Bari celebrates San Nicola

On Saturday May 7, 2016, commenced in Bari the celebration of the San Nicola's relics.

From a historical perspective, the relics were seized from the burial in Myra (Turkey) in spring 1087 by 62 sailors, who departed from Bari with this specific goal.

Venice, the Serenissima, was eager to grab the relics of San Nicola either. 

However, baresi were quicker than venetian.




I missed big time the atmosphere I always  breathe once in Bari. 

So, Lucia and I took straight away this opportunity to visit it. 

We leave Altamura, where we live, in the afternoon, heading to Bari.




I drop a message to Marco, an old friend of mine, whom I don't see since ages. 





Marco is a barese doc. We used to play football together.

He always dressed the Bari jersey. He is one of the most passionate football fan I have ever met.   





By the way, meantime I write this post, I'm cooking an aubergine on pan, so I have to take a break and check it out, avoiding that the aubergine gets burned.

Marco replies to my message, he is in Bari, so we are going to catch up and spend the night all together.

I park the car far away from the city centre.

Never mind, Lucia and I walk for ten minuets before getting on bus, which brings us to Bari vecchia (old Bari). 

Walking throughout Bari vecchia is a unique experience.

People who live there seem comforted by the fact that is not left alone.







The atmosphere is sparkling.

Thousands of people are being gathered in town.




Dozens of fornacelle, authorised and not, are spread all around, making the city centre looking like a souq.



By the way, fornacella is synonymous of street food.



In such times, Bari really seems like any other Middle-Eastern city laid on the Mediterranean sea. 



Following the seaside, we arrive at El ciringhito, a place where  hundreds of lads, Italians and not, catch up to drink beer, talk and smoke a joint.





I strongly recommend you to experience it

The historical parade is just great.

The climax is reached when a wooden caravel carries on the San Nicola's paint, hold by two sailors.

It's around 10.30 when some of us feel to eat something.

"Let's have a pizza at Dregher" Marco proposes.

This is a very popular pizzeria in the hearth of Bari.

This place is fantastic because the pizza maker sings while preparing pizza.

It's really cool.





Additionally, the two waiters who serves at the table are so funny.

I asked them to be portrayed and they proudly accepted it.  







From my point of view, the pizza there is not that great.

However, the experience is definitely worth it.


Ps.
As you can, I have edited my pics black/white.

I have come to such choice because inspired by the way two great photographers work: Tano D'amico and Sebastiao Salgado

Christ stopped along the railway of Andria-Corato

Two days ago, a tragedy occurred along the Apulian railways. 

So far, 27 people have died. More than 50 people are injured.

Who is responsible for that?






First of all, along the local route Andria - Corato there is just one bloody rail for two trains coming from the opposite directions. 

Would you imagine that? 

Nowadays, when huge investments are made for high speed train as well as TAV, we still travel in a such dangerous and non-effective way!?  

And that route is not the only one in Apulia to have just one rail. 

As far as I know, the Lesina-Termoli as well as the Bari-Matera have the same limit. This last route, covered by Ferrovie Appulo-Lucane (FAL), are on the spot since years because the management is accused of having wasted millions of euros.

On the top of it, bear in mind that the communication between the rail stations of Andria and Corato are carried out by fonogramma, such an obsolete way to communicate that is not even contemplated by wordreference.com (dictionary), therefore I ignore how to translate fonogramma in English. 

If Guglielmo Marconi had been alive, he would probably have known how to translate it.

There are precise responsibilities ascribable to the national institutions who do not control at all how certain companies manage local and regional railway transportations.

In order to understand what is going on in this country, I'd suggest you to read two articles: one written by Roberto Saviano, published by La Repubblica Perche' hanno dimenticato il Sud. The second one written by Giuseppe De Tomaso, editor of La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno Insicurezza a bordo incoscienza al potere.

In addition, the questione meridionals, which in other words is the economical, technological (etc etc…) gap between South and North is getting bigger and bigger.



So, Carlo Levi was wrong!

Christ did not stopped at Eboli, He did stop at Andria-Corato.




Ps. My apologies for any misspelling or grammar mistakes. However, I felt to write these words like they came out from my soul.