Puglia April and May 2019

Puglia to Rome, Spring tracks

Dates: April 24-May 21

Flights: Round-trip Newark to Rome via United.

Car: Europcar 

Day 1- Rome to Naples

On arrival, I bought my Italian SIM card at the airport from a WIND kiosk, turned on the phone and away we went.  The drive from Rome south to Naples was easy and we stopped at the Palace in Caserta mid-day.  We became overwhelmed with the size of the Palace and even its extensive grounds and when we saw the long line for tickets we abandoned the plan to enter and just poked around a bit.  In fairness, it was April 25, Liberation Day, a National Holiday.  Yet again I had forgotten to research National Holidays, a rookie mistake. We drove on into Naples, the dense sprawling city renowned for piles of trash, violent crime and pizza.  I wonder why I had never gone before?  Naples has cleaned up its act, and is now tourist-friendly. We found our little hotel tucked away on the 2nd floor down an alley, and in typical Neapolitan style, after stepping through graffiti emblazoned garage doors we entered Casa Hosteno, the remaining rooms of a family Palazzo now a charming boutique hotel. High ceilings, lots of light, old books, modern sofas and a warm welcome. We wandered out to explore and find dinner where my personal highlight were the fried artichokes at Puchinello.

Casa Hosteno front door, it's Naples!

But inside...all serenity reigns.

For us, it was first things first.  We had visited Pompeii in 2007 and were saddened to learn that the best frescoes and mosaics were in the National Archaeological Museum.  So, we arrived at opening time, 9 am,  and finally, wearily, emerged 3 hours later.  Go. If  you've been to Pompeii, if you are going to Pompeii, go.  This Museum rivals Rome for the caliber and depth of its collection.

Weary, we decided to subway down to the waterfront in search of a recommended pizza restaurant.  Well, distances are deceiving and we may have gotten off a stop too soon, but the walk was long and we were both ready to collapse when we sat down at one of the endless waterfront restaurants and joined the locals eating pizza for lunch.  One each, no sharing.  Really, everyone gets their own, and no guilt about it. Refueled we walked back via charming shopping streets all chock full of people enjoying the sunshine and on holiday.





Another half-day in Naples spent church-hopping, the highlight being Caravaggio's The Seven Works of Mercy, 1607,  painted for the Pio Monte della Misericordia.  There were plenty of churches to

satisfy my culture cravings, and not unlike Rome, each held a surprise on entering-a magnificent marble altarpiece, a lovely Virgin and Child, light streaming in from high windows.  In Italy I always see the Catholic faith as alive, there are always people stopping in to pray.

One visit for next time, The Veiled Christ by Giuseppe Sanmartino. The lines were just too long, and with our short time in Naples we chose to wander the streets soaking up the atmosphere and then, go for Pizza!

I love that in Naples, everyone gets their own pie.  No sharing.  Not even up for discussion.  Most are decent sized, larger than what we would call 'individual'.  Famous places have lines down the block for both take-out or eat inside.  It is a little confusing and there is a lot of pushing, but the pizza was fresh, hot and delicious. Makes me hungry just looking at the picture now!

Fortified with our lunch, we left Naples-surely to return- and drove to Herculaneum.  On previous visit we had seen Pompeii but none of the other nearby sites.  Saving Pompeii for tomorrow, we spent the afternoon at Herculaneum.  The main difference between the two sites is that Herculaneum is that Pompeii was covered by 4 meters of volcanic debris while Herculaneum was covered by 20+ meters of volcanic ash, allowing the preservation of two-story buildings intact, and even wooden beams were left intact.  It is also a much more compact city and quite easy to manage.  Herculaneum still looks like a town, but for me, it didn't have the pull of Pompeii.  Maybe I've been brainwashed.

Our next hotel, nick-named the Pink Palace, was a villa near the coast which is a small wedding or event venue.  Geographically it answered our needs be be out of Naples but near Pompeii.  That said, it was a bit odd.  The coastal plain once held many villas but now is rather run-down and uninteresting.  I was more than a little concerned as the GPS took us across railroad tracks and past warehouses.  However, once we entered our gated enclave peace, serenity and beauty reigned.  The Palazzo di Concerti is a three-story villa with no more than a dozen rooms.  The very high ceilings allowed them to split a level and make two floors where once there was one.  Our room was on the 'new' upper floor, but still had high ceilings, a view of the garden, a superb modern bath and gorgeous heavy silk drapes.  We had our own Nespresso machine, so morning coffee was assured.  A quick dip in the pool and tour of the rose garden and we were off to the nearest town, Torre Annunziata, in search of a cocktail and dinner.  The day before had been a national holiday, and apparently everyone had partied hard, so the town was rather quiet. We found a cheerful bar Il Baretto, on the main street and enjoyed cocktails and the little snacks supplied at Happy Hour.  We opted for a fish restaurant next door to the bar and went home happy and well fed.

 

April 24-May 21	Rome and Puglia
Flights: Wed April 24	EWR to ROME via United	Arrive 7:30AM
Return: Tue May 21	Rome to Newark	Arrive 2:00PM
Thursday April 25 Liberation Day	Hotel: Casa Hosteno, Blue room with upstairs lofted four-poster bed. Bath too small but room charming. Excellent location in the historical center. Dinner: Puchinello. Great fried artichoke.	Caserta on our way down. Huge palatial grounds. Did not pay to enter. Walk local area, in the center of the historic district.
Thursday April 25 National Holiday.	Naples	Archeological Museum: artifacts from Pompeii including best mosaics and frescoes. Pizza lunch at the waterfront. Crowds everywhere.
Friday April 26	Naples-Pompeii-Torre Annunziata Hotel: Palazzo di Concerti, alias The Pink Palace, on the outskirts of Torre Annunziata. Beautiful villa with extremely modern, opulent fittings- embroidered silk curtains, plastered ceiling, huge shower. Infinity pool. Gorgeous garden. Middle of nowhere but went to Torre Ann. central and found a good bar 'Il Baretto" and a fish restaurant next door for dinner.	AM: Churches- especially Pio Monte Misericordia for the Caravaggio. Pizza lunch! Herculaneum in the afternoon. Good site. Needed audioguide, no signage inside.
Saturday April 27	Torre-Pompeii-Paestum Hotel: Il Granaio. Room upstairs outside with view over the park. A little run down after our other places. Breakfast was fantastic and overall I recommend the property. Dinner: Bistro 73, suggested by the hotel, a few doors down. Waitress from Linden NJ. Huge salumi platter.	Villa Poppea, Nero's wife's villa in Torre Annunziata. Def. worth a visit, well preserved villa. Pompeii, skimmed what we'd seen before, spent time at the villa of the Mysteries. Stabia: Another small site, but interesting to see holes in the walls where frescoes had been literally cut out. Drove on to Paestum. Arrived at dusk.
Sunday April 28	Hotel: Il Granaio Dinner: Agriturismo Seliano Sunset cocktail overlooking the ruins.	Spent most of the day at the ruins and the museum. Dinner we had stopped in the day before and booked a table at Agrisurismo Seliano, the Waterbuffalo place we had stayed before. Dinner was large and long though simple. Best was the extensive appetizer plate with quiches and cheeses and meats. Pasta was a watery risotto, meat a simple grilled cutlet. Owner came to speak with us.
Monday April 29	Matera. Hotel: L'Artiere Dimore ****, Dinner : Soul Kitchen	Long country driving day. South on coast first to Agriponti a coastal castle town for a pretty stop. Next, Greek ruins and a watchtower at Elia/Velia. Over the mountains and stopped at a high valley, named Valley of the Orchids as it was exactly the right month for the bloom. Very cold and windy. Helpful stakes with photos of the flowers in the meadow and hillside made spotting easy. Would be great to return here and plan real hiking. It was a long detour. Arrived in Matera at late afternoon. It is a pedestrian-only center. We only brought in what we could carry in one load as it was only overnight. Gorgeous boutique hotel. Excellent dinner.
Tuesday April 30	Metaponte, Hotel outside Ginosa in the country. Hotel: Borgo Valle Rita Restaurant: 1/2 board.	Toured Matera, did a self-guided tour, though most suggest paying for a guided tour. Matera is a cave-town perched on one side of a gorge. Origianl cave dwellings and cave churches survive and an 18th century white stone city has been built around it. Old town is winding streets, frescoed (in bad shape)churches. We drove to the far side of the gorge and explored a bit. Could spend more time here, but safety concenrs have closed a lot of the interesting trails, you can no longer cross the river from the city to the far side. Town definitely worth a stop of a day but not more than 2.
Wednesday May 1 National Holiday	MetaponteBorgo Valle Rita	Rest day. Borgo is in the middle of agricultural plane, but with large trucks on the roads and light industry mixed in so not entirely buccolic. Visited the ruins of a greek temple, the sanctuary of Hera known as the Tavola Palatine. Beautifully reconstructed. At the Borgo, after a sundappled breakfast on the veranda of the restaurant, we borrowed bikes and rode the grounds out to the vineyards, past fennel fields and orange groves in fruit and bloom. Fun biking. Lunch back on the veranda. Did a little laundry, took a nap. There is a beautiful stable next door and we could watch the racehorses frolic in their enclosure, but were not allowed to visit. Sat by the pool and had a dip. It was another Holiday, so many came to the Borgo for a large late lunch and to enjoy the grounds.
Thursday May 2	Otranto. Hotel: Masseria Bandino Restaurant: 1/2 board	Checked out Metaponte proper. Small museum. Archeological site locked. Took a walk on the beach, just opening for the season. Like the Jersey Shore, lined with hotels and bars and restaurants, fishermen and lovers out walking, brave in the cold water. Pretty. Next stop, Taranto. Visited the well-regarded archeological museum. Has unusual schedule. They alternate the opening of the floors, one is open for an hour or so, then you must leave and go to the next, which opens, then shuts again. Great collection. Had lunch, a regional sandwhich called 'Pucce', like a soft, puffy pita bread, filled with the usual meats and cheeses. Very filling for a few euros. Long afternoon drive over to Otranto on the Adriatic coast. Our hotel, a few kilometers south of Otranto, at first glance looked a little like a modernized motel. On the same small road was a familly run Agriturismo with lovely orchard grounds and grazing horses. Taken to our room, not as large or secluded as we had envisioned from the internet. There is an easy walk up behind the hotel with lots of wild flowers and views over the countryside. Dinner was fantastic. We decided to order a la carte, rather than the set menu, and per usual the appetizer, 'Kalidescope' was huge and excellent with an eggplant involtini, prawn tempura, and many others. Our room was comfortable and we had no neighbors, so very quiet.
Friday May 3	Otranto. Hotel: Masseria Bandino Restaurant: 1/2 board	Borrowed bikes and headed off after breakfast down country lanes and out to the sea where we visited an abandoned watch-tower, then peddaled upa side road to explore a ruined Masseria. Next, up the drive to peer into the ruins of St. Nicholas's Abbey (private property) and over to the Bauxite Mines, deep orange/red earth and deep turquoise pit/pool. In Otranto we visited the Cathedral which has an unusual floor with a mosaic of the Tree of Llife, created over 10 years by a priest. Wild creatures. Another small frescoed Romanesque church, Pucce lunch on the waterfront, tour of the castle, nicely restored. Back for dinner at the Hotel, good again.
Satiurday May 4	Lecce. Hotel: Palazzo Bernadini Drinks: Quanto Basta	Drove down the coast from Otranto to Castro, beautiful rugged coast line, like Big Sur. Limestone caves under the cliffs have yielded ancient remains. Lecce, supposedly the Florence of the South, let me down a bit. Many many baroque churches, almost all of them locked and closed. I thought we were there to see interiors, but maybe it's only the exuberantly carved exteriors that are the draw. Our Hotel was deep in the center, and offered us a parking place. It was a classic Palazzo, with a gate onto the street, and interior courtyard and a grand staircase to the upper floors. Our room was at the back of the courtyard, a suite with living room, bedroom, bath and access to the terrace and garden out back. Many thoughtful touches, a half bottle of wine and Tarelli, the little Italian biscuits served with wine. Breakfast came on a tray to your room- croissants, rolls, meat, cheese, fruit compote, fresh juice and cappucino. We ate in the garden. When we went out that night we forgot the keys and had to knock and text and ring to finally get Yanni, one of the owners, to come and let us in. He was not amused. We had drinks at a fantastic bar, Quanto Basta. Like a real Brooklyn cocktail bar. Bo had "the Walking Dead", I had a Cynar-version of a Negroni. The town is pretty at night.
Sunday May 5	Lecce. Hotel: Palazzo Bernadini Drinks: Quanto Basta	Toured the town. Amphitheater in the middle of the city. Tried to get into various churches. Town is like the Cotswolds, all yellow stone. Very popular tourist stop.
Monday May 6	Torre San Giovanni. Hotel: Masseria Don Cirillo Dinner: Azurra	En route stop at Galatino to visit the Basilica Santa Caterina with absolutely amazing entirely frescoed interior. Completely restored, and a large church so lots to see. Sadly we arrived about 10 minutes before the lunch time closing. We came back later to spend more time there. The town of Galatina is worth exploring, nice old center, easy to navigate and park nearby. Next stop was Galipoli, a fortified town accessed by a causeway with a castle/museum worth visiting, some shopping streets and a harbor and a great church, St..Catherine, heavily painted. Good lunch break for a couple hours. I found a jewelery store who made ceramic earrings that perfectly matched my grandmother's beads, very happy. Drove on to our Masseria, the very elegant Don Cirillo. We had a tower room. It had it's own roof deck, but was hard to get to and not furnished well so really the garden view rooms may be better. The woman who checked us in was very attentive and suggested restaurants both nights. Everything is a drive from here, it is a bit remote, but not too much of a drive- 20 minutes. You can see the Ionian Sea from our room, people come here for beach vacations. Pool was really cold. Breakfast was great. Whole place was rustic/chic.
Tuesday May 7	Torre San Giovanni. Hotel: Masseria Don Cirillo Dinner:: Pizza restaurant with stuffed crust pizza	Very windy morning, I rested and Bo took out a bike for a ride. Took a drive out to the beaches, one is even called Les Maldives and from there did a tour around the bottom of the boot, stopping at the coastal grottoes, Santa Maria de Leuca (the heel) and admired thier "Liberty" era (Art Nouveau) villas on the waterfront. Continued up around the Adriatic coast, took a walk up a gorge and circled back to our inn. Dinner was at a restaurant, full of locals, everyone eating pizza. At 8:30 the place was dead. At 9pm packed, no room. Lively place.
Wednesday May 8	Ceglie Messapica. Hotel: Masseria Camarda.	Hotel had beautiful grounds in the lovely countryside dotted with 'Trulli', conical stone buildings, amidst olive orchards. Natural pool, roses in bloom. 2km trail though the property, past the wheat fields and up and down through the scrub but all abloom with wildflowers in May. Our room was a stand-along building, not a Trulli, but with a living room and bedroom and private entry and access to the pool and garden. It had lots of potential but design-wise it missed. Still comfortable and functional. Owner of the Masseria and his son are race-car drivers. Father coached the Ferrari team, then sailed some massive motoryacht across the Atlantic setting a speed record. Very proud of their produce- all the breads are from their wheat, their own oil and they trade dairy with a neighbor farm so fresh yogurt, cheese. Highly recommend. We re-visited Galatina and the Basilica Santa Caterina for more frescoes.We arrived after visitng Abbazia di Santa Maria di Cerrate, an abbey outside Lecce which has been restored and has at least two layers of frescoes they are trying to save and display. A lovely property and worth a visit. Drove into Ceglie for dinner, a hilltown with unfortunate sprawl at the base. We got quite lost trying to get oriented and find our restaurant. Had drinks on a large plaza, but no one else was there. I believe there had been a religious festival the day before so the town was empty. Ate at a place famous for grilled meats.
Thursday May 9	Ceglie Messapica. Hotel: Masseria Camarda.	Drove into Martina Franca, known as a baroque gem. A pretty old town center. I spent time getting a new SIM card at the WIND store in town, then we visited the governmental palace, did a walking tour while dodging raindrops and grabbed sandwiches to eat on a bench from a bar. Dinner that night was at pasta restaurant where the old woman was making the orachiette, the local specialty. It was good. They serve it with sauteed turnip greens, so a bitter green. Only one other table occuupied and again, empty Happy Hour on the plaza.
Friday May 10	Castellana Grotte. Hotel: Agriturismo Serragambetta. Dinner: 1/2 board	Busy day visiting little towns: 1st Ostuni, near the coast, then inland over the rolling hills to Locorotundo for lunch then on the rediculously touristed Alberobello, home of nothing but Trulli. I might have liked Alberobello but for the endless stream of tourists and junk shops. Historically it seems quite interesting but I preferred the mixed old villages of Locototundo and Ostuni. Continued driving north to Castellana Grotte, merely a way-point but truly another charming town with a great historical center. The Agriturismo is just off a busy road and a railway yet sill on a large lot so feels like the country. An imposing pink villa, we had an upstairs room up very steep steps and lacking charm. However, it had high ceilings, plenty of space and a large bathroom. This place has a communal dinner table, and is very congenial. There are bottles of wine and free sparkling water from a tap in the dining room and everyone tends to mingle and chat in the late afternoon and mornings over breakfast. We were there for a fish meal (Friday) of pasta with mussels, trout with a potato crust. We enjoyed a Dutch couple, working in Germany with a small daughter and a German couple our age. Then there were 4 French at the far end of the table. The Hostess was a tall waif from Berkeley who is now here working. We were surprised how many people stayed here as a base for many days or a week of exploring, but perhaps the 1/2 board entices them. I would love to have seen other rooms.
Saturday May 11	Bari. Hotel: Al Pescatore Pizza for dinner New Town.	Ruins and Museum at Egnazi. Hopped the fence to the waterfront ruins as weren't officially open for the season. Small site. Not overly interesting to me but Bo enjoyed. Lunch at a little cove, a local favorite. We picked wrong and got the tourist trap but saw several weddings and photos going on, so a popular photogenic harbor. Polignano a Maren- a famous cliff-top old town with a little cove where bold people were swimming. Pretty little center, very touristy but the cliff views were beautiful. Monopoli. Arrived in Bari and found our hotel, excellent location right on the edge of the Old Town and with views of the Castle. Sadly, also views of a parking lot and the room was diminutive compared to our other lodgings. Staff very nice and breakfast good. No parking, you had to find your own or go to a garage 400 meters away, bit of a pain as it was rainy off and on. Still, ditched the car and immediately ducked into several churches, snacked on the local specialty, deep-fried polenta squares, consumed from a paper bag while you do the passegiata after church. Aperol Spritz on a little plaza. Dinner took us into the New Town which was a 10 minute walk away. Broad 19th century boulevards lined with shops, outdoor cafes and teeming with kids, all out on a Saturday night. Went to a suggested pizza restaurant, only to be scared off by the commotion and poor table. Returned an hour later after scouring the town and realizing this was our best bet. Had good pizzas too.
Sunday May 12	Trani. Hotel: Palazzo Bianchi Domus	Sunday rainy morning. Quick visit to the castle. I liked the display they had made of casts taken of important carvingsfrom surrounding churches and castles, enabling you to see the best of the area in one place and also to choose places to add to your trip based on a desire to see the original in situ.Took off to the North to go see Castel del Monte, a 13th century citaldel and castle. We just looked from the outside because we didn't have much time. In looking for a place for lunch we had popped in to an Agriturismo and asked if they served lunch. They were expecting a large group for a family party, but agreed to set an extra table for us. We were treated to a multi-course lunch and the other party even shared their home-made wine with us. It was really fun just to observe the festivities, and the food was great except the soggy risotto. After lunch we drove on to Trani, back on the coast. Bo had booked us into a suite of rooms. Not quite a hotel, I think they maybe had 3 suites. Anyway the one he wanted was not available and he was sad but we ended up in a huge two-bedroom apartment with high ceilings and laundry! Trani is a pretty white stone town around a harbor with nary a tourist in site. We wandered and found the prominent Romanesque cathedral with a bell-tower we climbed the next day, castle battlements and a lively waterfront where we had a sunset cocktail.
Monday May 13	Vieste. Hotel & dinner: Park Hotel Villa Maria	The morning started with a dud. We went to find the Battlefield of Cannae, the historic battle in 216 bc where Hannibal defeated the larger Roman army. The museum and battlefield access was not yet open for the season. Bo snuck in for a quick look, but not the visit we expected. Beautiful drive through the region known as the Gargano. We took all the back roads up and through the mountains and forests and farm lands, very very worthwhile. The weather was still iffy, and when we arrived in Vieste, a seaside town, it was dreary and not really open for the season. Our hotel, so pretty in the pictures, was a bit of a time-warp, rather dated and with no place to lounge outside the room. We made the best of it and in fact the kitchen was unexpectedly good, so we enjoyed our dinner. I had received bad news via email- our Airbnb in Rome could not take us, and I didn't like their alternate option so I was scouring the internet for a new place.
Tuesday May 14	Mont Sant 'Angelo Hotel: Palace Hotel San Michele Dinner: Li Jalantuumene	Another scenic drive day. First stop, hilltown of Vico del Gargano, drive through the woods and over the mountains to Mont Sant'Angelo, famous pilgrimage site as St. Michael appeared here 4 times in the years around 560AD. Special masses are still held in the underground cave church (which has an above-ground entrance, so appears a normal building till you enter). I found the pilgrims very moving and the museum attached well done. After the church we spent some time in the spa associated with the hotel. It was a large space with various pools of various temperatures with jets, a sauna and steam room. It was really popular so people watching was most of the fun. Dinner was at a chef-driven restaurant with an egotistical owner who cooked for us alone. When I'd stopped in to make a reservation he hadn't mentioned that he wasn't open that night, but he opened for us and we had a tasting menu of many courses, the highlight for me was the lamb, sous vide I believe, just marvelously tender and flavorful.
Wednesday May 15	Lucera. Hotel: Small b and b with antiques	Visited the castle in Mont Sant'Angelo before driving off to Lucera, a town withh a large castle, Roman ruins, an Archological Museum. We were lucky to find a handsome B and B with frescoed ceilings and antique furnishings. The son of the owners took care of us, and gave us some tips for Rome too. The town was pleasant, but at this point in the trip I had really seen enough churches and town squares to have less enthusiasm for another. The castle is really a set of walls, there are no interior structures. The Roman amphitheater was handsome, but nothing special. Dinner was at an odd chef-driven restaurant which we felt was just simply over-priced and gave us less attention and quality than other tables of Italians.
Thursday May 16	Roma! Airbnb in the Campo di Fiore	On our way to Rome we stopped in Troia, to see a particular church with a famous Rose Window in the facade. As happened so often, the church was closed and wouldn't open till 4pm. We bought sandwiches at a little shop and then just sat and admired the facade while we ate. Spending time, just sitting and observing this church was great and I feel I appreciated many details that I walked right past in most places. Taking the time to just sit and look was worth the detour, though I am sad the place was locked. After we left we ran into all sorts of road blocks, turns out the Giro Italiano was being raced that day, so the cyclists route played havoc with ours. An eager local explained a detour to me, and miraculously we figured it out! After dropping off the car in Rome, we walked the 45 minutes back to the apartment, savoring a gelato and watching the crowds leave the Vatican. It felt great to be back in Rome, back in a neighborhood we know; and with a fabulous roof deck!
Friday May 17	Rome	Bonnie arrived early, and we headed out immediately. Piazza Navonna with it's fountain and then a Caravaggio hunt. I had a list of churches with Caravaggio's in them, and we hit them all with a lunch stop at the restaurant in the college adjacent to the Villa Medici. I went back to the apartment after a walk through the Forum, while Bo and Bonnie persevered and went to the Colesium. Dinner was in Trastavere at 'Pasta e Vino'. Touristy, but tasty.
Saturday May 18	Rome	Coffee on the rooftop followed by the major Roman Museum we had never visited. It was a big place and took all morning to see it with highlights of the Hannibal fresco, the bronze of the boy with the thorn in his foot, the original Cesar on horseback. We found lunch at Enoteca Corsi, a local wine bar/pasta place with a few lunch specials and big crowds. It was more about the fun then about the food, but it was a good choice as it was en route. We had an afternoon appointment for a concert and tour at the Palazzo Doris Pamflij. Dinner was at La Querinca, the place we had all enjoyed on our last visit and it was just as good this time. After dinner we walked over to the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain.
Sunday May 19	Rome	Early morning visit to St. Peter's, fabulous with no crowds. Followed by the Pantheon, again, few crowds. Coffee break and on to the Capitoline Museum to see our favorites, The Boxer, the frescoed rooms and the mosaic panels. A quick lunch nearby and on to the Baths of Diocletian. Dinner was pizza.
Monday May 20	Rome	Last day- Bonnie and I had some time to do a little shopping, we walked over to Trastevere by way of some leather goods shops and a couple of purses were procured. Gelato, a visit to a church and some more clothing shopping on the way back. Final dinner was back in Trastevere at a restaurant we had gone to as a family before. It was hopping, and the food was fine but I felt like all of Trastevere was full of only Americans, so took a bit of the fun out of it for me. Still, coffee on the Campo di Fiore in the morning with Bonnie, lunch back on the Campo too. Nice to have everything so close.
Tuesday May 21	Airport	Car service to the airport and home.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica

March 18-28 2019

Flight: United non-stop EWR-SJO (Newark to San Jose, Costa Rica), 5 hour flight.  2 hours time change.  Arrive about 10 AM

Car: Sixt Car Rental, off airport via shuttle.  I believe all car rentals are off airport.  Rented a 4-wheel drive jeep in anticipation of poor roads.  Good, prompt service.

Phone: SIM card purchased at the airport for Kolbi.  $2 for 30 days of WhatsApp and 2 days of data.  Nationwhide Kolbi was down, so only used WiFi at hotels.

Itinerary:
3/18  Drove 1 1/4 hours to Villa Blanca, a Cloud Forest Hotel and Nature Reserve.  Originally owned by a president of Costa Rica, his hotel has extensive grounds spread over a hilltop, which, when not covered in clouds, offers views over the surrounding hills.  Very green, surrounded by jungle.  Handsome, colonial style buildings with lots of exposed beams and white walls, yet very modern baths.  We had a Casita Deluxe which included a whirlpool bath and a private terrace with views out to the jungle.  $140/night and included a buffet breakfast.

We did a morning self-guided nature walk and saw many hummingbirds at their feeding station, Blue Morpho butterflies, orchids and other beautiful tropical plants.  Dinner was disappointing, breakfast was fine.  We would definitely stay here again, the remote and removed location felt a world away from the airport and the casitas offer lots of privacy. 
 3/19  After leaving Villa Blanca, we made a stop at La Fortuna Waterfall.  This is an easy en-route excursion, especially if you have a car. Leave your car in the lot, and dressed in your swimsuit and water shoes, carrying a towel and maybe some shorts or a cover-up, you walk down a scenic path 500 steps to the base of the pretty waterfall.  You are allowed to go swimming, both in the pool at the base of the falls, and a little further downstream for the less bold.  the water was refreshingly chilly, but not too bad, and the climb back up warms you right up again.  There is an admission charge and bathrooms, a cafe and gift shop at the top.

Drove on to Hotel Los Lagos Spa and Resort, Fortuna; a hotel resort near the base of the Arenal volcano. Total days driving: 1 3/4 hours.  The attraction to hotels in this area is that their swimming pools are fed by the warm thermals from the volcano.  We had a standard room for $149/night including breakfast.  These are large rooms with 2 queen beds and a large bathroom.  A family of 4 with luggage could easily fit in this room.  Outside each room is a bench and a table and chairs.  No view from these rooms.

  Los Lagos is a fun place.  We stayed here with the family in 2006 and enjoyed it then and the grounds have been substantially upgraded since then.  The property is on the lower slopes of the volcano, the summit of which is usually swathed in clouds, but occasionally breaks through.  It is no longer an active, but still the dominant focus of the landscape.  The grounds are handsomely landscaped with lots of palm trees, flowering ginger and other flowering shrubs, all of which harbor abundant bird life.  It is common to see Keel-billed Toucans flying in the mornings, hummingbirds and a myriad of other colorful small birds darting from flower to branch.The hot pools are arranged within the lush landscaped grounds and include about a half a dozen water slides, small, cave-like nooks with jacuzzi jets, mini-waterfalls and plenty of places to relax in and out of the water.  We did not find it crowded or noisy, there was plenty of room for running children and snoozing adults. Of course there is a swim-up bar, where in 2006 our  then 10-year-old son Jamie enoyed his first tropical drink: coca-cola in a coconut.    

3/20, 3/21

Drove ½ hour eventually to our hotel for the next 2 nights, La Mansion, on Lake Arenal.  Our activity for the day was to visit the nature reserve called Mistico Hanging Bridges ( $29 p/p self guided).  Mystico is a large reserve with well maintained paths and a number of hanging bridges.   You can go self-guided or you can go with one of their guides and it takes a couple of hours to walk the loop path, all under the jungle canopy so out of the sun.  They do limit numbers so it is a good idea to call and reserve a spot. We have always gone self-guided, but you would probably see more with a guide. We were in search of the spider monkeys, which we had seen here on a prior visit.  On this visit we saw an Agouti, a beaver-like mammal, and a family of White-nosed Coati just as we were entering. Later we saw a venomous coral snake, lines of leaf-cutter ants, sleeping bats and heard the distinctive bark of the Howler monkeys as they climbed in the treetops. The hanging bridges are not only fun to cross, but they give you a glimpse of the forest from the canopy rather than the ground, so you really feel a part of the jungle.

We checked in to the hotel at dusk and were settled into our Casita #1 just as the sun set over the lake.  The setting for this hotel cannot be overstated. It nestles just above the shoreline of the beautiful Lake Arenal, with views down over pastures where horses graze and out over the lake to the green hills beyond.  Each casita is private and again surrounded with flowering tropical plants and bamboo and from your terrace you can see the birds flit in and out and hear their lovely songs. There is an attractive small swimming pool and a large hot-tub both of which look out over the lake as does the airy restaurant where you can take your meals.  Peggy, the owner, is usually on hand to book excursions and they offer many. We did two, both including riding, as that is what we enjoy, but there were zip-lining or fishing or trips to Mystico all easily arranged. You can read about the choices on their website in advance.

We were very excited about our first excursion, it was an all-day outing, beginning with a boat trip across the lake.  Our boatman, Carlos, took us close to the shore for close-ups of herons, egrets and kingfishers. On the far side of the lake our guide, Nixon, met the boat and after a short jeep transfer we arrived at his rancho, a humble farm, where we saddled up and were joined by his wife Carmen and their 2 year old daughter for our adventure.  We rode high up into the hills, about 1000’ up, with a couple of nice canters and some beautiful views. Eventually we reached his mountain retreat, a rough and ready gazebo with a tiny kitchen and bathroom and Carmen laid a fire for cooking our lunch as we went off on our waterfall hike. We had been promised a 3.5 hour hike, but after maybe 30 minutes of switchbacks downhill we arrived at a small waterfall with a pool.  The water was very refreshing, and after a cool-down and dry-off we put our gear back on and headed uphill to lunch. Honestly, the hike was fine but Nixon had limited English and even more limited knowledge of the plants and bird life around us. We really needed a biologist along to fully enjoy this experience. All too soon we were back for lunch- we were getting way ahead of the schedule- so had quite a wait for Carmen to finish cooking our chicken tostadas and plantains.  Can’t say the food was good, but it was local and cooked with love! We rode back to the ranch and back to the boat and after a long long wait, the boat took us back. There seemed to be real communication problems, Nixon seems a bit of a wheeler-dealer, promising things and then trying to make them happen, not always successfully. Also, if any of you have traveled with us, you know we like to move, hike fast, ride fast, and so I think we also got him way ahead of schedule! Maybe that will teach us to slow down (not likely). Peggy was very responsive to our review of the excursion.

Late afternoon and we were home with time for a dip, a rest, a sip of rum on our porch as the sun set and another early dinner at the restaurant.  Last seating was 7pm, but truly with our active days we found we were happy to be in bed with our books by 9pm as the sunrise was around 6am and we enjoyed early coffee when the birds were active.

The next morning we had a great ride, organized by the hotel, on their horses, up into the hills overlooking the lake. About 2 hours for $55 p/p.

The Restaurant

Our Casita

3/22  Drove around the end of Lake Arenal over the hills, studded with wind farms, down to the top of the gulf of Nicoya and out to the dry forest and wetlands region adjoining Palo Verde National Park where we arrived after 25 km on dirt roads at the Rancho Humo Estancia.  The Rancho is not only a large working cattle ranch, but the lands are also a wetlands preserve and they offer a morning jeep safari out along dikes built through the wetlands for birdwatching.  The tour left at 6 am, but we had been up even earlier as the deck off our room was positioned to catch the sunrise. We had our morning coffee watching the sun come up over the hills inside the Palo Verde reserve across the Rio Tempisque.

The morning safari was fun, we enjoyed the company of a Costa Rican couple who, like us, were exploring their own country.  Being alert looking for birds energized us even more, so on our return and after a lovely breakfast, we went out on a horseback ride ($35 p/p for an hour or so).  The horses here are used on the cattle ranch, they are nimble and eager and the roads we rode along were hard packed dirt, excellent for some quick canters.

The hotel deserves special mention.  One might imagine some rustic rough ranch, but Rancho Humo was a boutique hotel set down in the middle of this quite removed and dry landscape.  The hotel has only a few rooms, but they are all huge, high-ceilinged with large walk-in showers in the bathrooms, and private terraces. The meals are all included, breakfast, lunch and dinner, and their presentation was artistic and right out of a fancy hotel anywhere in the world.  Our tab for a Junior Suite was $240, the only extra being drinks of course.  The hotel has a pretty swimming pool and deck area, and a modest but handsome lobby.  If we had stayed more than one night we would have arranged to visit Palo Verde National Park, which offers trails and more birding opportunities such as the opportunity to see a roseate spoonbill.

3/23-24

From Rancho Humo, we drove across the middle of the Nicoya Peninsula, and here we encountered our roughest roads of the trip, but they only lasted a few kilometers. The hills were rough and gravely so the four-wheel drive was useful.  We came out onto the Pacific Coast near our destination, Playa Coyote. Playa Coyote is a village right on the beach. There are some large gated homes, possibly weekend places for Costa Ricans or possibly rental villas. We saw one restaurant on the beach,El Barco, pen for both lunch and dinner, and a cluster of businesses up the hillside about 15 minutes away by car, but no true village center. Our hotel, the Zen Spirit Yoga Retreat, was the last property along that particular strip of beach.  Built with a large private home above landscaped grounds with 5 duplex beach casitas below, there is an open-air bar/restaurant, a pool with lounge area and then a few steps further and you are under the swaying palms lining the beach and hung with hammocks and lounge chairs.  The attention to detail in the architecture and design is wonderful with dovetailed joints and hardwood exposed beams, comfortable bench seating and fresh flowers on the tables. The casitas have large bathrooms that open onto private patios which incorporate the outdoor shower.  While there is no air conditioning, there are great ceiling fans and louvered windows all around to catch the ocean breezes and we slept well. I highly recommend this venue. The owner, Sabine, is French Canadian and a good cook so the meals taken there were great. One night she fried us each a whole red snapper, the other night it was Mahi Mahi with capers and lemon.  Both nights I opted for dessert- a mango mousse and then a chocolate mousse- both delicious. On our visit only one or two other rooms were occupied so there was a dreamy-sleepy quality to the warm idle days. We did nothing more than walk the beach, sleep in the hammocks and read and the days passed easily. Rooms were $135 a night and meals were $20-$25 a person for dinner.  

After our two nights we were off for more adventuring.  We needed to head south down the peninsula and then turn east to reach our next hotel, Tango Mar, on the southern end of the Nicoya Peninsula.  These roads are reputed to be the worst in Costa Rica, but we were ready with our 4-wheel drive! Trusting in Google Maps, we ended up on rough unmarked farm tracks, crossed two or three rivers which were luckily reduced to trickles at the tail end of the dry season. Fording a river always feels adventurous and a little risky, especially in a rental car.  In this highly remote setting we discovered an equestrian ranch with riders heading out, a destination we need to investigate. Shortly after that the road ended in a parking area at the beach, and we were flummoxed till we saw a couple of jeeps drive by on the sand. We had heard the hard packed beach is sometimes used as a road, so we pulled out onto the sand and as it was low tide we made good time with waves to the right and palms to the left. 

Seemingly out of the blue civilization appeared, in the form of surfer shacks, juice bars, cutely painted wooden signs and other indications of tourism.  We had arrived at Santa Teresa, a beach much lauded.  We found a beachfront lunch spot and enjoyed the fancy salads and pina coladas but realized that we both preferred the empty lassitude found at Zen Spirit up in Playa Coyote.  We had made the right choice back home when we rather randomly chose a beach hotel. After a swim we finished our drive and the roads improved so that we made good time .  

Tango Mar Beachfront Boutique Hotel and Villas is billed as a golf resort, though I never saw anyone on the dry brown links.  It hugs the steep rugged shore, and has several different room categories, over which we had anguished.  We landed a corner room ($143/night with breakfast) which was nice for catching the evening breezes at Happy Hour.  Tango Mar has its own restaurant for dinner (a la carte) and breakfast buffet, and poolside there is a swim-up bar and grill restaurant for lunch.  Both have magnificent ocean views and the surf crashes right on the beach 20 ‘ away which is mesmerizing if a bit loud. There is a walk to a waterfall just at the edge of the property, where the water tumbles off a cliff and into the ocean.  In our season it wasn’t much to see, but the trail continued on to a secluded beach, accessible only at low tide, and we had it to ourselves for an hour or so that afternoon. Double bonus points for private beach!

Tango also has its own stables, so surprise surprise, we went for a ride, $110 p/p for half-day ride.  And what a great ride.  It was just the two of us and our guide Michael, and we rode all the way to Tambor Beach where we were able to have a cooling swim.  On any number of smaller beaches along the route we were able to let the horses run, they really flew, I nearly lost my hat! Riding in Latin America is usually a good deal.  The price is right, the horses always seem healthy and our guides have sharp eyes for local flora and fauna, for example here we sawScarlet Macaws flying overhead, something I would have missed on my own.Tango Mar was definitely a ‘resort’ which often means over-developed and lacking in character. In this case the location was so stellar, the open air restaurant so appealing and the opportunity to ride on site the cincher. I am glad we stayed here.

Last full day of vacation we left Tango and took a stop at the Curu Wildlife Refuge down the road.  We were hoping to see more scarlet macaws and spider monkeys but neither appeared though we did have a good little walk/hike on their well-marked trails and saw lots of racoons, white capuchin monkeys, coati and so on.The Refuge appears to offer kayaking and boat excursions, and there is also a beach there and a small nature center.

We ferried back across from the peninsula out of Paquera to Punta Arenas and in a couple more hours were at our hotel outside of San Jose, the Villa San Ignacio, $70, in Aljuela.  The hotel has great charm, a little bar and restaurant and a pool but it is also rather noisy as a major truck route passes close by.   I would not choose it as a vacation destination, but for a night near the airport it worked perfectly.

Costa Rica was a great trip.  Bo and I wanted to see if we could go back to a place we had been to before and keep the itinerary mostly the same.  Would the places we enjoyed with the kids be as fun for us on our own? Would the nice hotels hold up to a second visit?  Yes and yes. The nature is still abundant, the opportunities to go from the jungle and rain forsest to the beach are there and the roads are a lot better than they were a decade ago. And, as always, we returned with a new list of places to go to next time.