Nardò

It’s not NARdo. There’s an accent on the last ‘o’ so that’s where you put the stress. It’s narDO. And the ‘o’ isn’t rounded like at the end of Tomato – it’s flat, as in ‘Block’. You’d know that if you were an Italian, like me 😁😁

While I’m here, I’ve decided to improve my (previously) non-existent Italian. I have a beginners language course on my phone and yesterday I connected to a Bluetooth speaker in the bathroom and did some practise. While standing in the shower I learned how to say “I would like three pizzas for my Mother in Rome” and “May I reserve a table for two persons to eat your excellent cake”. These phrases may, or may not,come in handy on Tour.

This morning we drove to the nearby town of Nardò for a short guided Tour with the excellent Local Guide Dianne. We started with an introduction to the basic history and culture of Puglia in a delightful little public botanical garden.

There is of course the obligatory castle and a lot of churches spread throughout the town.

Always the same in Italy… You turn a quiet corner and something like this surprises you

The wooden ceiling is typical of Southern Italy

The day was warming up so looking around at my clients I decided that a cold drink and a sit down might be a good idea (I’m good like that). The town was (in legend) founded after a bull started pawing the ground and revealed a spring of fresh water. A fountain celebrating this event overlooked our cafe. The water is both cool and drinkable.

The statues here are of course paraded through the streets from each church during Easter Holy Week. There’s one big difference. They are all made of papier-mâché. This traditionally poor area of Italy had no money for stone or marble statues. Of course, if you’re one of those who has to carry the effigy during the procession this is really good news!

After coffee, we made our way back to the coach, via the local Sunday open air antiques market (maybe a “roadshow di antiquariato?”). Lunch and then a siesta during the hottest part of the day