I went to Italy from May 3rd to 12th to help professional tennis player Miyu Kato with managing her website.
I previously accompanied him to a tournament in Dubai, but this time it was in Italy.
I really respect the way she has traveled all year round since she was a teenager to tournaments all over the world and competed on the world stage.
Italy has the most World Heritage Sites in the world, and it's as if history has made itself into the country. There are intricate details carved into the stone, even on the eaves of buildings that no one might see, so just walking around was tremendously fun.
This time I also went to Southern Italy, so here are some photos.
Matera
There are about 3,000 to 4,000 cave dwellings carved into the rock face, and the sight of them layered on top of each other is overwhelming. It is said that humans first settled here about 7,000 years ago. Amazing!
On this day, after a 20-hour flight from Kansai Airport to Abu Dhabi to Rome to Bari, I walked 20,000 steps. I felt great!
Polignano Amare
A small town on a cliff facing the Adrenaline Sea. I went to a cave restaurant in Grotta Palazzese. I've seen this place on TV. There was live music playing and it was so nice that I can't remember what I ate (lol)
Alberobello
It is a cute town with about 1000 white houses with cone-shaped roofs called trulli, where you might see a dwarf or a fairy popping out. The trulli are so cute that it's almost a shame to sleep in them because of the stone walls. We drank until late at night (lol).
Rome Opera House
I felt so out of place (lol). I was excited at the entrance, but the inside was so grand that I was so nervous. It was my first time to see an opera, and I thought to myself, "I never knew a human voice could be so beautiful!" but I didn't understand a thing about the opera (lol) (It was in Czech).
Rome
I watched Mii-chan's practice, watched a tennis match, threw a 10 yen coin into the Trevi Fountain, which hit an old man on the head and went in with a splash, ate gelato, and borrowed a facial massager. I also had some time to explore Rome on my own.
I was wondering what would happen with the jet lag because the May Paco started the day after I returned to Japan, but the jet lag started on Friday after the Thursday class ended, so it was jet lag due to the difference in time. I thought to myself once again how amazing it is that Mii-chan travels all over the world to compete in the tournament!
This was my first time using Edihat Airways, and it was very comfortable. The seat shape was great, it supported my head. I was able to sleep well on the plane without a neck pillow. It was also my first time to try Halal food.
Checking in beforehand on the airline's smartphone app is really easy and simplified everything. I use Uber for taxis, eSIM for the internet, wise for money, and Google Maps for maps. I feel like the world has become a very convenient place, and I want to make the most of all the conveniences I can get.
I wanted to plan my next trip while I was still healthy enough to board a plane (laughs).