My heart belongs to Italy

 I took the train from Bari to Taranto, which was chosen pretty much at random as it was an easy train journey along my path and had some good reviews online. 

The day I arrived, I may have left my rose coloured glasses behind in Croatia. I was a bit dejected looking at the crumbling old town.  It was very quiet as it was mid week in the off season and already not a high tourist traffic area. I did push on and went looking for some where to eat, eventually finding an all you can eat sushi restaurant. 

I did have a nice suite in a guest house so I decided to catch up on some sleep. In the morning I pushed on and did find my mood brightening as I explored. I also laughed to find my self in a huge pack of French tourists from a cruise ship.  I didn’t end up doing much that day. Wandered about the new town, found a store to stock up on some snacks and drinks for my room. 

The next day I went looking for the sights to see. There is a gorgeous Aragonese Castle on the island. Unfortunately I didn’t realize, as it’s an active military site you need a booking for a tour. Since they are only Italian I decided to skip it and go to the Archeological Museum. 

Taranto is located in the arch of Italy’s “boot” and has had people living here since the Bronze Age. It was settled for a while by the Greeks- there are the remains of a temple to Poseidon in town. Eventually it was taken over by the Roman’s. Unfortunately because it has been continually lived in, most old structures have been torn down and built over. But occasionally, like the temple, they are rediscovered and preserved. 

I also walked to a beautiful cathedral in the old town that holds the remains of the patron saint. While I was admiring everything a little old Italian man started explaining details of the church, pointing out the features and the relics. While I don’t speak Italian I was able to grasp most of what he was showing me. And I didn’t need Italian to understand his question at the end when he held my hand, pulled me close and smiled up at me. After a firm “No” he laughed, gave me a quick hug and moved along. 

After that I decided to relax on the beach. It wasn’t the most picturesque spot ever. But the sand was soft, the water was clear and the sun was warm. I enjoyed my swim and then reading on the beach. I had another quiet night in my guesthouse before getting reading to head out in the morning for my next stop in Salerno.