With every trip, I fulfill my self made goals of covering newer waterbodies. During this Italian trip, I had swam in the Ligurian Sea in the Italian Riviera. Then I had a very brief encounter with the Adriatic Sea in Lido Island, Venice. The water was warm and lovely and I was not satisfied since I was in it for a very less time. I however knew I would meet the Adriatic Sea again, in Bari. The region of Puglia is along the Mare di Adriatico or the Adriatic Sea and is known for its beaches. Bari, the capital of Puglia, has a very long coastline. When we were on our longest train journey from Venice to Bari, more than half of the journey had been by the sea. The waves were crashing as if they would flood the rail tracks. It was a new and a wonderful experience indeed.
We were dead tired when we reached Bari. It was our last destination and so the exhaustion was natural. Also the train journey was of nine and a half hours. It was almost three when we reached the station and another half hour later we reached our hotel. I rested and arranged our luggage (the next flight was on Ryan Airways and they had very strict luggage limitations) Hubs went to the departmental store to buy chocolates and wine as souvenirs. After he came back, we went out for exploring Bari. Although we felt like slipping into our beds but it was our last day in Bari. We had to make the most of it.
We started walking from our abode in Vecchia Bari (old bari) to the seafront promenade. The promenade is really long with the Adriatic Sea on one side and all the administrative buildings and shopping districts on other side. We found the city of Bari to be very modern, very un Italian/ European like. It seemed that we had landed in some different country altogether.
Our sore feet got energised by the sea air. We did not mind the long walk; in fact loved every minute of it! Suddenly it started drizzling. With so much experience in the uncertain weather of Europe, I am always equipped with umbrellas, everywhere.
After an hour of walking, we reached a beach. It was secluded and a bold warning forbidded swimming. The tide was high and the sea was wild. Very obvious why it was prohibited to swim.
We just touched the water and then took pictures in the lifeguard's tower. It was a bit overcast after the mild rain. Suddenly the setting sun could be seen. It was half past seven.
Every cloud has a silver lining. Literally. We saw a full rainbow in the sky. I can't remember the last time I saw a rainbow. Back home in Delhi, the sky is studded with buildings so you don't have a horizon! I was honestly thrilled. Wish the rainbow could be captured in our camera as beautifully as it had been shot in our minds.
We ended our day by walking back and stopped by the Bari castle by the sea. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and looked magnificent at night. On the promenade I bought myself a plate of fried chicken and a vegetable roll for hubs. It was the first time in our Italian viaggio that I spoke purely in Italian; as that man knew zero Inglese. I felt really proud of myself :D
