Italia- Bari

We left Vasto de Mariana on the TrenItalia intercity 605 in the afternoon. We arrived in Barri Centrale it just before 6 o’clock. I had no idea what a bustling metropolis and tourist attraction. This town is. Bari Vecchia is the old town shaped kind of like a spear point with ports on either side defended by a substantial wall and a number of castles as well as fortified churches. Apparently one of their many claims to fame because that Santa Claus’s relics are here. 

We came out for a drink after dinner and saw many many young people lounging on the back of this wonderful lion. His entire back is glazed and slippery, and no longer carved from the love of centuries. The kids lay on the back of the lion and put their feet up on the post. It really is lovely to see people able to interact so directly with history.

This is the view from our apartment. Everything is clean and sparkly because there was an intense thunderstorm overnight.

The atmosphere is impossible for me to capture in photos. Suffice to say it was amazing being able to walk in and out of the walls of the old city.

We dying on the local specialty pasta orchetti- made by local women by hand everywhere in the city old city. 

Italy - Vasto

We stayed in the marine Summer village that the residence of this town have enjoyed for a long time during the summer months. The original town is up the hill and highly defensible. 

A little seaside Village of Vasto Di Marina is just beneath in this picture. 

A very atmospheric Vasto evening. 

Italia! Abruzzo

We’ve had a lovely few days relaxing and enjoying the Adriatic coast of Italy. We were able to rent a car for the day and tool around the province and it is a part of Italy I’d like to see more of. The coast is lovely, but the mountains are magnificent.

We sealed the deal for the €60 rental car with an espresso and a few signatures. The most complicated thing about it were the two different fuel types. More on that later.

This was our first fuel stop when we realized that the orange dashboard light was the low gasoline warning. And no, Christopher didn’t drink the wine. He just posed with it.

We stopped for lunch in Lanciano, which has been a town for more than 2000 years. Neither of us took a photo of it, but the lovely restaurant we stopped in the bathroom window was an arrow slit from the old castle wall.

Lunch was delicious. I asked our lovely waitress to tell me what these phenomenal cheese ball things were, but I fail to write it down, and it has now slipped from  memory - we ate at Abruzzo Gourmet Restaurant  

This has been a town for more than 2 thousand years.

After lunch I thought it would be nice to see a bit more of the countryside. 

Sadly, we couldn’t find anywhere to pull over to take pictures. This is the best I could do. Vines are trained in a more traditional way when they make out shady Avenue for the grapes to grow underneath wood in the background is one of the beautiful surrounding mountains.

Down that road came a horse and cart at an incredible rate of speed. The horse and driver are in the background on the road of this photo. The video is even more remarkable.

Air Travel delays

​I wonder if I’m just unlucky, or if everyone else has the same experience? 50% of the time I experience air travel delay. Arriving here I had two flights one flight was delayed. I qualify that it is 50%. Christopher travelling to Rome had two flights one flight was delayed which made him miss the next flight. Notify that is 50%. Is this normal?

Iceland wool week – the end

​I am just heading to the airport and caught a lovely photo of the cathedral lit up pink in honour of breast cancer survivors. 

It’s been a busy week and I’m still not done processing at all. When I come back? I’d love to if I come into some money. When we were at the gift shop for the national Gallery, there was a postcard and mug that said on one side the weather is terrible and on the other side and it’s expensive too.

Iceland Wool Week - National Museum

​A full day including the national museum. 

A warp weighted loom with a very good description of how to operate it 

This fellow maybe Thor  

This alter front from the 16th century depicts the folds in cloth much better than the naked toes. I have to think seeing toes was rare…

A chasible ( garment worn by a priest for service) of gold and silver thread couched into a cut velvet from the 16th century I think. 

This is silk on linen and an import since the oaks depicted don’t grow in Iceland. 

Iceland Wool Week - Thingborg Makers Market

​The last event of the tour is a makers market. The market includes a coffee and snack bar run by the local women’s institute. 

The snacks were delicious. There are also some lovely sweaters on display along with mittens. The story of the mitten book is a wonderful one. The author collected the mittens and identified the knitters and has four generations of women’s art on mittens in the book.

This one has a slot for you index finger  shooting mitts?