Day 5 Walking Tour in Southern Italy

Today we said ciao to our cozy AirBnB, checking out by 10 am to begin the next leg of our Southern Italy adventure, heading off to Bari! We navigated the city with our luggage in tow, walking 20 minutes to the Municipio metro station to catch the Yellow 1 line towards Centro Direzionale to reach Piazza Garibaldi. With our train not departing until 1:15 PM, we found the official Kibag luggage storage right at the station to drop our two suitcases for €6 per bag, freeing us up to explore.

With time to spare, we hustled through the vibrant streets for a nearly 2 km walk to find the stunning Real Orto Botanico gardens. The journey there was an adventure in itself, taking us through narrow, zig-zagging back alleys covered in incredible, sprawling graffiti and bustling with locals buying fresh goods from market stalls that seemed to pop up out of nowhere.

As we climbed the stairs into the park from the street level, we were pleasantly surprised to find a lush, hidden garden oasis—a refreshing escape from the hustle and bustle.

The air was filled with the sounds of birds, happy families, and school children on field trips. Amongst the winding paths, small streams meandered through fragrant orange and lemon trees and exotic tree ferns, creating a serene ambiance where frogs croaked and cats prowled along the old walls.

It was a wonderful, quiet sanctuary, perfect for re-energizing while exploring the vibrant culture of Southern Italy.

After a quick, satisfying lunch of leftover pizza, cheese, and tomatoes—a final, delicious sweep of our emptied Airbnb fridge—we made our way back to the bustling Piazza Garibaldi to begin our journey to Puglia. We caught the first train to Caserta, a smooth ride that allowed us to hop off and transfer, giving us a quick 30-minute window before boarding our second train. The transition was seamless, and we arrived in Bari at 5:43, perfectly on schedule and ready to explore the coastal charm of the city. I find it easy to compare schedules and prices using the Trainline app or by checking the Italo website for high-speed options.

By the time we finally found our Airbnb, settled in, unpacked, bandaged my toe (more on that impending disaster in a moment!), and freshened up, it was already getting dark and our hunger was intense. Even though we know better, we reluctantly decided to grab a light meal at an absolute, textbook tourist trap restaurant—you know the type: billboards out front, aggressive waiters waiting to pounce, and food that arrives Luke-warm. It was a long day and we were exhausted, so we settled in and ordered a plate of grilled zucchini and a Troccolo Alla Puttanesca di Mare (mixed seafood pasta with tomatoes, olives, anchovies, red shrimp, mussels and squid). While the ambiance screamed "got-cha" sometimes in Southern Italy, you just take the plunge and hope for the best.

As I’ve explained on my website, this blog is our current adventure, and I intend to share with you not only the beauty of Southern Italy, but the challenges of travel and even the unforeseen mishaps. Unfortunately for me, as I stepped through the building’s ancient exterior door to our Bari Airbnb, keys in one hand, phone in the other, and still wrestling my suitcase, I failed to notice the large metal studs on the kick plate bottom edge of the door and I jammed one into my big toe!

The result? Blood and bandages, and quite possibly I will lose the toenail—a classic, painful, and decidedly unglamorous moment that I hope this blog warns you about. While I’ll have to keep an eye out for infection, I won’t let it stop me. Oh well, another day tomorrow and we will check out Bari, hobbling along to explore the secrets of this amazing foray into Southern Italy.