This trip was actually a last-minute plan decided by my mother and me since summer was close to an end. We had always talked about going to the Southern parts of Italy, but have always stalled when it came to planning. With only three days worth of planning and a small suitcase, we headed to Bari, Italy.

Bari

Bari, Italy is a small port city and the second most important economic center in Southern Italy. It is also a common port of southern Italy, a great university city and the city of Saint Nicholas. Here you can get lost in the neverending roads of the locals, which are filled with all sorts of souvenir shops and food stands. Our first stop in Bari was the Basilica of St. Nicholas, which was constructed in the late 11th century to protect and preserve the relics of St. Nicholas. This classical Romanesque-style basilica can be found in the ancient citadel that was once occupied by the Catapan Court. After touring, we stopped at a cafe right outside to savor the chocolate croissants (not Nutella croissants, but the real deal chocolate croissants) and ricotta cakes, which are a specialty of Italy!

Basilica of St. Nicholas

Monte San Angelo:

When entering Monte San Angelo, you are greeted with bright white rows of shops covered in wooden signs and enormous loaves of focaccia bread. Focaccia is a popular bread of Italy that looks like a ball and is almost always served with every meal. Located deeper in the town is the Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo sul Gargano (Saint Michael), who is the archangel. The Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo sul Gargano, which is oftentimes referred to as Monte Gargano is a Catholic sanctuary of the city. A cool fact about Monte Gargano is that it is the oldest shrine in Western Europe that is dedicated to the archangel Michael. To this day, it is an important pilgrimage site for Catholics and those intrigued by the rich history of the place. This was my favorite sight of the whole trip since the cave gave off such a peaceful ambience. We also came at such a great time since a wedding was about to start.

The Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo sul Gargano decorated for a wedding

After we saw the Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo sul Gargano, we ate a traditional Italian "aperitivo" (appetizer) of sundried tomatoes, focaccia bread, buffalo mozzarella, grilled vegetables and artichoke hearts for lunch. You can find many dishes like this served all around Italy with different variations of vegetables, meats and cheeses. Needless to say, It was AMAZING.

Our delicious lunch in Monte San Angelo

San Giovani Rotondo

San Giovani Rotondo is located in the province of Foggia and region of Apulia, which is also home to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina. Padre Pio was who known for his extraordinary gifts of grace. At a young age, he dedicated his life to God and continued to distinguish himself from this peers. In devotion, Padre Pio built a Pilgrimage Church (the Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church), a hospital/medical research center, and a home for the suffering (Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza). All three buildings can be seen from the top of the city.

It is also apparent that Padre Pio's body was incorrupt, which means that his body did not decompose. His incorrupt body is usually in the pilgrimage church, but was in the new church when we went. One thing that surprised me was that women and men were not allowed to expose their knees or shoulders, which in most Catholic churches is not a problem. I wore a dress that day and was given thin linens to cover myself while inside both churches.

One thing that we struggled with while traveling here was that the Italians closed usually around noon to take a "siesta" (nap) before preparing for dinnertime. If you're a forgetful tourist like I, then you'll be struggling to find food to eat until 7 pm the earliest. Italian driving is also pretty hectic in the city since no one yields or is cautious of others. Literally, anything goes when driving. Besides that, everything Southern Italy had to offer was amazing (especially the food).

A cute little walkway in Bari, Italy

In a nutshell, traveling southern Italy brings a whole new side to the Italy that is portrayed in photos and tv. These were only a few of the many amazing cities located around Southern Italy.

From the small, long streets to the colossal churches, you can be guaranteed to be lost in the sights Southern Italy has.