Bari

The capital of Puglia is Bari. It is a historic but also vibrant and modern city. What particularly stands out compared to Naples and most other smaller cities is the calmness in traffic. Although Bari is the ninth largest city in Italy, there is hardly anything happening on the mega-wide street in the center. And the cars that are on the road drive politely and rather slowly. Even in the narrow streets of the neighborhoods where the 'normal people' live, there is no hectic rush. Therefore, Bari could become my favorite city in Italy.

We visit both the historic quarter, which looks a bit different from the historic quarters elsewhere, and we also go shopping in the modern part of Bari. On the main shopping street between the old town and the main train station, the really big names are honored. Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, Ray-Ban, Pandora, Prada, and so on, all are waiting for our visit.

The next day, we choose a pizzeria quite far out for our dinner. The owners are just opening the restaurant. We are treated friendly and also receive an English menu, but I think tourists are rarely guests there, so the waiter looks strangely surprised. The mussels and the pizza taste wonderful here as well.