Yesterday was a Free Day for my clients – so no Tour Manager chasing them around on and off trains and busses. They made good use of the time, walking, cycling, exploring and even going out on the ocean in a boat. They’re not supposed to have that much fun without me!
Today we made the journey to Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage site for a guided tour. This is where the famous Trulli houses can be found. One house, singular, is a Trullo, more than one, plural are Trulli (Remember this next time you order a Panini at home – just one should be a Panino – you’ll impress the Italian waiters!). The typical Trullo has rounded, circular walls with a conical roof, constructed igloo style from local stones. Usually, more than one are clustered together for a family to live in.
Inside the Trulli can be a little dark (no windows) but are quite snug. Some have fully modernised interiors and can be rented for holidays.
After packed lunch we moved on from Alberobello to the town of Martina Franco for a gentle walkabout. This town has a lovely central historic area. Narrow (and therefore shady) whitewashed streets that twist and turn in a maze around the Basilica, Church and Convent.
All of this was frankly exhausting so we made an emergency stop at a Gelateria in the Piazza for ice-creams which had the desired restorative effect before our drive back to the hotel.
My daily hour of learning Italian with the audio course on my phone continues. Yesterday I learned to say “I would like to reserve a romantic table for three persons and may I order two pizzas”. It’s nice. It’s useful. It’s also frankly a bit dull, so I thought I would freelance a bit and was delighted to find that I could work out how to say “we would like a large romantic hot bath for two people and a bottle of Prosecco”. Now that’s how to learn Italian!
Time for dinner now so more follows tomorrow.
TimOnTheTrain 