11. Bari: Orecchiette, Lavender, & Bialetti

25 July 2026

Overnight we cross the Adriatic Sea, landing in Bari, located on the 'heel of the boot' that is the shape of Italy. It is a later start today being 9:30 AM and our tour leaves the pier exactly on time. After a quick drive around the old and new cities, which stand side by side, our shuttle buses stop is pointed out before the bus returns to the promenade and the entrance to the old city or Bari Vecchia. We walk through an archway, which leads to a narrow laneway made narrower by the activity that is taking place in the streets on this Saturday morning. Outside pasta stores tables have been set up where women sit, cut portions from a large pasta dough, rolling into thin strings, before cutting into small bites. A finger is pressed in the centre, creating the ear-shaped orecchiette, which is flicked onto a screen, which allows the freshly-made pasta to dry. Apparently the ladies have to make a lot of fresh pasta today ahead of tomorrow's traditional family Sunday lunch, which lasts until past dinner time. Here, halfway along the laneway is a celebrity pasta maker. Nunzia has been invited to America to make pasta and she has even met the Pope. I stop and watch her roll, cut, press, flick the pasta in a rhythm that is second to none. Suddenly she covers her mouth with one hand sneezes into it then continues rolling, cutting, pressing and flicking the pasta with a snot and germ-filled hand. Thank goodness I am not in the market for fresh pasta today.

We turn a corner and the smell of lavender and fresh washing assails the nasal passages. Here, washing hangs from specially designed bars from balconies and windows. Sheets, towels, clothes all smell clean and fresh and are flapping in the already burning sunshine. We wander through the labyrinth of narrow streets watching ordinary life and trying to avoid the motorcycles that seem to appear from nowhere. Our guide tells us that no so long ago, these streets were very dangerous, that robbers would attack people to steal their wallets and anything of value until the government decided that the old town should be preserved, made safe, and opened up for tourism. The result is a lovely and safe area with tiny shops, cafes, and of course the lady pasta makers. We pass the cathedral, which is decorated for a wedding, white flowers adorn one of the entrance doors. Around the back of the cathedral, we stop for the first of our three tastings. Inside a cubby hole of a food store, large thick focaccias wrapped in butcher paper are handed out. These huge lumps of bread topped with tomato and cheese and accompanied with beer or coca cola. I decide to decline. It is 10:30 AM, and having not long since eating breakfast, I am not hungry. Of course the shop owner is offended....

We return to the Cathedral, where we go inside despite vows being exchanged at that very moment. It does not seem to matter to anyone that a bunch of strangers are wandering up the aisle taking photos. The cathedral is rather beautiful both outside and inside.

After leaving the cathedral, we follow our guide to another square, which leads to the city wall that faces the sea. On the other side of the wall, she points out a line of stone columns, which belonged to the original pier. Today, the land has been reclaimed and there is a road and promenade between these first piers and the water. I am sure that these innovations would mean fewer flooding events into the old city.

It is time for our second taste sample. Did I explain that a sample to the Italians is a full meal to us? This time it is panzerotti, a crescent-shaped snack of fried dough filled with mozzarella and tomato, and it is delicious. It is also served with beer or Coca-Cola. After wandering a few more streets and admiring the sights of this wonderful old city, we complete our tour enjoying a taste of local gelato.

We say goodbye to our tour guide and wander into the back streets of the city. Hanging out for a coffee, we sit at a table and order espresso whilst chatting to a Bulgarian woman and her daughter sitting at the table next to us. The best part of travelling is talking to the people who we encounter on the way. They add a flavour or a layer to the experience we have. We wander into the new city where shops are mostly open and we wander through the high-end stores until it's time to take the shuttle bus back to the ship.

It's been a lovely day in a wonderful Italian city.