Puglia Socks Down 5

Polignano A Mare

But alas, ahimé, it was time for us to leave Monopoli, and slowly head back to the other poli, Napoli. Joys such as these can't last forever, otherwise it would get boring.

Actually, no it wouldn't, I'm just saying that to try and make myself feel better.

One the way we visited an amazingly beautiful town on the coast, for a swim.

Polignano A Mare, or Polygamy By The Sea, as I like to call it, is yet another stunning whitewashed village on the Italian Adriatic coast.

Ho hum.

This Great Gatsby looks like a used Fiat salesman

Oleander trees. Never seen them this big before.

It was hot, and water always does the trick

Michael trying to blend in, in his Oz bushwhacking clobber

Daily life in the newer part of town

The beach was a pearler

We had to slide through slippery tunnels to get there

People are so dense around here

Some local bravehearts were jumping off the high cliffs. Everyone watched, ooohed and aaaahed, and cheered when they safely reappeared in the water. It was pretty funny.

Geronissimo!!!

Ooooooooouch!

Everyone broke into applause.

Also, notice the formation of three small stationary UFOs in each of those pics. Aliens like beaches in summer too.

We strolled through the beautiful old part of town

Wouldn't catch me jumping from here

Eventually we choofed off, and, as it was getting late, took the highway back, something we've pretty much avoided the whole time we've been in Italy.

Scrub fire

My middle finger accidentally pointed upwards whilst devouring this delicious arancini, an Italian rice ball. Maybe I'd just been picking my nose, I can't remember.

The food's divine everywhere here, even in servos.

Mt Vesuvius, as we cruised back into Napoli.

One Last Night

Michael and I went for one final meal together in Napoli, eating in a trattoria not far from our little guest house up on a hill overlooking part of the city.

Our kitschy bathroom

Strolling up the hill

The trattoria was totally old school, but the prices were very much new university

The mozzarella buffala was unbelievably good though.

Buffaloes are so uselful.

Napoli drivers are uncontrollable rats. They're notoriously impatient, and every single car seems to have dings all over it.

There was Catholic royalty hanging out up the hill

Another Vesuvius view

The shrine at our guest house

More Sad Goodbyes

We got up at sparrows, and returned our hire car to the airport in time for our early flights.

Final brekky.

Don't worry, it wasn't Maccas, we would never need to stoop that low in this country.

I said goodbye to Michael, as his flight left first. We'd had an absolutely incredible time together for the past  10 days, and it was really sad to see him go.

We get on like a house on fire, partly because our hearts are pretty much always burning with joy when we hang out.

There are three things certain in life - death, taxes, and having a ball with Michael.

The trouble is, we're in different continents these days.

The Twist

Michael flew off.

The airport screen told me my flight was delayed by 30 minutes, and then shortly afterwards the delay was extended to one hour. And then my flight just disappeared from the Departures screen altogether, with no announcement.

Thanks for that guys.

After a long search through the departure lounge for airline staff, so I could find out what the beGesù was going on, I finally discovered that, actually, my flight had just been cancelled.

Just like that.

Which means I would miss my two connecting flights back to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan.

As I'd booked my flight through an online external booking agency, I couldn't deal directly with the airline, and my booking agency offered me another flight combination, for a fee.

I paid the fee, got the new booking, but then a couple of hours later the first leg of that flight was also cancelled.

Shit.

Rather than have to fork out even more cash the only thing I could really do was to cancel the whole flight combination, and apply for a refund (not a cent of which has been paid yet, I might add).

Well there ya go.

My plot just thickened.

I'm now stuck in Napoli, a long long way from my bicycle.

I guess it's time for me to go back to the drawing board❤️

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