the Puglian adventure continues....!

Piazza Liberta in the beautiful city of Ostuni! 

Ciao everyone! I hope you are well & enjoying summertime!  Seems like it's going to be a hot one worldwide this year, it sure is roasting here in south Italy.  I am still doing my WOOFING at this cute little farm/dance center, it has been excellent!  My work has been varied with nothing too extremely challenging.  Also, it is too damn hot to do much from about 12-4pm so we take a grand siesta.  (actually too hot to do anything under the sunlight from about... 10am-5pm so, there goes the day).  It turns out I am pretty worthless in the sun & heat, suffering from "cervello bollito" (boiled brain), I seem to get a burst of energy around 7:30pm & can do a bit of work until around 9 when it starts getting dark.  Strange schedule!

My co-volunteer & I headed to town & to the beach yesterday to beat the heat.  At the beach we had to seek shelter under an ombrellone, really the sun is too strong even to think you are going to get a tan.  If you are bianchissime, like us, you are sure to get a nice burn.  Tomorrow I will depart for Montenegro!  I'm excited & really hoping for the best!  Despite hoping for the best, I'm also trying not to have too many expectations considering that I don't know too much about Montenegro or the culture.  Other than the men are said to be tall & good looking.  :)  Ha!

central piazza in Ostuni

it is charming to take a stroll along the old city walls at sunset!

Ostuni is known as "the white city", everything is white because of the HEAT!  Not only Ostuni but, every city in Puglia is actually white because of the heat.  

still all white!

the cathedral of Ostuni

out taking the passagiata

 One of my big jobs recently has been caper picking.  It is a soothing activity.  One day I went crrrazay and picked every caper in a half mile radius!  (almost)  These will then be packed in a bunch of salt to "cure" them before eating.  Raw capers are surprisingly bitter.

they grow up on a little stalk like this, easy to pick

if the bud is allowed to blossom you will get this gorgeous caper flower!  which, in turn, becomes the caper berry.  

 One day we built a roof over the bath-house at the new dance studio here.  It was fun!  It required some precision board laying as well as hammering & drilling.

notice my stylish protective sun sheath, also the trullo we are staying in  behind me.  Trullo (trulli- plural) are the traditional houses in this particular region of puglia.  They are so strange but I really like them.  I will have to take some photos, inside it is like a white womb or egg with no windows.  I sleep on a loft-nest in the top of the trullo/womb.

the roof.  the trullo.

what i have been eating.

harvested some dry fava beans the other day, aren't they pretty??

some more of what i have been eating.

back to Ostuni

this dude is doing some nice sketching

some of the red geraniums i keep mentioning. Pop!

fontanello with a view!

inside the cathedral

granita di caffe... so GOOD!!!  

scene at the beach, some of these guys are getting really nerissimo!

HAPPY at the beach!!

here's where I spend my siesta time reading books

there you see the womb-like trullo entrance.  these trulli really stay cool in the summer.

so unique & bizarre!

not a bad spot for some yoga :)

one day we were enchanted by our task of putting shade cloths up around the new studio

floor of new dance studio nearing completion

some art projects @ casina settarte

we painted these chairs & tables & were quite pleased with the outcome!

this could easily have been my favorite thing, the outdoor trullo shower.  best shower ever.

filling up water jugs in Cisternino, a fun activity on those hot ass days.  

tools of the trade

Alright my friends, I have to go and help finish up this dance floor we are building here.  Wish me luck as I make my way to Montenegro on another night ferry journey!  Please consider coming for a visit!  If you've always been wanting to visit the lovely and exotic Dalmation coast, this summer could be your big opportunity!  I will be in Herceg Novi, just 15km south of Dubrovnik, Croatia.  I will be anxiously waiting to hear from you! :)

Big hugs! xx