Weekend Get-a-Way

​We have been awake for 21 hours, but it seems like days. But let me tell you, we have done more in these 21 hours than most people do in a day! We caught a 0515 flight to Denver, a 0745 flight to Bozeman, drove five hours to Whitefish, drove another hour to Glacier National Park, hiked six miles, went grocery shopping, and now I’m laying in bed wishing I booked that AirBnB with the hot tub. My feet and knees are so sore, and I still have two full days of hiking to go! But our spontaneous weekend get-a-way to hike in Glacier National Park has begun, and I plan to squeeze every minute out of this trip! 

We opted for the long drive because our flights to Bozeman were purchased with points and thus, cost us only $11.20. We drove through forests, fields of lupine, cattle farms, small towns, and canola farms. 

Our first hike in the park took us to Avalanche Creek and then to Avalanche Lake. It was a fairly easy six mile out and back hike. We encountered a huge mule deer walking the trail with us. We had burgers and beers in a park restaurant. I ate every fry with no guilt; my 15,000 steps earned it!

On our way out of the park traffic slowed to a crawl for a grizzly bear. By the time we got to the spotting, though, he had disappeared in the trees. You better believe we carry the bear spray, but you’d be surprised at the number of people on the trail today without bells or spray. And signs are posted warning visitors of recent bear activity! 

We have decided going to the park later in the day is the way to avoid crowds on the trails, long lines at the entry point, and increases our likelihood of seeing animals. So tomorrow we are sleeping in and taking our chances at finding afternoon parking at one of the most popular trails (when we hope everyone else is leaving). Fingers crossed!

Tivoli

​We made our way across the boot back to Rome and made a stop in Tivoli. We walked through Villa D’Este, the expansive home of a former wealthy Roman Catholic cardinal. The gardens are now considered a UNESCO heritage site because all of the elaborate garden fountains operate with the force of gravity, no pumps are used. This is impressive today but was very impressive in the 16th century when it was designed. 

I’ve had my last spritz. Wes had his last taste of Italian meats. We are tucked into our airport hotel ready to make our long flight back home. What a trip!

Puglia

​We ate our way through Puglia today. For breakfast, I ate taralli, a Puglia version of a pretzel, with my yogurt. It was good but not so good I felt like I needed to buy a bag to take home.

Our first stop was Alberobello, the home of the trulli, peasant houses with thatched roofs. The houses were built with thatch so that when the tax collectors arrived, the thatch could be easily removed, and the farmer wouldn’t have a “house” to pay taxes on. 

We wondered the streets and alleys among the largest collection of trulli  houses in Puglia. Today they house boutiques, artisan workshops, coffee shops, and vacation homes.  

Then we jumped in the car for our next stop: Lorcorotondo, known for its white washed houses. There was a picture at every corner. 

We stopped at the famous, king of sandwich shops, Er Paninaro Er Più, for a prosciutto and burrata sandwich in the centro storico. The “chef is #1 in the area, the best”, and he will tell you all about it. Wes said it was the best 20 Euro spent on the trip. 

His hand written reviews hang from the ceiling to persuade everyone else that he’s #1.

Next stop was the sleepy town of Cisternino. It was so sleepy we were here less than an hour. 

We then drove to Ostuni, known for its white washed houses, pastries, and burrata.

We stopped at the town center for my new found favorite caffe affogato and Bellinis - what a combination! But when on vacation you do whatever you want. 

This hilly town was beautiful and picturesque. There were live musicians, and the centro storico had little shops for pottery, clothing, local food products, and cafes. We are bringing back pasta and olive oil so we can attempt to relive our Italian summer vacation in Tennessee.

I say the pastries were the best spent 5 Euro; these were better than yesterday’s nuns’ tits.

After seven miles of walking, we were back in Monopoli to our cute apartment for an afternoon rest. 

We headed to the pedestrian area for dinner. The boys had lobster. Keagan had a limoncello spritz and regretted not ordering them earlier in the trip. He said, “Mom, these hit just right.” 

Why do you think I’ve had 20 of them in 10 days?

The downtown area of Monopoli is great for people watching, eating, and window shopping. 

The waterfront is the perfect spot for watching the sun set. We missed it this evening, though. That lobster and that second round of spritzes put us a bit behind schedule. 

The guys are ready to head back home; I could easily do another week. But sadly our time is coming to a close. One more full day living La Dolce Vida.

Polignano a Mare

​Ci vediamo, Matera. Your beauty was a highlight of our trip. 

Upon arriving in Puglia at our first stop in Bari, I almost told Wes to keep driving. Then we found Old Town and the coast line. We found the pier to be the meeting spot of all the local Italian men over the age of 60. All with a beer in hand - even at 1130 in the morning - and wrinkles from the sun. I caught this fisherman serving fresh clams and octopus, a staple in Puglia, served here raw with a splash of lemon juice.

We wondered the alleys and found a marionette artist (didn’t know these people still existed)

Until we found the basilica of Saint Nicholas (as in Santa Claus), the patron saint of children, who is buried in this cathedral.

The ceiling was spectacular! This church was opened in 1197!

We had lunch, that included a spritz of course, and for dessert picked up the famous Le Tette, the nun tits, because we are all about culture (and I have the sense of humor of a 14 year old boy).

We walked the long way back to the car, and I saw a double arch that I thought would make a great pic. I said as much, but I couldn’t take it because I was in deep after drinking a large limoncello spritz and was doing great to walk a straight line, and Keagan said, “I can’t take it; my hands are full of tits.” 😂

Our next stop was Polignano a Mare, a seaside fishing village where fisherman fish for octopii. We took a boat ride into the colorful grottos. 

A little prosecco, the sea breeze, and the water colors made this trip dreamy. 

Our next stop was Monopoli, where we have the cutest apartment for the next two nights. 

The exposed limestone rock with the modern building is perfection.

We watched the sun set over the water eating a very bad meal. 

Then we wondered the streets, peeked into alleys, and headed back home to catch one more World Cup game.

Buona notte!