Think Pink! Pink Sands Beach, Harbor Island, The Bahamas
Posted September 3, 2009 , add a commentAs the mother of a three year old girlie girl I am forever on the lookout for pink sparkles and unicorns, bonus points if the unicorn just so happens to be both pink and sparkley. Redwood groves become fairy forests, broken shells at the beach the broken tipped fingernails of mermaids from the deep. It is a magical world through the eyes of a three year old girl who very much believes in the healing power of glitter, the decorative panache of a band-aid. What I wouldn’t give to be able to show her the wonder of Pink Sands Beach on Harbor Island in The Bahamas.
Think pink.
Ever since she was a baby my daughter has had an aversion to sand. When we try to put her down at the beach she curls her legs up like a snail exposed to salt. I don’t know if she thinks it’s dirty, if maybe she doesn’t like the consistency, the color. We live in Northern California where the sand is coarse, grey, tan sometimes and sprinkled with oyster shells broken and sharp. Somehow I have a feeling, though, that if we brought her to The Bahamas her aversion to sand would disappear. Apparently here the sand is 3 1/2 miles of hard-packed perfect pink perfection. A confection of a beach leading to crystal clear turquoise waters calm and warm enough for a baby. Or a stubborn three year old who wants to be a mermaid but doesn’t like getting water in her eyes.
Aptly Named.
The color of the sand comes from ground red coral which then mixes with the white sand so as to appear pink. Of course this is too logical an explanation for something so magical, and I prefer to think the sand is pink because it can hear everyone call it beautiful. At least this is what I would tell my daughter, the beach so pink because it blushes.
All photos courtesy of The Pink Beach Club’s Photostream.
USA: Western Edge, Best Corn Mazes and Fall Festivals for Families 2009.
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From San Diego to Seattle seasonal festivals make the weekend awesome. Mazes provide unique signatures as the lunar calendar ends the calendar year. Escape and run through a corn maze and tap your feet to a banjo; make a wreath of heater; sample local honey; carve a pumpkin or stuff a scarecrow; ride on a wagon full of hay or bob for apples, make time for fun. We’ve selected some of the best for your review and consideration. Forget the lawn. The laundry will wait. Take the kids and go.
Oregon: St. Paul, French Prairie Gardens and Fall Harvest Festival (9/26/2009-10/31/2009). Located in the tranquil Willamette Valley French Prairie Gardens (image to the left) maintains a delightful farm produce market from April to Thanksgiving. It is the place to get a luscious fruit shake or eat simply scrumptious Umpqua Ice Cream. The 500 - acre farm grows fruits, vegetables and grass seed. Wander through the two-acre pick-your-own Pumpkin Patch. See bunnies, sheep, chickens, and visit the Kids Corral or the Two Acre Corn Maze. Watch the secret lives of chickens from the chicken coop with observation window. Investigate the Tonka toddler dirt play area or participate in the Toddler Hay Maze and Toddler Tricycle Races. Bonus points: Farmer John and Farmer Eric host the Pigtucky Derby. During the crazy weekend there will be hayrides, hay maze, two-acre corn maze, farm animal display, a obstacle course, pumpkin sling shot, kids corral, pig barrel train rides, and two 20-foot hay slides. (French Prairie Gardens, 17673 French Prairie Rd, St. Paul, OR, 97137. (503) 633-8445 or www.fpgardens.com)
California: Half Moon Bay, Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival. (10/17/2009 – 10/18/2009) The world’s biggest pumpkin can be found each year in the World Pumpkin Capital – Half Moon Bay, California. This year’s festival will feature a fantastic lineup: rustic pumpkin patches, harvest-inspired crafts, home-style foods, expert pumpkin carvers, three stages of entertainment, the Great Pumpkin Parade, and a bone-chilling Haunted House. Not to be missed: Also worth checking out will be the titanic weigh-off of champion pumpkins, and the pie-eating (for 11 and under and 12 and older) and costume contests. Bonus Points: Hundreds of costumed children and adults march in the Great Pumpkin Parade. It is the ultimate old-fashioned parade featuring the winner of the mighty pumpkin weigh-off as well as marching bands and classic cars. (Main Street, Half Moon Bay. (650) 726-9652 or www.miramarevents.com/pumpkinfest)
California: Ukiah, Pumpkinfest (10/17/2009– 10/18/2009). This year’s Ukiah Country Pumpkinfest blends a harvest and music festival into the Halloween holiday. Along with a variety of delicious foods, the streets of downtown Ukiah will be filled with craft vendors, fine arts exhibits, and ” Scarecrow City “. Enjoy live music, a country fiddle contest. Try your luck at a pie-eating contest or show off your green thumb by entering the great pumpkin weigh-off! Bonus points: The celebration includes the ever-popular children’s carnival including many games and amusements. (Pumpkinfest (707) 463-6712, (707) 463-6231 or www.cityofukiah.com)
Washington: Walla Walla, Fall Harvest Festival. (9/26/2009- 9/27/2009) Visitors at Fort Walla Walla may observe numerous pioneer crafts and skills, classic cars and trucks, and Living History programs. Many exhibitors offer handiwork for sale, re-creating the old-time harvest get-together atmosphere. This family-oriented festival includes games for kids, vendors seling pioneer-style crafts and food and treats. (755 Myra Road, Walla Walla, 99362. 1(509) 525-7703 or www.fortwallawallamuseum.org)
Washington: Port Angeles, Forest Storytelling Festival. (10/16/2009 – 10/18/2009) Spend the weekend listening to wonderful story tellers from around the world, join in workshops and enter to win local gifts through a drawing. Program begins Friday evening at 7:30 with a Story Concert. Saturday starts with morning workshops, leading into Day Programs and an Evening Concert. Sunday has a free program, Stories to Inspire. Peninsula College, Little Theatre and Campus, Port Angeles. 1 (360) 417-5031 or www.dancingleaves.com/storypeople)
We want to expand the list and need your help. If you have a favorite fall festivial or know of an awesome corn maze please “Tell Mom”
and we will add it to the list. Make sure to include the name of the
festival or event and its location on the planet as well as why you
like it or what makes it worth the trip. Our next round up will
inlcude family friendly winter holidays and celebrations. We are
building the list right now and would love to have your feedback. So
just “Tell Mom!”.
USA: Country Inns & Suites by Carlson - Family Road Trip Survival Itineraries.
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Country Inns & Suites by Carlson has taken the trouble out of last-minute summer vacation planning for time-crunched moms and their families by introducing its “Road Trip Survival Itineraries” which cover planning factors like distance, cost and family-friendly stops along the way.
Hit the Road Country. The trip plans range from 2-, 4-, and 7-days. Each itinerary provides background information and driving time to historic, educational, nature and other fun-filled and budget-friendly attractions of interest to kids and parents alike. The itineraries include a mix of locally and nationally known attractions, notable family-owned restaurants and other relatively undiscovered venues known to employees of Country Inns & Suites’ 480 local properties.
The themed itineraries explore five regions of the United States. Each itinerary features three two-day legs that can be taken separately or combined for a longer trip.
• Founding Fathers Country treks through North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland.
• Binoculars Country ventures through upstate New York.
• Streams & Shores Country winds through Wisconsin and Minnesota.
• Peaks & Valleys Country journeys across Montana, Utah and Idaho.
• Ocean Drive Country follows the coastline of Southern California. 
Additionally, Country Inn & Suites has created a new “Mom’s Choice” designation for top attractions in each itinerary based on factors such as family fun, price and mom approval. All venues were identified and voted upon by the company’s panel of family travel experts.
Top attractions receiving the “Mom’s Choice” rating include: The Smithsonian, Washington, D.C.; Robert H. Treman State Park, Ithaca, NY; Barnum’s Circus World Museum, Baraboo, WI, Minnehaha Falls at Minnehaha Park, Minneapolis, MN; Roaring Springs Water Park, Meridian, IN; Oceanside Pier, Port Hueneme, CA; Santa Barbara Shellfish Company, Santa Barbara, CA. Visit ‘Hit the Road Country’ (www.countryinns.com/roadtrip) for more information.
Here’s the deal. The “Sweet Deal ” promotion provides 15 percent off each night of a stay of two or more consecutive nights in a standard room and a valuable offer from T.G.I. Friday’s restaurants - Buy One Entr?e, Get One Entr?e OR Half Off Appetizer with the purchase of an Entr?e - when staying at locations in the United States . The offer, which requires a three day advance reservation, is available now through Sept. 13, 2009 at participating hotels. Visit www.countryinns.com/summer2009 for more information.
Plan a roadtrip with Carlson. I like these guys because they make it easy to put a family vacation plan together. In the last two years I have stayed in more than a dozen Country Inns with my family. In my opinion Country Inns & Suites makes an excellent family vacation base almost anywhere. The standards for efficiency, friendliness and cleanliness remain consistently high. You’ll find apples at the desk in the afternoon and sometimes fresh cookies. At each property there is always Read and Return a lending library for guests – both adults and children. The complimentary breakfast offering usually includes a waffle machine to make luscious fresh waffles, fresh fruit, yogurt, bagels, muffins, and cereal choices. I have never encountered a pool closed or exercise equipment broken an dthe internet connection never failed. Bonus points: One obvious advantage for families traveling with young children – the location may change but the atmosphere and floor plans are very similar so it is easier for a child to feel comfortable. The same is true if you are traveling with an elderly family member. Keeping things the same is a huge benefit to relieving the stress of travel. For kids and teens the benefit of TGI Fridays is obvious.
Stay with someone who cares. Even a simple roadtrip can be stressful so knowing what to expect at the end of a day is one way to ease the tension. Country Inns & Suites offer not just space and amenities but hospitality something often missing in the travel industry. I found a personal level of caring obvious at each of the places we stayed. In Annapolis, MD we received an invaluable tip for a local Mexican – best food on our vacation. In North Little Rock, AR my daughter left her IPod and charger – one call and it was sent to us the same day. The daily cookies at the Country Inn in Hampton gave us energy to go out again to shop for more bargains. In Berkley, WV the helpful front desk manager found a locksmith after hours. Need to know: There is only one exception Hot Springs, Arkansas. The building looks like a Country Inn however that is where the similarity ends. The Inn did not fit the helpful, clean, efficient, caring, family friendly atmosphere that is definitely the standard for the chain. Obviously they did not get the memo but I am sure by now there has been improvement.
About Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM. Country Inns & Suites is part of Carlson Hotels Worldwide, a leading global hotel company with more than 1,030 locations in 72 countries under the brands of Regent® Hotels & Resorts; Radisson® Hotels & Resorts; Park Plaza® Hotels & Resorts; Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM; and Park Inn®. The hotels offer many upgraded amenities including complimentary breakfast, in-room hair dryer, coffee maker, iron and ironing board, and weekday morning newspaper. The brand is known for its consistently high quality accommodations and personal, warm hospitality.
USA: Best Rated Fall Festivals & Corn Mazes 2009 – Quick Family Roadtrip Getaways Across America.
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Fun, quick, and easy is the magic phrase for families; pint-sized fun is better than no fun at all whether it’s a getaway for a day or an escape for a weekend, enjoying time together and making memories matters. The FamilyTravelFiles.com and Family.TripWiser.com have been collaborating on ways to make enjoying each season with family and friends more fun. Each season we will be identifying best rated places, activities, and events with unique memory making value for families.
Spanning seven distinct USA geographic regions - Northeast, Mid Atlantic, Southeast, Heartland, Southwest, Mountains West, and Western Edge - the collection of festivals and events runs the gamut from whale watching along the Atlantic Coast and attending Shakespeare under the stars to horse archery, living history, and most American of all corn mazes and harvest festivals. This year’s lists of Best Rated Fall Festivals & Corn Mazes for Families reveal a plethora of chances to have fun with kids. Review the best for 2008 and make plans to get away before the snow flies.
America’s Heartland – At Tweite’s Pumpkin Patch in Byron Minnesota enjoy wagon rides, and a six-acre corn maze with a tire dragon. Attend the Holly Michigan Renaissance Festival and be part of the US/Canadian Highland Games and Bagpipe Blowout or participate in “The International Talk Like a Pirate Day”.
America’s Southeast – Sip cider, paint a pumpkin and ride Tweetsie Railroad’s Ghost train in North Carolina. Build a scarecrow at Brookgreen Gardens in Myrtle Beach. Attend Tour of Southern Ghosts storytelling festival in Georgia or enjoy the energy of Dollywood’s Harvest Celebration & Southern Gospel Jubilee in Tennessee.
America’s Southwest – At Apple Annie’s Fall Pumpkin Celebration in Wilcox, AZ enjoy old-fashioned family fun picking your own pumpkins, fall vegetables and they have Arizona’s newest and largest corn maze. The annual Harvest Festival in Santa Fe includes grape stomping, dancing, grinding sorghum with burros.
America’s Northeast – Greene County, NY offers frightfully fun activities a dark maze and wolf hollow trail. The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association invites families to enjoy cranberry harvest tours, wagon and pony rides, games, and cooking demonstrations.
America’s Mid Atlantic – Ride the Ghost Train at Northwest River Park in Virginia Beach and listen to music along the boardwalk. Not far from Valley Forge Linvilla Farm pick your own pumpkins; meet costumed characters like Dora, Elmo and Shrek. Enjoy a hay ride under the moonlight and a cup of cider at the campfire.
America’s Mountains West – In Denver the 8.5 acre maze at the Denver Botanic Gardens has a 15-foot tall illuminated bridge, 9-foot tall stalks, and plenty of “A-maize-ing Scarecrows”. Lattin Farms in Fallon, NV celebrates the season with a Giant Pumpkin contest, Pumpkin Tower lighting, and moonlight mazes.
America’s Western Edge - French Prairie Gardens in Oregon’s tranquil Willamette Valley has a corn maze, pumpkin patch pumpkin sling shot, kids corral, pig barrel train rides, and two 20-foot hay slides. In California Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival celebrates with mighty pumpkin weigh-off, Great Pumpkin Parade, and a bone-chilling Haunted House.
To expand the list for the future, we encourage you to “Tell Mom” about your own family’s favorite festival or fall getaway and to browse our Festivals and Events folder for even more ideas.
At the Family.TripWiser Blog - http://blog.tripwiser.com/familytrip/- it is also possible to view the expanded list of Best Rated Fall Festivals & Corn Mazes. Parents are encouraged to add their own favorite seasonal festival; contribute photos; view comments from others, and plan great fall road trip getaways for their own families.
About Family.TripWiser.com 
The Family Vacation Planning Blog at Family.TripWiser.com embraces diversity and offers a rich menu of family vacation ideas knowing that one size does not fit all when it comes to a family road trip. The family trip collection is available 24/7 making family trip planning online easy. The contemporary Family Vacation Planning Blog features a community atmosphere for family vacation planning online making it easy to get customized information based on destinations, vacation budget, things to do, and how old your kids are. They present advice from family travel experts and include feedback from parents who have “been there and done it”.
Please tell mom!
We want to expand the list and need your help. If you have a favorite fall festivial or know of an awesome corn maze please “Tell Mom” and we will add it to the list. Make sure to include the name of the festival or event and its location on the planet as well as why you like it or what makes it worth the trip. Our next round up will inlcude family friendly winter holidays and celebrations. We are building the list right now and would love to have your feedback. So just “Tell Mom!”.
Going Solo in Otranto, Italy
Posted August 21, 2009 , add a commentGoing Solo in Otranto, Italy
There I was, brochures spread out on the floor before me, propped up on elbows, poring over trips to Puglia, Italy. “When should we go?” I asked my favorite traveling companion, my husband, Steve. Then came his reply: “I’m not sure I can get away this year.”
Here’s the thing. For years I was the one who couldn’t travel - big corporate job, lots of stress, daunting workload - so as soon as I was eligible, I took early retirement. Then Steve, in a move that was completely counter-intuitive, went from a great nine-month contract as a professor to a twelve-month contract as an academic dean. Now I was the one longing to heed the call of ports unknown.
“But Steve, at my back, I hear Time’s winged-chariot. In other words, it’s time to suck the marrow, gather ye rosebuds.” Then, sheepishly, I added, “Maybe it’s time for me to go it alone.”
And that’s how it all began. In September, I was on my way to Otranto, Italy, to study at Porta d’Oriente, an Italian language school recognized by the universities for foreigners in Siena and Perugia, institutes of repute further north.
Ask any baby boomer what’s on her retirement checklist and she will tell you, travel and language acquisition. I was no different. I had been in love with la bella lingua for years and had taken adult education courses for just as long, but I needed total immersion.
After surfing the web for about thirty minutes I was sold on Otranto - as soon as I saw pictures of the charming lungomare along the Adriatic, the water that amazing cerulean blue, the sight of which suggesting ancient gods must have resided along this coast. A few emails later, I was enrolled in the school, assured an apartment would be waiting for me when I arrived, and that someone named Angelo would pick me up at the airport, drive me to Otranto, and hand over the keys to an apartment I would call home for two weeks. Dream or soon-to-be-reality?
Sure enough, after a not terrible flight to Rome (aisle seat, center section - could be worse), I connect to Brindisi and am passing through customs where I see the Porta d’Oriente sign.
“Ciao, Jean.”
“Ciao, Angelo.”
It’s working; I’m speaking Italian.
As we head out for Otranto, I try striking up a conversation with Angelo. No dice. It seems our ability to communicate hit its peak when we said hello. His English is matched by my Italian. I look outside my window and see the famed olive trees of Puglia and ancient abandoned trulli, the oddly-shaped, conical structures, once humble homes to farming families and their animals. I admire the view in silence.
When we arrive an hour later, I am relieved to see the town, as lovely as the pictures on the internet, the Castle of Otranto, standing like a barrel-chested sentry in the golden light of this September afternoon.
Angelo parks the car near the footbridge by the castle (no cars are allowed in the old town), and, hauling my bags, leads me through the meandering streets to my apartment on the Piazza del Popolo. He opens the shutters, and as I look out on the town below, I can see how well situated I will be here. The “apartment” is only a bedroom with a small kitchenette and a bathroom, but the real attraction is the roof-top terrace, with its panoramic sea view.
After Angelo leaves, I take a leisurely stroll around town. The height of the tourist season is over, but the busiest thoroughfare, Corso Garibaldi, is still bustling with people eating what appears to be sinfully creamy gelati and wandering in and out of the many shops and restaurants.
By Sunday night, I am like a kid before the first day of school. I even carefully arrange the clothes I will wear on a chair before I go to bed.
On Monday morning classes begin. Even in a total immersion environment, I know I can’t expect miracles, but the teachers appear professional and energetic, so I’m eager to start. The students this week come from Holland, Germany, Switzerland, and Poland. There is only one American, a flight attendant who speaks Southern Californian, but her Italian is pretty good.
I am in the basic class, which is small. There are Elizabeth from Switzerland, Manuella from Germany (both near my age), and Valery from Holland, a recent college graduate who will begin her advanced degree in the fall. My teacher this first week is Stephania, who speaks slowly and clearly, a blessing for me. I breathe a sigh of relief.
Near the end of the week, I decide that language acquisition travel is the way to go. Not only am I learning to speak Italian more confidently, I am learning the history of a culture little known to Americans. I have Barbara Dimitri, the young founder of the school, to thank for this. Wearing many hats, she also leads the tours, sharing her knowledge of the region, which, it turns out, is encyclopedic.
The tours, offered two or three times a week, take place in the afternoons after class. Some are free and last a few hours, others are five or six hours and cost 35 Euros, transportation and guide included. During my stay, the longer tours include an olive mill and winery; Greek Salento; Lecce, the “Florence of the South”; and the South Coast. In addition, there are tours of Otranto’s historical center and Barbara’s seminar on Tarantismo, about the “pinch” (pizzica) or bite of the tarantula, related to the traditional dance of the South, the Tarantella. I go to everything.
One of my favorite tours is to Greek Salento. On the way, I learn the old Greek dialect is still spoken in these nine towns where the heritage goes back to the 8th century, BC. Barbara explains (in Italian - I have to ask for clarification at times) that Salento has long been the door to the East in this most southeastern of Italy’s regions. Another tour not to be missed is to the South Coast, where, leaving Otranto, the shoreline turns to high cliffs. The Adriatic here is a deep dark blue, often erupting into frothy white caps, sending waves slamming onto the craggy rocks above.
At the end of the first week, I am tan and wearing a constant smile. In the evenings I spend hours on roof tops with classmates, eating, drinking, and laughing. On clear mornings, eating breakfast on the terrace, I can see the mountains of Albania in the distance.
All too soon, my last day of class arrives. I say a tearful good-bye to Stephania and to Barbara, who tells me she expects me to be in the advanced class one day. I give her another hug.
Saturday morning I spend shopping for gifts, finding AnimaMundi on a side street, where, seeing a book on yoga, I ask Giuseppe Conoci, the owner, if he knows where I can find a studio. I miss my regular yoga class, and as luck would have it, he is going tomorrow evening and will take me.
He picks me up with Francesca, the teacher. On the way, I learn that we are going to her family villa, where she teaches and holds retreats. The yoga studio looks like it might once have been a chapel, with its large interior and high-domed ceiling. One other student joins us for an intense practice of Ashtanga yoga. Francesca, an accomplished teacher, leads the class in Italian - I follow as best I can. She easily switches to English when she sees I need help.
After class, I am starving, so I invite Francesca and Giussepe to dinner at La Botte, a popular pizzeria. Finishing our wine, we are not quite ready for the evening to end. Francesca asks us to her place for amaro, the bittersweet after dinner drink. It turns out her “place” is the new five-star hotel, the Palazzo Papaleo, she and her husband, Mark, run. The palazzo has been in Francesca’s family for centuries. Several amari later, I realize it is getting late and that I must say good-night.
Walking home, I stop to look at the late night sky, stars still bright, but a distinct light beginning to emerge in the east. I take it all in one last time.
In the morning Angelo picks me up where he left me off two weeks earlier. On the way we have a lively conversation - in Italian. At the airport we say arrivederci. I only know the past and present tenses, so I cannot tell him in Italian that I will come back, but he knows. And so do I.
GETTING THERE: Best bet, connect through Rome. Flights generally start at $1,000. There are one hour flights on Alitalia to Bari or Brindisi ranging from $250 to $350. Trains to Otranto depart from both airports regularly. Check www.tranitalia.com for schedule and fares.
WHERE TO STUDY ITALIAN: Several Italian language schools in Otranto are recognized by the universities for foreigners in Siena and Perugia, such as Scuola Porta d’Oriente (www.porta-doriente.com/) and Italian Language School, ILS (www.ilsonline.it/).
SEEING THE SIGHTS: The language schools provide numerous excursions; tours of the area can also be arranged through independent groups, such as Salento Viaggi or Salentotime.
Don’t Miss:
Cattedrale dell’Annunziata for the mosaic tree of life covering the cathedral’s floor, open June-September, from 7 a.m.-12 p.m. and from 3 p.m.-8 p.m., Via Duomo, admission free.
Basicila di S. Pietro, a tiny 9th century Greek style church with colorful frescoes of
various biblical scenes. Open July 15th-September 15th, 10 a.m.-12p.m. and from 3:30 p.m.-8 p.m., Via S. Pietro, admission free.
The Alimini Lakes National Park, north of Otranto on the SS611, is perfect for a day trip. A venue for fishing, bathing in hot springs, and picnicking, there is the added plus of beautiful forests. Buses run daily during the summer.
WHERE TO STAY: The language schools provide apartments that are less expensive than most hotels or B&Bs.
Palazzo de Mori: A moderately priced B&B, in town and on the sea, with understated but elegant accommodations and a lovely breakfast. Daily rates from $117, higher in July and August. Tel: 39 0836 801088; www.palazzodemori.it.
Palazzo Papaleo: The new and only 5-star hotel in the center of Otranto, a gracious family-owned palace retaining its old world charm amid tasteful modern renovations. From $375. Tel: 39 0836 802108; www.hotelpalazzopapaleo.com.
Hotel Miramare: A 3-star hotel, well located across the street from one of the in town beaches, with comfortable accommodations. From $117. Tel: 39 0836 801023; www.miramareotranto.com.
WHERE TO EAT
La Botte, Via Guglielmotto d’Otranto, 39 0836 804293. A busy pizzeria/trattoria near the port where the locals eat. Great for pizza and pasta dishes. Dinner with house wine about $20 a person.
La Pignata, Corso Garibaldi, 39 0836 801284. Best for local seafood, prepared simply but well. Dinner with house wine about $50 per person.
Zia Fernanda, Via XXV Aprile, 39 0836 801884. Family-owned, casual restaurant, specializing in typical pasta and seafood dishes, frequented by locals and tourists alike. Dinner with house wine about $45 per person.
WHEN TO GO: April-mid June or September-mid October for good weather and lower prices. Months to avoid are July and August when temperatures soar and the city swells with tourists.
SPECIAL EVENTS OF INTEREST:
Festival of lamps, June 21-22, Calimera, in Greek Salento, marking the beginning of summer with fanciful and colorful paper lamps hung on overhead wires and lighting the night sky.
Festival of Saints, Peter and Paul, June 28-30, Galatina, in Greek Salento, a great opportunity to see the frantic dancing of the Tarantella to the beat of tambourines.
Festival of the Holy Martyrs, Otranto, commemorating the massacre of the venerated 800 who gave their lives during the Turkish invasion of 1480.
For additional information, go to www.comune.otranto.le.it/ to find the latest tourist information. Tip: Google Comune di Otranto and hit “translate this page” for English.
About the author:
Jean is a freelance writer with articles appearing in newspapers, magazines, and literary journals, including The Hartford Journal, Skirt!, Long Island Woman, upstreet, and The Distillery. A recent short story appears in the Spring,’09 issue of Slow Trains, on online literary journal. She lives with her husband, Steve, and black Lab, Sylvester in Greenwich CT. They spend their summers in Tyringham, MA, where Jean teaches yoga in her studio, the YogaBarn.
Photo by Paolo M?rgari on Flickr