Conversano was not what I expected, but put aside your expectations of rolling hills of farm sides and you will find some beautiful gems in this beach town. The nearest beach is as beautiful as the internet pictures. It looks like something out of a movie. A perfect picture! We snacked at a coffee bar nearby and had some amazing pastries and strawberry and cream gelato. If you are visiting for just a few days, you can find things to do without a car. There are a wonderful variety of coffee bars to try out every morning. Looking back, this was my favorite part of Conversano. I suggest waking up early like the locals do because that is when most everything is open and the town is beautiful to walk through as the sun rises. The world shop around the corner is a very fun store that includes natural foods and products. We bought some great soap and found tofu. It also has an excellent music selection and natural pain relievers and cold remedies, as well as some wonderful toys for small children. Less than a ten minute walk from the house is Angels beauty salon. Here you can get a manicure, pedicure, and massage for a very reasonable price. I loved the massage! We were lucky enough to be here during the two days that a symphony played for free for the public in a gazebo set up in the town square under an impressive display of holiday lights. I could not begin to describe the beauty and extent of the light show. The musicians played from 8pm until midnight and they were fabulous. We couldn’t get over the night life here. There is so much to do late into the evening if you are up for staying awake so late. This was my husbands favorite part. Many restaurants begin to get busy at 10-11pm. We tried a crape restaurant in town, which had a great atmosphere and seemed popular amongst the local people. The selection of affordable espresso, bread, wine, gelato, and cheese is a memory our whole family likes to dwell on when thinking of this town. There is a cheese shop just around the corner of the house, by the round about, which has cheese, eggs, and milk, among other things that we discovered at the end of our stay- a great place to go to quickly pick up food staples for the house. There are also many small markets within walking distance and a large supermarket at the end of long street that is fun to walk to. There are many gelato options all over town. My favorite coffee bar for early morning pastries and espresso is across the round about coming out of our apartment. There are two areas close to the house that have parked bikes for the public to rent, which can be purchased with a credit card. There is a beautiful park across from the castle with a paved path lined with trees. Down the steps from this park and past the fountain, we came across a street fair that lasted three days and included local street food, dancing, music, and a large blow up slide for our son. Outside the castle walls, there is quite a bit of graffiti, but look past that and you will see many charming historic houses. I also found a cute clothing store with a very helpful employee who made excellent suggestions. I left buying some unique Italian clothing that fit my style perfectly. This is a tourist town, and so unlike some of the small Italian towns we have visited where we stuck out like a sore thumb, we felt a bit invisible here and found it more difficult to make friends with locals than in other towns. This changed, however, after my husband bought a guitar in Bari and played it one night in the center square inside the castle walls. He met a few guys and they requested rock and roll music. They hit it off so well, they brought my husband back to their house. More people showed up and they all encouraged him to play in the street while they called out to people to tip him. I made some unexpected friendly acquaintances with the sweetest elderly men at the symphony when I showed up under dressed for the rainy evening. They made room for me between them under the overhang of a door stoop. I was delighted to enjoy their conversation back and forth and be a part of one of the charming things in Conversano. The friendships you see between the elderly men sitting on park benches together are extraordinary. I have seen nothing like it in the US. They sit all afternoon close together on the park benches just enjoying each others company, the sunny afternoon, and watching the people pass by them. It is also fun to watch all the elderly grandparents care for the young children while the middle aged people seem to always be busy working or at least rarely walking the streets. Family does seem to be at the center of this towns culture. One day, at the supermarket, the checkout man was working while holding his baby. I wish I could bring my son to work with me! Look past the initial tourist feeling and you will see a vibrant local community. Teresa was right to suggest renting a car since we were staying for two weeks. She said we may have to pay for parking, but we were always able to find parking on the street and never once had to pay for parking. We had three excellent outings besides the local beach I mentioned before. We found a beautiful park in Bari over the weekend with had a street lined with excellent street food. We ate some very good barbecue. We visited the caves another day and had a very memorable time there. And on two other occasions we made...