Bari's coast

This major sea port city serves as a harbor to Italy’s greatest seafood, pasta “Orecchiette con le rape,” and a seemingly Parisian dialect. Lining the seaside, Bari finds itself cool temps, warm folks, a bustlingly eclectic economy and a truly diversified taste of southern Italy.

Bari bridge overlooking the city

The lovely quality of Bari is its ability to be both contemporary and progressive while maintaining its history at heart. If you’ve already strolled through its main streets and peeked your head into posh boutiques and lavish eateries, Bari’s time machine is just around the corner. Coined “Bari Vecchia,” the old city of Bari’s now modern quarter thrives just as it had for years past. The preservation of not only its wobbly roads and breathtaking architecture, but also culture and local lingo of former times is astounding. Here you will find, without a doubt, clans of old men either standing in heated discussion or sitting in quiet observance of passersby. A gold mine for history buffs, lovers of culture and a break from city life’s routine modernity.

On athletic fronts, Bari sports a truly elephantine population of soccer players, both amateurs and profs. For such, it exhibits a recreational fashion style that coordinates with the city’s common hobby. Expect a more relaxed, more sportive, and thus spunky fad in the streets, a vogue that of course remains nevertheless Italian and nevertheless fashionable. Sweat or no sweat, Barisians will be seen around the town looking “so fresh and so clean.”

Lets gravitate to shopping, a panorama that will literally shop you and drop you. Aside from the wealth of niche “negozi” to be discovered throughout, Bari holds a high concentration of malls and outlets where a map may or may not be necessary in your survival tool kit. Bring good shoes and a fox’s tongue for bartering.

For comparison’s sake I would say Bari hosts a more gentle and conservative crowd of gents (let’s think back to Napoli). Although Vins is Italian, I was inevitably a tourist to the city  at some point or another and, as such, have only the best of memories. I was embraced by Bari with open arms, be it within my city-wide encounters or chatter with locals.

Unforgettable – Delicious array of ritzy, fresh Japanese restaurants, Ipercoop: my temporary Whole Foods substitute (an unfortunate disposition, right?), Bari Vecchia, friendliness of locals, how close the sky seems to be to the ground, tights and ballerina flats — a truly dynamic duo.

Outfits often sported – Hogan tennies, Moncler kidswear, Blauer outerwear, Nike high dunks, Frutta sweats, Shop!

Glam, classy, Italian.

On to the next!