Last Day in Lecce...Euro2006(05.26.06)

Friday was our last full day in Lecce. Alberto had to go to work for a while so Stefano picked us up and we ended up going to the Alfa Romeo dealership with him (he had ordered a car and was checking up on it).

Emily and I had to wait with him at the dealership for a while. I think the receptionista was getting a little tired of us. But you can't stick two girls in a room with expensive things for an extended period of time and not expect us to touch them. We got a great picture of Yoda on the hood of the red car in the top picture.

When Alberto was finished on base, we drove to the beach. I was so impressed by the fact that each one we went to was 30-45 minutes from Lecce, yet all three were completely different.

On the way, we stopped to take pictures of this breathtakingly lifelike statue of an ancient Grecian goddess...... ....oh wait, no that's just me....

This was such a cool spot. Take a second to really look at the next picture.

The blue post to the far right of the picture is part of a gateway (locked) to a set of stairs. These stairs wind down to the platform you see just to the left of the post in the picture. See the people laying out? The stairs continue winding down to the water where the rocks form a natural pool.
Alberto was hoping no one would be there so we could walk down to it, because apparently it's privately owned. Lucky bastards! It was so easy to imagine gorgeous, wealthy Romans in long flowing robes and those really cool gold headband things and spiraly arm bracelets walking down to bathe in their natural pool by the sea...


This is a close up of the rocks just down the rocky beach from us. There's a guy standing by himself on the rocks down by the sea on the left side of the picture (think I could get anymore prepositions in that sentence?). We weren't worried about him falling in because luckily....

...we had a Power Ranger with us!! Alberto drove Emily and I everywhere, and Max and Stefano always followed (or rather, raced ahead) on their motorcycles. If you're still wondering, that's his helmet resting on his head.

The third beach was really pretty and very rocky.

I have to admit it was difficult to find a flat enough spot to lay out on where there wasn't a rock jutting in some place it shouldn't be.

But it was a beautiful day, and I just wanted to soak up every second of my last day in Lecce.

Emily and I decided we had to jump from the rocks into the water before we left. So we walked to the edge (I don't think it was more than 5 or 6 feet to the water. We weren't cliff diving or anything.)...anyway, we walked to the edge, held hands, counted to three...and jumped.

The shock from the freezing cold water actually numbed my body for a minute. It was really cool though, because you float so easily in the saltwater. You can basically just sit in the water.

That night we had dinner at the same restaurant we ate lunch at our first day in Lecce. We had a really nice time with everyone and it was a fitting end to a great week. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from dinner. Here's a few pictures of Lecce at night. I wasn't quite still enough so they're a little blurry, but it was a really nice evening.

I'll be forever grateful to Alberto and his friends for my unforgettable week in Lecce.

The next morning, we took the 6:30am train to Rome.

Alberobello and Ostuni, Italy...Euro2006 (05.25.06)

Thursday (May 25,2006) , the guys took us on a day trip to see two unique little towns in South Italy.

The first was Alberobello, Italy - one of my favorite towns we visited on our trip. The town is built on a hill so the streets are really steep. What makes Alberobello unique are the interesting roofs on the buildings.

I loved walking through this town. It's almost like a mideval fairy tale town. We walked through several stores and shops where I bought some of my favorite souvenirs that I brought home to family and friends. People have inhabited the area of Alberobello since the 15th century. These unique buildings are called the Trulli (because of the way the overlapping stone makes the cone shaped roofs) and were declared national monuments. Alberobello was a farming and peasant village that became a royal township to the royal family.


One of the things I loved most about traveling in Europe is that everything is so old and has such a long, interesting history. Emily and I were very fortunate to have Alberto and his friends to take us to such interesting places and really made the most of our week in Lecce. Going around the table, Alberto is sitting on the left, Max in the middle and Stefano on the right. Grazie mille ragazzi!!

The second town we saw that day was Ostuni, Italy. It is also known as "the White City" because the entire city was made from white stone.

Alberto pulled over so I could take this picture and I am so glad he did. It was getting late in the day and the sun reflecting off the white stone made the entire city glow.

Ostuni has been inhabited since the stone age. It has a great history and has been regarded as a jewel of Italy since ancient times. Jewel you say? Of course I loved this city!!



This was a square in the center of the city. There were lots of shops up and down the streets that branched out from here. You can see there are closed umbrellas hanging down. The vendors open these huge umbrellas during the day, then take them down later in the afternoon and evening.


We ate a lot of ice cream on our trip. Then again, there were ice cream shops around every corner. And the Italians definately know their gellato!!


This is mine and Alberto's Democrat / Republican picture.

These next few picures I took walking through some of the streets. I loved how the streets, buildings and walls were all white, with bright splashes of color in a blue door or bright green shudders. It was very striking.

Note the walkway from one street to another. The streets are connected like this in lots of the cities we visited in Italy. I thought it was pretty cool. Once or twice it was a little creepy but of course I'll have stories for that when I get there.


That evening, Emily wasn't feeling well so they took me to dinner to meet some more of their friends a restaurant that is a converted masseria. The term masseria is mainly used in South Italy and refers to a wine producing farm. This masseria we ate at was about an hour away, out in the middle of the country, surrounded by farm land. The restaurant was the converted old farm house. We literally drove down a long, narrow, winding dirt road surrounded by crops to get to this restaurant. The atmosphere was exactly how you would want to experience Italian dining. It was very dimly lit, and very comfortable. My friends helped me order (as always) and I would have to say this was the best meal I had in Italy. The entire experience was unforgettable. Even the drive back to the apartment was great. I rode back with three of the guys so Alberto could drive his friend home, and they listened to Pavarotti and Friends and sang along beautifully at the top of their lungs. Exactly like you think Italian guys would do. It was one of my favorite and most memorable nights.

#4 Go topless...Euro2006 (05.24.06)

...preferably on a European beach where it's legal.

On Wednesday, (May 24, 2006), they took us to the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. I'm going to find out the names of these beaches. All three were within 30 - 45 minutes from Lecce.

Isn't it gorgeous? We set up in the first set of lounge chairs down on the beach on the far right of the top picture. I was in heaven on this beach. In all honesty I would have to say that it was the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I was completely overwhelmed. The water was so clear and the surrounding beach was incredible!

I felt like I was at one of those remote European locations you see pictures of celebrities hanging out at....oh wait - I was! The water was a little chilly at first but we waded in and picked up seashells. I was planning on making a necklace out of them, but I haven't done it yet. Maybe this summer I will. We were there at the perfect time of year too because the beaches were still quite empty , so we were really able to enjoy being there without being crowded out of all the good spots!


And therefore...I was a little more comfortable "doing as the Europeans do" and by that I mean "unleashing the girls," or as Emily called it, "liberating myself."

Though I'll admit that it still took me about an hour and a half and one alcoholic beverage to work up the courage.


Anyhow, I think it goes without saying that going topless on a European beach has to be included on my lifetime checklist....check!

For dinner that evening, we all went to Stefano's house for a cookout. We had a great time! Stefano gave me a bottle of liquor that his family makes, it's green and quite potent. I took it to a party at a friends after I got home from my trip and made everyone try it. It was a bit strong for their liking but my friend Melanie and I drank enough of it for everyone!!

Carrie-Anne's Guide to Top Drawer Traveling.....

Let's recap what we've learned so far, shall we? ...

Lesson #1: Do not pack four bags if you'll be carrying them around by yourself. (That's what men are for...so make sure you have some with you.) Or, travel with hippies. They might be able to shame you into not packing so many things, and don't expect them to help you carry anything heavy.

Lesson #2: Check the weather where you are going and be prepared. Or, listen to your father when he checks the weather where you are going and tells you it's going to be cold and rainy.

Lesson #3: If you are traveling by plane, see if the airline has a baggage weight limit. Be aware of how much your suitcase weighs and the fact that charges may apply if it weighs too much. (I believe the weight limit for Ryanair was 20 kilos). This is important because you don't want to anger the airline employee behind the counter with such annoying phrases as, "What?!" or "That's ridiculous!" or "So what am I supposed to do?" or especially "Can you please help me?". They don't care. This is why it's cheap to fly with them.

Lesson #4: Keep a notebook and pen with you at all times. Every day write the date, and jot down names of places you go, what you eat, things you see, words or phrases you learn, etc. You don't have to make a full journal entry, just note the date and make a short list. You'll think certain things will be too important or too awesome to ever forget, but you will. Actually, go get some paper and write this down right now because it's too important and you'll forget...go ahead...go write it down!!

I will update the guide as needed so stay tuned...and happy traveling!!!

First day in Lecce, Italy..Euro2006(05.23.06)

We drove into Lecce (LE-CHE) that afternoon to walk around and have some lunch. Lecce is a beautiful town and Alberto gave us a nice tour. We saw an old monistary, walked by a sunken amphitheater that we were told is still used for concerts (cool), then ate lunch at a restaurant owned by some friends of his.

For those of you who weren't aware, Yoda is a delicacy in Italy and I highly recommend it.

Every single meal I had in Italy was fabulous. When in Italy, you can't be afraid to take menu suggestions and try new things. I'm so glad I did! I do wish I could remember the names of all the different Italian meals we tried. I'll have to think about that and add some menu items to my entries. That's the downside of my putting off writing about this trip for an entire year. Never do this!! Write down everything you eat, see, and do because you won't remember!

Naturally, my picture with Alberto is overpowered by the back hoe and I probably should have thought twice about the rock star shades, but whatever.

After lunch, we went to the first of three beaches we would see that week.


This picture is actually of a Range Rover. Emily shrunk it using her mind bending power and the crushing force of her thumb and index finger.
Actually, this was the first Smart Car I'd ever seen. It's so tiny!! After touring cities in Italy (especially Rome) I understood the value of a Smart Car. And the Italians are masters of parallel parking. Impressive, really...

Before we left for Europe, we kept being told to make sure we brought lots of sunscreen because the sun in Italy would be much stronger and harsher than we were used to. Alberto told us that several times on the way there. So, Emily and I made sure to lotion up that first day. It was a beautiful day, later in the afternoon, sun shining...Emily and I didn't get any tan at all thanks to the 45proof sunscreen we slathered on, and Alberto's the one who ended up getting sunburned. We found that somewhat amusing.

And anyway, that's what he gets for wearing a speedo.

The beach was, of course, beautiful. Alberto knew Luca, the guy who owned the beach (yes, you read that correctly) and Luca is also a good friend of Emily's boyfriend so we were well taken care of and spent the day sunbathing (not tanning), and had a great time hanging out at the hut drinking mohitos!!

By the way, that tiny little dot in the distance in the very center of the picture is a cruiseship.

That evening, Alberto took us on base to eat pizza at the pilots' restaurant/bar. We met a lot of Alberto's friends, had a few beers, then went back to the apartment to rest up for our next day at the next beach!! And I feel that it is important to note that while getting ready to go to dinner that night.... my Chi blew out. Devastating.

Meanwhile back at home: I have two pet ducks in my yard (Hazel and Pita). Turns out Hazel is a boy, but anyway, one of Pita's eggs hatched the day I left on my trip. When Josh got home from the airport, he found a little duckling running down the alley. He chased it down, built a little pen for the baby duck and got it some baby duck food. He even named it Murray. He said Murray had spunk. Unfortunately, he came home from work a few days later and Murray had died (actually he said something got him). But I appreciated him so much for doing everything he could to keep it safe. Mom said she'd come over to check on the baby duck too. Also I had two dogs, Frankie and Honey who my mom graciously let live at her house until Josh and I get a house with a yard. A couple of weeks into my trip, my dog Honey passed away. She was a good dog, and a good mama dog. She and Frankie had puppies together. It was really sad, and it was really hard on Josh and my mom, and on me being so far away. I feel like I owe so much to my family for taking care of my pets and loving them for me while I was gone. My mom and Josh did an excellant job.