50 cents.

Tags: Italy, Lecce
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December 31st, 2015 by Peter Bargh

Ostuni

Train to Ostuni today. The station is in about a mile or so out of the city in an industrial region (wekll a couple of factories in a field). The walk up inst that pleasant just a main road and when you get to the city it’s not as white as Santorini and not as impressive as Matera, but still worth a visit. I wandered out of the city to get a better viewpoint than the one coming up from the station.

Tags: Italy, Ostuni
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December 29th, 2015 by Peter Bargh

Alberobello

Went to Alberobello today on train. I like the houses (called trullos) but it was very commercial. I then walked to Locorotondo. The walk was lovely – not hilly, but passing those teepee shaped houses amongst olive groves was visually pleasing.

Tags: Alberobello, Locorotondo, Trulli
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December 28th, 2015 by Peter Bargh

Polignano A Mare

Took the train from Bari to Polignano A Mare – a cold and grey day, but interesting cliff top town made up for it.

Tags: Bari, Italy, Polignano A Mare
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