This morning we went on an excursion to the "Castel del Monte", a castle in the middle of the national park. The more than 800 years old castle has never served as a fortress, but still looks very powerful and mighty. I did not regret the nearly one hour driving time in any case, as beside the castle, one can also excellently have a little walk through the green and simply let oneself be driven by the nature.

Back in the city, I briefly parked the car at the hotel, packed my backpack for the beach and went to the "Jerome Café" to have a snack and a piece of cake. With the big choice that one gets here, it is not easy to decide. I finally took a small chocolate cake with cream and topping and an espresso with it - I felt like I was in seventh heaven.

When I finished my meal I got into conversation with a local family who also wanted to go to the beach and so I found a ride. On the beach they showed me a good spot and then we all relaxed and had fun. In the late afternoon they even drove me to the hotel and because we got along so well we decided to have dinner together - I was really excited because the locals simply know best where to find the best restaurants and bars.

For dinner we met in front of the restaurant and I was honestly a little glad not to be alone here, as without exception Italian was spoken. Even though I speak a few sentences, I felt much more comfortable to know some local people who can help you out in case of need. The small restaurant is totally unimpressive and one passes it very fast if one does not know that there is an excellent restaurant waiting for one. We sat down and after we ordered some bread, which I liked very much. After we finished our two courses (which are obligatory here) we had some fruits without being asked, which I also liked. When it came to the payment I was kindly asked by my hosts, but I was pleasantly surprised that they do not pay more than 15€ per person for the two courses. That made me overjoyed and so we said goodbye and decided to find a nice and tasty restaurant at the next meeting.