Monday 8.5.
We started our journey in the break of dawn because the flight to Naples departure at 7.15 from Helsinki-Vantaa airport. When we arrived in Naples we were greeted by the lovely Mediterranean spring rain. We rented a car and drove all the way to Nova Siri Marina, Basilicata. On our way we visited a little cute town Vietri, where we ate world’s best pizza ever. The hospitality was amazing, and people were so nice.
We arrived at our hotel Resort Giardini D´Oriente in Nova Siri at noon, and we were overwhelmed about how beautiful this place was.
Tuesday 9.5.
We were woken up to the sound of the ocean and after a delicious Italian breakfast we gathered all together for the cooperation meeting. This was a great opportunity to meet everybody and get together. After we gathered for lunch with all delicatesse. After lunch we hopped on the bus for a transfer to Bernalda where we were introduced to local culture and people when we marched together alongside the mayor of Bernalda. We got to enjoy of band music, amazing flag show and institutional greetings. After that, we headed for an amazing dinner and social evening at Hotel degli Ulivi in Ferrandina. There was so much food that it was impossible to eat everything. The night was amazing, and we made a lot of good connections.
Wednesday 10.5.
Today was time for study tours. We went for a “journey in the rural culture from past to present”. We started our journey with the Archeological Park of the Rupestrian Churches where we got to admire the unique flora and fauna of the area. After the park we headed along the small roads to Montescaglioso where we got to taste Italian beer. After the tasting we ate a huge lunch and visited a Rural Culture and Folk Traditions Museum in Pomarico. The tour ended with the last stop to a local winery in Nova Siri. In the evening we joined a glamourous dinner Gala “Together on the sand”.
Thursday 11.5.
Time for some activities! We had opportunity to join for a sport activity, but instead we took the morning off and drove to a beautiful Nova Siri old village. We drove through amazing vineyards, olive- and lemon gardens, and we saw the largest heard of horses, there were at least 100 horses. Our last night together was held in the beautiful Abbazia di S. Michele Arcangelo in Montescaglioso with a lot of food and good company!
Friday 12.5.
Time to head at home! After breakfast and packing we started our journey back to Naples. It was nice to drive in the southern part of Italy. On our way we stopped in Pompeii, such an amazing place! If you ever go to Naples or that region, please take few hours and visit this over 2 000 years old town. You would be amazed of the past culture and beauty. After the visit we headed straight to Naples airport, unfortunately there were a lot of traffic, but we managed that also with strong teamwork. Luckily everything went great, and our plane took off 15 min ahead of time, so we landed in Helsinki-Vantaa airport just after midnight.
What a great trip with lots of food, laugh and love. We are so grateful of all the people we got to meet on our trip, and we look forward to cooperating possibilities with European LAG-groups. Thank you LINC 2023 and Italy, you will stay in our hearts forever <3
