Taranto, in Puglia, Italy
Stories attract me to places, they’re an introduction, the start of a conversation.
Taranto in the south of Italy, has many stories, almost too many to bear. Today it’s the ‘for sale’ sign that’s crunching consciences – the huge steel works that have dominated and contaminated the city for decades are on the market.
We visit Taranto on our second full day in Puglia – this is about what we find. It’s a lot more than just steel.
The seafront in Otranto, in Puglia, Italy
‘Time to leave’ – three words that own the fastest days in the calendar. You know when to expect them but it seldom makes them easier to manage.
Our two years in Italy, focussed around Naples, end in a rush but, even so, we do manage to wedge in a few days to explore further south – Puglia. We head off in the car with the dog … and half a plan.
I wrote this piece in April 2016 about the richness of the music in Naples. This is an updated version – improved I hope – with a range of YouTube links at the end.
A busker in Naples, Italy
History makes music … it carves out life’s edges for the musicians to find.
Little wonder then that Naples, full of passion and secrets, is carpeted with song, with great singers and orchestras, and with the drift of the mandolin, of the saxophone and of jazz.
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The Phraser 