Exploring China: The focus is on the future in the country of tomorrow

 

                          The future: Chengdu's bamboo towers with waterfalls that mimic bamboo shoots 

The past: Tiananmen Square

It was just after midnight when the taxi driver dropped us off in an alleyway surrounded by sacks of concrete and piles of bricks. It was hard to believe this is where we would find our hotel in Beijing, but this was 17 years ago, and my husband, Tom, and I had decided to opt for staying in a hutong instead of a four-star hotel. 

Hutongs have mostly disappeared, but at the time, they were like villages inside the big city - basically communities hidden in and around alleyways surrounding common courtyards. A few, like this one, housed tiny family-run inns that welcomed visitors with comfortable courtyard rooms and cafes.

The alley entrance to our hutong in Beijing in 2009

In 2009 and 2005 while I was reporting for the Seattle Times, we concentrated on historical sites, remote villages and cultural encounters in the rural countryside. We biked an undeveloped section of the Great Wall, visited Xian's terracotta soldiers, road the "hard sleeper" train to small towns and spent the night in an ethnic village reached by a mile walk along a dirt path after a 100-mile drive that took five hours.

Fast forward to 2026 as we get ready for our third trip to China, this time focused not on the past, but the future. Rather than traditional sites such as Tiananmen Square, above, we're off this time to see modern landmarks like the Chengdu bamboo fountains, pictured above, and find out what it is like to stay in one of the gigantic Raffles City towers in Chongqing pictured below. 

The futuristic Raffles City hotel and shopping complex in Chongqing

Apparently we're not alone in our quest to experience a cashless society, ride in driverless cars, try out facial recognition at a vending machine and walk across a sky bridge that stretches across the tops of four 800-foot- tall skyscrapers. 

While the U.S. is discouraging foreign travel with visa restrictions and generally unwelcoming policies, China is encouraging international visitors any way possible, reports Wendy Lu, a Seattle-area consultant and author of a book titled "My First Impresssion of China- Washingtonians' First Trips to the Middle Kingdom." 

Writing for the online publication Post Alley, she sites a Pew Research Center survey on world opinions of 36 countries that concluded that many people now have a more favorable view of China than of the U.S.

With looser visa rules (If you are transiting through China to another country, you can stay in China for 10 days without a visa), China logged a 20.4 percent increase in inbound trips by foreign nationals in the first half of this year.

"China has had a blockbuster summer of international tourism, Lu reports. "One new trend that makes tourists to China more excited about is that they can now go beyond the conventional sightseeing of landmarks and historical sites to take immersive industrial or rural tours, watching robotic arms operate in an EV factory, for instance, or spending time with residents of ethnic villages." 

KFC delivery robot

Twenty years ago, no one thought about taking a vacation to China the way they did to Thailand or Vietnam, but after traveling there twice with the help of many English-speaking Chinese, I asked myself, why not? 

I would pose the same question today, given that it's even easier now to plan an independent trip without going on an organized tour.

 China was and still is a great value for U.S. travelers, given the dollar-yen exchange rate. The historical and modern inventions are incomparable. The food is cheap and tasty. The hotels are great values. Even the international air fare is a good value compared to fares to Europe.

Online sites such as booking.com and trip.com make booking hotels, trains and buses easy. Walking tours and day trip can be arranged and paid for in advance through sites such as freetour.com, GuruWalk and  and GetYourGuide.  

Armed with the payment app Alipay, used instead of cash for even smallest transactions; WeChat (the Chinese version of WhatsApp); and DIDI (ride share app), we are set for a three-week do-it-yourself  trip that will take us first to Shanghai on Delta's non-stop from Seattle, then onto Chengdu and Chongqing in the center of China and finally to Kunming and the ethnic minority villages of Dali in the southwest.

A nighttime light show at Chengdu's Twin Towers 

Chengdu pandas 

We'll take in some traditional sites -the Panda Research Base in Chengdu, the Dongchuan Red Lands near Kunming, and the ethnic villages near Dali, but the city we're most excited about is Chongqing, a sister city to Seattle located along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, best described as the "biggest city nobody has ever heard of."

Suspension bridges connect various parts of Chongqing

With a population of 32 million, Chongqing is the largest municipality in the world by population, although third behind Tokyo and Jakarta when measured in terms of metro area. The city's biggest mark on Seattle is the Seattle Chinese Garden on the South Seattle College campus, designed in the Sichuan style by architects and artisans from Chongqing and Seattle.

Famous for its fiery hotpot, dramatic skyline, monorails through buildings and stacked highways, Chongqing is called the "8D city" or vertical city because it is built in a steep mountainous area, resulting in significant elevation differences and the need for suspension bridges at various heights to connect various parts of the city.

Public transportation

Due to its layout, the streets are so steep that the ground floor of a building might open to a busy street, while the 22nd floor opens to a completely separate street or a public square on the other side.

The Liziba monorail

A train station inside a building in the Liziba district is located eight stories above ground. The monorail system allows trains to pass without causing disruptive vibrations, thanks to an advanced soundproofing system.

How to see all off this? We've booked a three-hour walking tour our first day through freetour.com with a local guide and later, through a local travel agency, a market tour and visit with a family for lunch in their home.

Our hotel is a far cry from the inn in the hutong we booked so many years ago in Beijing. In Chongqing, we will be staying in the Ascott Raffles City, a hotel inside Raffles City, complex of four skyscrapers sitting 820 feet above the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers. 

Raffles City hotel and shopping complex

The price was a bargain $117 per night, booked on booking.com, with breakfast for one-bedroom apartment with a washing machine in the room.

Designed by architect Moshe Safdie, the key feature is a top-floor observation deck called the Crystal walkway that includes the Sky Mirror, a  glass-bottomed outdoor viewing deck that cantilevers over the edge of the building.

Raffles City skywalk 

The view is straight down at the 820-foot drop to the streets and rivers below. 

If this isn't enough of a thrill, there's a Cloud Walk for those willing to gear up in a full-body safety harness and walk along the open-air spine of the crystal, with no glass walls between you and the drop. The highlight: You can sit on the edge and dangle your feet over the city. 

Sadly, China has age restrictions on the lower and higher ends. The cut-off for the Cloud Walk is 65, so we will have to see what other closer-to-the ground thrills await.

 

Ignore the Airbnb pushback; Choose wisely and everyone wins

 

An Airbnb in Taxco, Mexico. The owner lived next door

Should you feel guilty about staying in an Airbnb, given the pushback around the idea that they displace locals, create a shortage of housing and ruin neighborhoods once reserved for long-term residents?

Hotel industry lobbyists are winning support from city governments to restrict or eliminate Airbnbs in many places. Even consumer advocates, such as syndicated columnist Christopher Elliott, urge travelers go back to being tourists rather than "pretending" to live in a neighborhood at the expense of permanent residents."

I argued against those arguments in a recent blog post countering the assumption that Airbnb lost its way when it began opening up its listings to investors with hired managers. Some are, but many are owned by individuals supplementing their incomes by renting out a room, suite or mother-in-law apartment never intended as a full-time residence. 

 "How do you tell the difference?" a reader asked.

A classic Airbnb on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia

Making the right choice when choosing an Airbnb requires research, not only when it comes to ownership, but also the neighborhood, bottom-line price and refund policies. Do your homework, and you won't need to feel guilty about deciding on a spacious Airbnb as opposed to a tiny room in a high-priced hotel. The bonus is not only a larger, more private accommodation, but the chance for a unique cultural experience, especially if you are booking in another country,

Here's what to consider:

After searching for a listing that meets your criteria, scroll down to below the map showing the location to "Meet your host." My husband and I rented a suite in White Rock, British Columbia recently. The owner and her family lived in a house attached to the unit which appeared to have been remodeled to include a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. The entrance was near the back of her house, and although the unit was well-equipped, I doubt that anyone would find it suitable as a full-time rental.

A typical Airbnb listing with photos. This was our White Rock Airbnb

A unit that is not owned by an individual but rather by a company that hires out the management might list their own name or the names of the same two or three different "hosts" on multiple listings. 

The studio apartment we rented a couple of years ago on Rua das Flores, the main pedestrian street in Porto, Portugal was one of several managed by the same people, a good indication that the owners were investors. The host, Sofia, confirmed she was a real estate consultant who, along with her parents, started buying up units on the street a few years ago.

The view from our Airbnb in Porto

We stayed three nights in the Airbnb and two nights in a small hotel owned and managed by a local couple. Both we lovely, but I admit I felt better about supporting the local innkeepers as opposed to the investors who likely did displace some permanent housing. 

Pricing

The initial price that appears on an Airbnb listing will not be the bottom-line price you see when you hit the "reserve" button. The initial listing will include the Airbnb service fee, but not taxes. Example: I have been looking at an Airbnb in Mexico City where the listed price was $$373 for thee nights. That jumped to $439 when I went to book and $67.12 in taxes were included. Some cities or countries have a per-day tourist tax required to be collected on-site. We discovered this in Malta last spring when the Airbnb owner left a note requesting that we leave 7 euros in cash on the kitchen table before leaving. 

Refund/Cancellation policy

Always check refund and cancellation policies which vary according to the listing. Many Airbnbs have liberal policies allowing for cancellation with a full refund up to a few days ahead of arrival. Pass on bookings that are non-refundable or return just a partial payment minus the Airbnb fees.

Check the reviews

Airbnb publishes all reviews, good or bad, from both customers and owners. Check them carefully as well as the dates they were posted. Only people who have actually stayed in the Airbnb can do a review, so there is no danger of fake postings. 

House rules and amenities 

Some hosts think of everything. Cindy, our host in White Rock, left blueberry muffins, grapes and cheese in the fridge along with half- and -half for coffee. Other hosts leave the cupboards bare except for salt and pepper. Almost all provide a code for opening the door rather than a key. Some make an effort at personal contact; others don't unless you need something. 

Coffee makers are one of the quirkiest variables. Some hosts provide easy-to-use drip machines with ground coffee; others, like Cindy, supply K-cups and a Keurig or Keurig--like coffee maker. Coffee purists tend to stock their units with complicated equipment such as elaborate espresso machines and whole bean grinders.

The most unusual non-amenity I have encountered was at an Airbnb on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia. The owner provided no indoor trash can, just an outdoor compost pile. Guests were expected to provide their own receptacle for taking coffee grounds or food to the compost pile, and pack everything else out when they left.

   

Columnist mounts case for traveling like a tourist, not a local. I disagree

 

Going local with volunteer greeter Oskar Sandoval in Mexico City

"Why you should be a tourist- not a local - when you travel," was the headline above a recent column by Christopher Elliott, a columnist who calls himself the "Travel Troubleshooter. 

Starting with upending the idea of staying in an Airbnb in a local neighborhood instead of a hotel in a tourist district, he goes on to advise hiring licensed guides instead of amateurs and resist thinking of over-crowded and expensive historic sites as "tourist traps." 

"Maybe the most ethical — and enjoyable — way to travel now is to stop pretending you live there, and embrace your status as a tourist," Elliott writes. "The problem with living like a local is simple math. "When everyone does it, no locals are left. Tourists push out the very communities they claim to love."

There is a case to be made for how over-tourism and the resulting gentrification of non-touristy areas can displace residents, inflate housing prices and drive out the butchers and bakers in favor of chic boutiques and trinket shops. 

Elliott's counter-offensive, called "In defense of the tourist trap," starts with urging people to stay in hotels rather than Airbnbs, the theory being they attract transients "pretending" to live there at the expense of permanent residents. Hotels, on the other hand, he says, are "created for visitors. They employ locals, pay commercial taxes, have security, and don’t displace families."

Next comes advice to stick to hiring licensed guides, citing a horror story from a tour operator who "got lost and nearly died of thirst" after veering from the beaten path in a jungle,

Finally, Elliott nudges travelers to embrace the well-known landmarks rather than looking at them as tourist traps.

  "There’s no shame in seeing the Eiffel Tower or the Colosseum," he writes. "These  icons are in tourist areas, and your ticket price often supports their conservation."

Do this instead

I would suggest there are better ways to travel responsibly while at the same time "becoming a (non-invading) temporary local," a phrase coined by travel guidebook author and T.V. host Rick Steves. 

Let's start with lodging. One reason most people stay in Airbnbs is to avoid sky-high hotel prices that inflate further with resort fees, parking fees and extra charges for early check-in. The other benefit is the chance to become familiar with a neighborhood outside the tourist zone, an experience that usually includes using public transportation, patronizing local restaurants and going to the grocery store.

Our Airbnb in Tasco, Mexico. Tito, the owner, lived next door

The key is to pick an Airbnb owned by a person trying to supplement their income rather than an agent who manages dozens of apartments that might otherwise be rented to local residents.

My husband and I will  be staying in the downstairs mother-in-law apartment owned by a couple in White Rock B.C. when we visit the Vancouver area soon. I'd much rather funnel my tourist dollars to them instead of a downtown hotel that charges $200 a night and $50 for parking. 

Another alternative is to pick a family-run hotel, easier when traveling in Europe than in the United States. Steves steers his followers to small hotels, often mom-and-pop businesses, located outside the main tourists zones but accessible by public transport.

When it comes to tour guides, hiring someone with a license guarantees little more than a high hourly rate.  The guide may be quite knowledgeable, or may just read from a memorized script translated from his or her language into English.

I've had much better luck and more personal experiences by spending a few hours with a greeter from the International Greeters Association, a network of volunteers from around the world who organize strolls for travelers.

Oskar was our greeter in Mexico City. We have remained in contact and see him whenever we are there.

Greeters are not tour guides, but rather temporary friends anxious to share what they love most about their city.  My husband and I have met greeters in Paris, Marseille, Japan and Mexico, and are now working on making connections in Shanghai and Chengdu, China. 

 Soufiane, a surfing instructor who moonlights as a walking tour guide for Freetour.com, was our Freetour guide in Rabat, Morocco.

Online groups such as freetour.com and guruwalk.com offer a similar services for those looking for small group walking tours, food tours or specific experiences such jogging or exploring a neighborhood's nightlife.The guides might be students, university professors or professional guides who are moonlighting. They work for tips, the amount of which is up to you. One of our most memorable walks like this was a morning spent with a GuruWalk guide in Aman, Jordan who invited the whole  group back to his home for a multi-course lunch.  

When it comes to the big sites, there is nothing wrong with seeing the Eiffel Tower or the Colosseum. First-time visitors should, but they should also budget time for alternative experiences.  

An Eatwith dinner in Mexico City

The eatwith.com program connects travelers with locals who host lunches and dinners in their homes. The site includes a brief bio, a sample menu, dates, times and prices.  We have spent long evenings with hosts in Bucharest, Paris and Mexico city - all of whom lived outside the tourist areas.  One of our best Eatwith experiences was a visit to a farm outside of Hanoi which included a tour by the owner, and a short cooking class at her house followed by a lunch.

In the kitchen with Mandy, our Eatwith host in Hanoi

Becoming a "temporary local" without disturbing the local way of life can be as easy as visiting the same cafe twice. One of our favorite parts about staying in Nyaung Shwe, a town on Lake Inle in Myanmar, was becoming regulars at the tea house down the street. The town has plenty of tourist places where you can get a good cappuccino, but we became addicted to Burmese tea served with sweetened condensed milk. We sipped ours while seated at low tables on child-sized plastic stools below a picture of a golden Buddha image sitting on a pile of money.  

Starbucks Not. Sipping tea in Myanmar

 

Malta in the Mediterranean: Tourists discover the little country that could

 

You're never far from the water in Malta, the EU's smallest country sits by itself in the middle of the Mediterranean

How is it that a Mediterranean island most Americans could not find on a map earns the distinction of an over-crowded, heavily congested country with the highest tourism density in Europe?

An how does a travel writer who aims to avoid beaches and touristy travel not only end up there, but leaves impressed with its culture, history and culinary traditions?

Tell friends in the U.S. that you are going to Malta, and the response will likely be a blank look or a polite "Where exactly is that?''  

Italians, Brits, Germans and Russian need no help finding the handful of tiny islands in the middle of the Mediterranean sea between Sicily in Italy and Tunisia in North Africa.

They know the European Union's smallest country (122 square miles) well as a quick weekend getaway, thanks to discounted flights from dozens of cities.

Move aside islands in Greece, Spain and Portugal. Malta topped the charts as Europe's most over crowded tourist spot in recent New York Post story analyzing the size of European island destinations in comparison to the number of tourists hosted.

Consider that Rhode Island, our smallest state is 10 times larger than Malta, yet Malta records more than four million tourists annually, roughly 6 to 8 tourists for every resident (population 575,000). 

As anti-tourism movements pick up in overcrowded cities such as Venice and Barcelona, could Malta be next? 

An Instagram site called Overtouristedmalta sends out viral videos showing crowded streets in the capital of Valletta, traffic jams and long lines at popular attractions.

All of this is no doubt true in the peak summer season when thousands of Europeans crowd the beach resorts by day and Valletta's nightclubs and bars by night.

Not knowing any of this, my husband, Tom, and I discovered a different side of Malta, almost by default. We visited in April when it was too cool for the beaches, but an excellent time to wander Valletta's steep, mostly-pedestrianized streets without the crowds, and learn about the country's religious and military history dating from Arab rule in the 11th century through the Crusades and World War II. 

"Where Arabia Meets Europe" is how Saudi Aramco World Magazine described Malta in its January issue. A confluence of cultures - Greek, Roman, Arabic, Sicilian, Spanish, French and British - gifted Malta with a blend of culinary traditions, architecture and a semitic language in the same family as Arabic and Hebrew, with phrases adapted from French and Italian. 

After stumbling on another article titled  "There's more to Malta than Beaches," we planned a a six-day stopover on our way to Bari in Italy to visit friends.    

Getting a handle on Malta's geography is tricky. Malta is the name of the main island as well as the country. It includes five islands in all, three inhabited, dominated by steep limestone cliffs indented by bays, inlets, and coves. Deciding where to base ourselves was the first challenge.

Besides the beach resort community of Sliema, the most obvious choice is Valletta, the European Union's smallest capital, built as a hilltop fortress by the Knights of St. John, a Catholic brotherhood of noblemen who fought off Muslim invaders in the 16th century. 

Unfairly maligned by viral visuals on "Overtouristed Malta's" Instagram site showing overcrowded streets, congested walkways and traffic, Valletta is a unique walled city built entirely of golden limestone, reachable 200 feet above the seafront via  hundreds of stairs or a 26-second elevator ride for one euro.

Steps leading from the seafront to the the top of Valletta

Hidden inside the walls is a rich collection of 16th century Baroque palaces, churches, monasteries and gardens built by the Knights. Museums, hotels, galleries and cafes line steps that double as "streets" in areas that are mostly-pedestrianized.

After looking for places to stay in Valletta and finding them either booked or expensive, we decided to base ourselves in quieter and less-congested Birgu, a fortified city on the southern side of Malta's Grand Harbour, directly across from Valletta.

A bit of history: Malta was part of the Kingdom of Sicily until 1530, when Holy Roman Emperor Charles V leased the archipelago to the Knights of St. John who, at the time, were escaping the Ottoman invasion of Greece. When the Knights arrived, they chose Birgu on the waterfront as their base rather than the 8th century inland capital of Mdina. Birgu served as Malta's de facto capital until the establishment of Valletta in 1571, when the Knights and Maltese civilians halted the Ottoman expansion in the Mediterranean, and built a new city named for the Knights' grand master Jean Parisot de Valette. 

The walled entrance to Birgu

Birgu and two other towns (together referred to as the Three Cities) are connected to Valletta by land, but public ferries and private boatmen make short-cutting along the water faster and more pleasant than taking the bus.

Private boats make the crossing between Birgu and Valletta when the ferries are full or not running

Our Airbnb ($130 per night) was an air conditioned apartment in a renovated 300-year-old townhouse in a neighborhood of mostly pedestrianized streets where residents decorate the exteriors of their homes with brightly painted enclosed wooden and glass balconies, an Arab-influenced architectural feature that provides a sense of privacy for those who want to look out but not necessarily be seen. 

Staying in Birgu felt like living in a small village compared to bustling Valletta. We woke to the sound of church bells playing "Ave Maria" each morning, and became regulars at Cafe Riche, a neighborhood breakfast spot which served Tuna ftira, Maltese bread slathered with a tomato paste and topped with tuna, olives, olive oil, capers, goat cheese and sun-dried tomato.

A breakfast of Tuna ftira

Birgu's Fort Angelo

Tour groups come to Birgu for the day to explore Fort St. Angelo, a bastioned fortress at the tip of the peninsula, once the Knights' military headquarters, now a museum.

By late afternoon, with the tour groups gone, the few cafes on the main square cater to locals. English co-exists with Maltese as the official language, so it was easy to strike up a conversation with women at the bus stop, or people in a crowd gathered one evening to hear speeches by political candidates running for office.  

Birgu also happened to be the best location to view the Malta International Fireworks Festival, usually held after Easter, to mark the start of the summer fireworks season. 

The country has deep pyrotechnic traditions dating to the time of the Knights who celebrated military victories and important religious events with gunpowder displays. 

This year's festival finale, capped by 1,000 -drone show, happened while we were there. Tickets were already sold out for viewing areas with seating, but our Airbnb was within walking distance of a long pier where we joined locals who came with picnics, beer and chairs for a show that lasted more than two hours.

Food, churches and tunnels

A British colony during World War II, and still part of the British Commonwealth, Malta was key to the Allied defense of the Mediterranean. During bombing by the Axis powers, inhabitants took shelter in the secret underground cisterns and tunnels dug by the Knights to store water and food. 

The result is an entire city beneath the streets which visitors can explore on a walking tour with the Malta National Community Art Museum. Wearing hard hats and head lamps, we walked in the dark for an hour, passing by small rooms residents rented as emergency shelters.  

A religious plaque on a wall inside one of the tunnels

The Roman Catholic religion plays an important part in Maltese daily life. Many of its churches are baroque masterpieces. St. John‘s Co-Cathedral, built from limestone by the Knights in 1573, is covered floor to ceiling with inlaid tile work, gold, statuary and paintings including the Beheading of St. John the Baptist by Caravaggio, the largest canvas he painted and the only one he signed. 

Caravaggio's painting inside St. John's Co-Cathedral

Tombs of high-ranking Knights in St. John's Co-Cathredral are decorated with tiles depicting battle scenes

Laundry day

No, we didn‘t hit the jackpot at a casino. We went by ferry in Birgu to the laundromat in Valletta. Washers take only 1 euro or 50-cent coins. You insert a 20e bill in a machine, and it spits out 40 50-cent coins. 

Waiting for the laundry to finish was an excuse to have breakfast at the Museum Cafe with its marble tables and Maltese specialties. It's true that many restaurants cater to British tourists' appetites for fish and chips, but a robust culinary landscape awaits those willing to dive deeper into the island's flavors.

The Museum Cafe in Valletta

The national snack is pastizz, filo dough pastries filled with ricotta or mushy peas (A British favorite), sold from street corner windows for 50 cents each. At the Museum Cafe, we breakfasted on hobż biż-zejt, a classic Maltese sandwich made with crusty sourdough bread rubbed with ripe tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil, and topped with tuna, capers, onions, and olives. The national beverage is Kinnie, an orange-colored bittersweet carbonated soft drink flavored with bitter oranges and aromatic herbs.

There used to be a chocolate district in Valletta, but it‘s no more. There is, however, an excellent chocolate shop called the Chocolate District  where it's never to early for an orange-chocolate Martini. 

Italy's 'third tier' cities offer local flavor without the tourist crowds

Bari women dressed in medieval costumes for the feast of St.Nicholas

Mornings in Bari Vecchia, Bari's medieval old town, belong to the fruit and vegetable vendors, butchers and bakers catering to locals doing their morning shopping or kibitzing over an espresso at a sidewalk cafe.  

It won't be long before the tour groups arrive, and a new crop of vendors begin filling tiny donuts with chocolate Nutella, and taking orders for a chilled Aperol Spritz. 

As a port city on the Adriatic Sea and the capital of Southern Italy's Puglia region, Bari plays life down the middle, sometimes catering to groups who come to tour its castle and 12th-century basilica; other times turning its attention to its working-class population of fishermen and seamen.

Old Town Bari at night

Outside the walls of the old town, in the 19th century "new city," Bari takes on a sophisticated feel with fashionable shops and pedestrian streets lined with cafes serving avocado toast topped with eggs and smoked salmon.

Bari Vecchia once had a reputation as a gritty, no-go area, but that has changed as more visitors have discovered the Puglia region, and start their travels by train, plane or car in the capital city.

Inside the walls, along narrow pedestrian streets, Bari's nonnas (grandmothers) carry on a tradition of making pasta shaped like little ears (orecchiette) on tables set up outside their homes. And when evening approaches and the tour groups leave, and local residents take back the ancient quarter for their evening passeggiata.

A Bari nonna drying pasta on the sidewalk

Cries of "over-tourism" are buzzing around Italy these days with Instagram photos of crowds blocking the way into Rome's Trevi Fountain or human traffic jams in Positano and the Cinque Terre.

The answer for those who want to avoid this scene: Look towards  Italy's "third tier" cities  such as Bari or Sulmona, a mountain town in the Abruzzo region where my husband and I stopped recently on our way to and from visiting relatives.

Spend the night at a B&B instead of a hotel, and join the neighbors for an espresso on the curb outside their house that doubles as front porch, as we did in Bari. Or enjoy breakfast on a  rooftop overlooking snow-capped mountains, as we did in Sulmona. 

Famous sites might be scarce, but serendipity awaits. You might be invited to join in a  local feast day celebration,  or be waived onto a bus by a driver even though you don't have a ticket.

The statue of St. Nicolas

We were familiar with Bari's devotion to St. Nicolas (remembered as Santa Claus for the good deeds he did for children), the former 4th century Orthodox Catholic bishop of Myra, Turkey, from a previous visit. His relics are held in a crypt below the Basilica of St. Nicolas where a special chapel has been set aside for Orthodox worshipers who look towards icons rather than statues in prayer. 

An icon of St. Nicolas on its way to a parade in Bari

On this visit, we happened to arrive at the start of a three-day festival commemorating the arrival of the saint's remains in Bari in 1018 when Italian sailors spirited his body away from Myra for fear of muslim desecration. 

Locals wait for the parade to start from Bari's 10th-century castle built by a Norman king

We were invited to join in the fun as hundreds of locals dressed in homemade medieval costumes paraded from the town center to the waterfront where the next day a statue of St. Nicolas would be put on a ship for a boat parade, followed by fireworks, a light show at the basilica and the arrival of dozens of food trucks.

Abruzzo

Moving on from Puglia, our destination was L'Aquila, Italy's Capital of Culture for 2026. L'Aquila was devastated by an earthquake in 2009 which destroyed much of the historic center and displaced thousands of people.

It's comeback story is impressive, although incomplete, with major renovations of churches and historic sites ongoing. Our plan was to spend a couple of days there exploring, but first, a detour by train to Sulmona.

Sulmona's 13th-century aqueduct

If Sulmona was in Tuscany, it might be overrun with tourists, but the town, known for its sugar-coated almond candies that appear at every Italian wedding, is hidden deep in the mountains of one of the country's least-visited regions.

The old town is a delightful mix of medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture, with a blend of history and modern charm. Actor George Clooney, drew attention to Abruzzo when parts of the movie "The American" were filmed in Sulmona in 2010.

The walk from the train station to our B&B in the historical center looked doable on a map, but the route was all uphill along a busy road with no sidewalks. We flagged down a bus, and seeing our suitcases, the driver waived us on even though we had no ticket  The bus was headed to a nearby town, but he was passing through Sulmona, so he dropped us off near the main square and its 13th century aqueduct.

From there it was a short walk, uphill again, to the B&B Il Marchese Del Grillo where the energetic owner, Marta, welcomes guests into antique-filled rooms in a restored 18th-century mansion.

Our room was two flights up from the entryway. The rooftop breakfast room was another six flights higher. The reward for this was a 360-degree view of the snow-capped Apennine mountains, and a made-to-order breakfast of croissants, scrambled eggs, prosciutto, fruit and local cheeses.

Sulmona with the Apennine mountains in the background

If you have ever attended an Italian wedding, you were probably given a bag of white sugar-coated almonds, called confetti. Chances are they came from Sulmona and Confetti Mario Pelino which has been producing them since 1783, now in its 7th generation of family owners. 

Edible confetti floral arrangements 

Copper basins are used to coat the almonds with layers of sugar

A walk outside the old town to its factory is a must-do pilgrimage to buy the candies, now sold in bright colors and some coated in chocolate and crafted in the shape of flowers. There's a free museum filled with antique equipment, and a viewing platform looking down on the factory where almonds are coated with layers of sugar in rotating copper basins. 

Almost any festive occasion in Italy calls for a brass band. While sitting at an outdoor cafe, we were lucky to catch a rehearsal for the graduation of new police recruits planned for the next day.

A member of the police band takes a rest

Led by a female commander wielding a sword, the recruits, wearing blue berets and holding machine guns, marched by in formation while a band of drummers, tuba and trumpet players led the way to where the ceremony would take place.

 "It's going to be crazy," our waiter told us. All the cafe tables were already reserved for the next afternoon. But for now, we had front-row seats. We ordered another glass of wine, and sat back to soak up the scene.