Norm & Felicity’s Travel Diary

 Hi all, Yesterday we took a short train trip south from Brindisi to our abode for the next week,- Lecce in the region of Salento, Italy (the heal). Of course it was no accident that we found ourselves in a city full of history going back thousands of years to the Greek and Roman times. This Roman amphitheatre just happened to be on the way to our apartment! We settled in pretty quickly to our great 17th century apartment (modernised of course) after a great introduction by host Francesca. We have already tried one of her recommended restaurants, and will be going down the list based on the excellent fare at Vico Del Gusto.  This morning we took a lead from the city guide to Baroque Lecce, and walked Route 1 (of four recommended routes) thought 14 historic sites that included the Cathedral (Doumo) and numerous other churches and historic sites. The “ no more than 2 churches a day” rule set by Holly was definitely broken. Of course we couldn’t resist a closer look at the 1st Ce...

 Hi all,  Our stay in the lovely port city of Brindisi is nearly at an end, as we head further south tomorrow to the ancient town of Lecce. Yesterday we took in some of the white villages between Brindisi and Bari, with the first stop at the town of Alberobello, a world heritage site due to the area’s unique Trulli architecture. The day was our hottest yet, well over 30, which was enhanced by all of the whiteness! The houses were beautifully built around 300 to 400 years ago, pretty compact inside, although one we visited had housed a family of 15. Then we took a short drive to the towns of Locorotondo and Ostuni,  not so many Trulli houses, but plenty of white! There was a beautiful 12th century church in Ostuni with original frescoes telling the story of St Nikolai (Santa Clause). With a very large statue in the main square, dedicated to the man (who this area claims as their own, a  bishop of Constantinople who was beheaded by the Romans). After our return we had ...

 Hi all,  We left Corfu yesterday afternoon, in what turned out to be an ode to Homer’s Odyssey - or alternatively a mini Greek shipping tragedy! I don’t know why the new Spirits of Tasmania need the $500m plus budget overrun on their port infrastructure, as if they took a leaf out of the Greek ferry manual, they would just drive up to the closest wharf, drop the loading dock and drive the cars and trucks off.  Oh, did I mention that the mooring might be up to a kilometre away in the dark from the passenger terminal, where there is no information at all, passengers just wander aimlessly towards which ferry they think is theirs, through the truck and vehicle traffic currently loading and unloading simultaneously! Until, if still in one piece,  they are rescued by a passing shuttle bus, and dumped near the truck loading bay, with cases. Then, after some more confusion they are taken by another shuttle right through the exhaust fumes of the loading bay to a lift to rece...

 Hi all,  We are just getting ready to depart from our short 5 Day stay in old Corfu Town. A great chance to relax in the perfect Mediterranean weather to get ready for the next stage of our adventure. We had a good look around this small city, full of nooks and crannies, which had its heyday in the Venetian period in the 15th to 18th century.  There were however many reminders of the earlier settlers going back to 600 BC, these example from the Temple of Artemis in the small but important Corfu Archaeological Museum. Lots of time to sample the local seafood and local Corfu dishes of course. Including Moussaka, Sofrita and a much loved (by Norm) potted lamb stew. A few nights ago we took an evening cruise on a local sailing ship, just before and after sunset - well worth the effort. Some of the food intake may well be showing under Norm’s tee shirt 🥘 🍤🍷😂   Our apartment has been wonderful, right on the waterfront on the edge of the old town. We have spent many pl...

 Hello all, Yesterday we said farewell to Belfast and to Holly, who is currently in transit to Hobart via Heathrow, Singapore and Melbourne. We set off from Belfast direct to Corfu with EasyJet - a little late due to an ill passenger, but we arrived safe and well at around 9pm local time. Just in time to find our magnificent apartment on the water and to sample some late night Greek cuisine at the Veranda Restaurant- just down the esplanade. Sardines for Norm, of course and a refreshing Greek salad for Felicity, washed down with a local crisp white wine. This morning, after a quick pic from one of our apartment balconies, we took a stroll along the waterfront to find some breakfast and a supermarket for supplies. Both objectives achieved before we explored our part of Corfu Town a bit more widely. The streets are narrow and meandering, but that suits us fine, we also visited the 14th century fortress which was established by the Venetians and expanded by the British during their “p...