Long time no hear. Well, this has been the longest gap I had in between posts.
Things have been hectic over here as I have now gone back into full time employment after a long 12 year gap at home looking after the children… and blogging of course. I felt it was time for me to move on and set myself new challenges.
I will still keep blogging of course although perhaps less frequently but I will still be posting easy recipes suitable for any day of the week . In fact I am still cooking in the same way, the family still needs to be fed. The weekend is for soup making (in my pressure cooker with beans too!), roast dinners, pasta sauces and cake making. During the week meals are simple but tasty therefore there is no need to resort to ready meals.
Today I am sharing some photos of my holiday in Puglia that hubby and I had last summer.
Polignano a Mare is just half an hour drive from Bari airport so it is very easy to reach.
I really enjoy swimming so I made the most of my holiday by having long swims several times a day.
The old town, is right by the sea and it is really pretty with mostly white buildings.
We rented a car.. a Fiat 500 (I just love this car) so we could explore the region.
We drove around the region. The land is very dry (especially in the summer) and all you can see, mostly, is olive trees.
I picked some prickly pears (known as Fichi d’India in Italian) using gloves and I soak them in water for a few minutes to remove their needles. They are very good for you as they contain lots of vitamins and they are 100% organic as they grow wild in the countryside. You always find these fruits in Southern Italy.
You cannot go to Puglia without trying the focaccia barese with tomatoes on top.. the perfect street food!
And I absolutely love almond ice cream! You had to eat it really quickly though as it was 40C or 104F outside.. so it was melting fast!
Mmm… this was so so good and you could taste real, proper roasted almond in it!
I’m glad you’re enjoying your job! Otherwise it would be very sad. Love this post, and it’s nice to see your pretty face again!
Thanks Mimi 🙂 I hope all is well.
Wow! What a glorious vacation. And your photos are fab. I bet you had a terrific time.
Holidays in Italy are always great and this is such a beautiful part of the boot.
So glad you’re back and am looking forward to your forthcoming recipe, best wishes from Austria and enjoy your new job,
♀️
Thanks very much Astrid! Hello to beautiful Austria (I used to live just over an hour from the border in Friuli).
This looks beautiful I love yours pictures Alida !
Grazie cara Gloria
Looks like a wonderful break in Puglia, a region I am yet to visit. Glad you enjoyed your time there Alida, we all need a little relaxation time now and then. Xx
Absolutely 🙂
Loved seeing your Puglia pics. It’s hard going back to work on the outside after being home running the day to day with the family I hope you are enjoying it.
It is indeed, you need to get used to a totally different life. I felt it was time to do something more.
Looks like that you had a busy and fun summer! Those photos from Puglia are so beautiful.
A beautiful part of Italy indeed.
I just found your site & my dream is to live in Italy. You r living my dream!!!
I don’t live in Italy anymore as I moved to the UK 19 years ago. I visit quite often though.
Great pictures and the ice cream sounds delicious. I was watching a programme on television the other night about the Mediterranean and they said that some olive trees in Puglia are having problems. That is a real shame and I hope they can sort this problem out soon for the farmers and producers of the oil.
Yes I heard of that too. Hopefully this is just a bad year because olive oil from Puglia is really good. My parents, who live in the North. also buy the oil from a farmer in Puglia.
I wish you lots of success in your job! I will keep on following your blog, as I like it very much. Hope you will find time now and then to post one of your delicious recipes! Tanti auguri!
Thank you very much Carla molto gentile and thank you for having been such a loyal reader for all these years.
So many big things in your life ! Sounds good to organize exhibitions : it seems like lot of action and I am sure you will be happy doing it. Also, your photo of Indian figs it great. Have you tried to make anything with them ? And yes, Puglia is wonderful ! I wish you enjoy all of new things in life dear Alida 🙂
I have never done anything with Indian figs a part from eating them on their own. Thank you for your good wishes my friend.
So glad to get your post notice and to hear you are still going to be blogging.
Puglia is so beautiful, what a great place to have a holiday and such wonderful images. And I must say a good choice for a auto hire. We rented one when we first moved here, a bit small but very economical. The Fiat 500 is hugely popular up here. Do enjoy your new job and blog when you can.
Thanks Ron. I am totally in love with FIat 500 and I would love to get one myself too. So easy to drive, easy to park as it is so small and incredibly cute!
What a beautiful city. We also always rent a car to travel around for convenience. Hope you will keep blogging besides your job.
Oh yes I will.
Congratulazioni per il tuo lavoro, è bello sentirsi realizzati! Belle le foto del tuo viaggio in Puglia, ci vivo e conosco benissimo questi posti, spero tu possa ritornarci! Un bacione cara!
E’ vero tu sei Pugliese. Che bella la tua regione mi sono trovata benissimo.
Sometimes we need a little extra challenges to keep us happy, I hope you will enjoy your job. I hope someday to visit Puglia, my husband has a cousin that lives in Bari.
You are right. Challenges are good and they keep us going. Do visit Puglia sometime, it is certainly worth it.
Bellissimi posti, belle le foto, grazie!