Polignano a Mare

This is Polignano a Mare, a beautiful medieval but manicured town with winding streets and alleyways filled with shops and restaurants. Behind this statute of Dominco Modugno, the Italian singer and actor born here, are stairs that lead to a rocky outcropping with perfect views of the town. 

 During June every year the Red Bull diving platforms are added to the corner building and divers put on a show. I would highly recommend avoiding that Sunday unless being trapped and smothered in a crowd is your thing! 

The beautiful bridge that links the town together and looks out over the water. 

This is the entrance that leads you to the cove. 

This is the picturesque aquamarine cove nestled in between the rocks. 

It is common to look down streets and see more turquoise sea at the ends.

Enjoyed wandering the old town where we stayed, it was fun to explore. Shops and restaurants opened and closed according to the weather and the amount of customers. Shop hours meant nothing!!!

Another cute cul-de-sac!

A popular souvenir for tourist is Pugliese ceramics. They are colorful and fun, all the restaurants and shops proudly display them as well.

Pescaria is the Italian version of fast food. You order your food at the counter and they call your number when it is ready. It is all super fresh seafood because they are typically the fish distributor for restaurants. We ate here a couple of times because it was so good! They also had a copious wine selection that was perfect with the fish. 

We tried a new food here, Sea Urchin or in Italian "Riccio". We both agreed that it wasn't our favorite, the texture wasn't the most appetizing. The flavor was fishy with lots of brininess.  And yes, the spikes were sharp!!

Another restaurant recommended to us was Commes. We were told "Mamma" was cooking in the kitchen and she was!!! The homemade pasta was cooked perfectly and dressed with very little sauce which made the rest of the ingredients shine. 

The seafood mix was well executed, great grilled taste and again the freshness shining through. This restaurant is what I think of when I think about Italian eats. Simple, clean, and delightful!

This was our picturesque cul-de-sac in the old town where we stayed for five nights. 

Our apartment was directly located on the sea. The balcony was jutting out with magnificent views. The roar of the ocean was relaxing, however a storm came through and the crashing of the waves made our apartment shake!

Woke up to this one morning, perfect for an Italian coastal scene.

This was where I wrote a blog and had coffee. It was our shared terrace with 365 degree views. Also a great spot to drink wine and soak up some much needed vitamin D. Our apartment was in a prime location with fantastic views to the sea, but it was a little dated and run down. With that said I would still stay here again primarily for the views. 

Polignano a Mare is a wonderful coastal town. The locals were so friendly, helpful, and talkative even when they didn't speak any English. Puglia in general, has impressed us with amazing local foods and wine at reasonable prices. They are proud of their region as they should be!!!