Vieste (Tour Days 3 & 4)
Leaving Rome early to beat some traffic we head to Tivoli aka the playground of Roman Emperor Hadrian. Amazing that he would “house” 5,000 folks here. And we get to see the amazing traffic navigating skills of our driver!
We had a brief tour of the place on the bus ride – and then our guide took us to the entrance area and made sure were all were oriented and then cut us loose for free exploration time. With a meeting time to be back to the bus many of us wandered sort of together before splitting off on our own and of course running into other tour members as we did so.
Row 1: Map overview of the HUGE place, scale model and the tour brochure
Row 2: the reflecting pool, the baths and some of the intact walls
Row 3: more of the ruins and the middle photo is some of the statues of the Canopus
Row 4: Lovely poppies, the walls, and the Maritime Theater ruins
After this second ride on the coach we arrived in Vieste and the hotel was kind enough to send a small vehicle to get our bags to our lodging for the next two evenings. Group dinner together tonight and we are starting to get the know one another pretty well.
Row 1: Pirates took over the city of Vieste in 1554, a map of the area, and the cliffside dramatically lit in the evening
Row 2: Stairway of hearts, the view from the square near the hotel, crooked streets in old town
Row 3: More street views, our baggage as Tetris!, and a view from the coach.
Row 1: Pirates took over the city of Vieste in 1554, a map of the area, and the cliffside dramatically lit in the evening
Row 2: Stairway of hearts, the view from the square near the hotel, crooked streets in old town
Row 3: More street views, our baggage as Tetris!, and a view from the coach.
ViUp and out early, after a lovely breakfast in our cliffside hotel and we walk to the port for a boat cruise along the Gaargano Coast, where the able Captain weaves us in and out of grottos and under trabucco: traditional fishing platforms, so of which are being restored or repurposed.
After our boat ride along the coastline it was time for a quick visit to the hotel and then a short walk to our pasta-making demonstration and yes, we got to eat some too! We even had time to put our feet in the Adriatic, have a toast to the tour at the hotel and then head out for dinner on our own. Vieste is not huge so half of the tour ended up at the same seaside restaurant for dinner!
Savvy Travel Tip: pack light, but also in layers. It was warm so we only needed our light fleece on the plane and one evening when we ate outside on our own. Also remember sunscreen and maybe a hat! Bring something that can pack small as there are stairs to think about…..and cobblestones in Europe.
Row 1: Fabulous breakfast at the hotel and the start of our viewing of grottos from the boat ride along the Gargano coastline
Row 2: A trabbucco, a grotto keyhole, and the inside of a grotto heading back outside
Row 3: fun in the sun, underside of a trabbucco, and some of the harbor
Row 4: VIeste streets, our pasta making demo and lunch
Row 5: More pasta, more pasta and the view from the hotel in Vieste
Row 6 & 7: Tour members in the water, a cool door and a pretty restaurant where many of us ate dinner
After our boat ride along the coastline it was time for a quick visit to the hotel and then a short walk to our pasta-making demonstration and yes, we got to eat some too! We even had time to put our feet in the Adriatic, have a toast to the tour at the hotel and then head out for dinner on our own. Vieste is not huge so half of the tour ended up at the same seaside restaurant for dinner!
Savvy Travel Tip: pack light, but also in layers. It was warm so we only needed our light fleece on the plane and one evening when we ate outside on our own. Also remember sunscreen and maybe a hat! Bring something that can pack small as there are stairs to think about…..and cobblestones in Europe.
Row 1: Fabulous breakfast at the hotel and the start of our viewing of grottos from the boat ride along the Gargano coastline
Row 2: A trabbucco, a grotto keyhole, and the inside of a grotto heading back outside
Row 3: fun in the sun, underside of a trabbucco, and some of the harbor
Row 4: VIeste streets, our pasta making demo and lunch
Row 5: More pasta, more pasta and the view from the hotel in Vieste
Row 6 & 7: Tour members in the water, a cool door and a pretty restaurant where many of us ate dinner