A Red Letter Day!

I’ve added lots of extras to help me remember a great day out in Taranto.

This coastal city has a reputation similar to Naples and it lived up to the comparison - tough, gritty, poor, mildly dangerous and completely loveable. As soon as we arrived I got hustled by a car park bandit who claimed the streets as his own. It took me a few minutes to realise I’d been hustled, but hey, it wasn’t that much money and the guy had a big, friendly smile (of course he was smiling - he just got some money for doing nothing!). Viviamo e impariamo! 

The sun came out enough for us to feel comfortable to take off a layer - that alone felt like a treat. There’s nothing quite like feeling the sun on one’s face to feel that bit more at ease, that bit less tense. We had a delicious lunch of panzerotti that was as big as your head (see extras) made by a big, friendly guy I wanted to hug for feeding us so well. 
 
We wandered to our heart’s content and then drove home. I recommend Taranto for a day visit. 

Extras include the aforementioned panzerotto, the crazy tiny places people find suitable for parking, a statement of fact and a sign on a shop window that translates roughly as Life is too short to wear boring clothes.