Taranto - Mussel (Cozze)

 Finally I have the blog caught up after the cruise 🥳

 

Now it’s time to explore the ancient city of Taranto where we are staying for 3 nights.

I know I have already shown you a picture of our fabulous ancient room with its stone vaulted ceilings, so here is a view of the town clock from the bed. 

The clock strikes every 15 mins which is so italian, sweet … 

or is it 😂 

So for 12 midnight it’s 12 brass dongs 

For 12.15 its 12 brass dongs and 1 copper chime

12.30 its 12 brass dongs and 2 copper chimes

12.45 its 12 brass dongs and 3 copper chimes

Get my drift this thing is always going off !!!!!

Welcome to Southern Italy.

Will need to drink more before bedtime which is no real problem as one eats so late down here.

 This place is rough, grotty and gritty but thats also a story for later.

Pleased our room is off the ground!!!

Anyway I do digress … soooooooo first, all this blogging has made me hungry and as Taranto is the 

“Mussel Capital of the World”

 (according to the Taranta-tery-ans) … 

Sorry guys, nope to me you are not MC of the W!

I won’t be telling them that thought as there are lots of dark allies here where bodies could early be lost!!!!

(but that’s a story for later) 

But … in my quiet opinion, NZ mussels wins that title 🤫 

These mussels are small, sooooo creamy and sweet, not too salty and yes they were super yummy (just not NZ Yummy!)

The waters in the small sea behind the ancient city of Taranto is where the mussels (cozze) are farmed. This small sea here has loads of fresh water springs that come up in it so the mussel are the best that they get in Italy. Albeit with all the industrial steel works stuff happing on the shores around.

They are locally available right on the waters edge in this great little kiosk just down wind from our room thank goodness as there are some smells of the ancient town that you don’t need to add to the smell of decaying mussels shells.

Joys of a ancient seaside town and with bad sewage pipes

🤢🤮🤢

Mixing with the locals in the mussel kiosk early in the morning just back from my walk. The sweet smell of fresh morning seaside is a pleasure but at 40 deg later today a place to be avoided!