Hidden spots in and around Bari
The first thing I bumped into after arriving in the old city of Bari was the famous area with ladies making orecchiette pasta (the traditional pasta shape in this region; each Italian region has its specific pasta shape) right on the street. It was fascinating and beautiful.
I was excited and eager to explore more, only to get quite a bit disappointed afterward. The rest of the town didn’t impress me much, even though architecturally beautiful. Yes, it was great to sneak peek inside homes through the open doors and walk around among locals chit-chatting on the street, but we were in search for photo locations for the newly weds and this town, unfortunately, wasn’t inspiring me at all.
Honestly, I was feeling a tiny bit desperate when my boyfriend randomly came up with the idea to head to Giovinazzo. 20 minutes away from Bari by car, Giovinazzo turned out to be a little gem. Best decision ever.
It felt like having the whole town for ourselves: barely any tourists on the streets, only a curious local here and there gazing at us. I kept turning corners and each street seemed way prettier than the one before. It was very clean and peaceful; the homes were extending right on the street through the laundry, the cute bicycles and the flower pots. I could totally picture myself living here!
And, bonus: there might not be a lot of beach (just some rocky platforms), but it’s a nice place for snorkeling!