exploring & escapades

Polignano, a terrace overlooking the sea, warm air, chatter in the streets, a blue sky morphs to cotton candy. Running along the sea wall, in the sea breeze, in the sun. A visit to the little juice bar in the center of an old town. Drinking green juice and stretching on the terrace, watching the waves.

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First glimpse of the iconic beach – rocky, wedged between two cliffs, wedged between what might as well be abandoned castles. Then, under the bridge, eying its Roman structure, on to the sand. There were other people, not too many – some swimming, some in winter coats and boots.I couldn’t count all the shades of turquoise, deep blue. We could see how violent the waves were.

Back to winding streets, lost and often finding ourselves on the water, again overlooking the sea.

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Things I want to remember about this place:

• The happy, tall, Italian man in the red cap at the juice bar and how much he smiled.
• The ginger on my ice cream, watching the red hat man pull mint leaves right from the plant to top it off.
• The first sip of the  caffè special originale on the sidewalk, watching the French tourists. So smooth and sweet and the lemon.
• The first time on the terrace, seeing the water crash on the cliffs and sun set. Pink blue sky.
• The host’s round circle glasses, wide pants, striped sweater, white sneakers – so Italian.
• 50 shades of blue. The waves and how powerful they were.
• Old men on the rock cliffs, rods tossed way, way down all the way to the sea.
• The violet potato gnocchi; the best.
• 11 cats running in the square.
• Sitting on the cliffs, just watching.

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I can’t stop thinking about all the blues.

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Polignano a Mare, Puglia region of Italy, October