Bari, Puglia

[joizy]

Hey guys! I've gotten so much useful advice here, this is my attempt to give back a little.

This might not be the most useful post, but it's my trip report for what it's worth.

I spent a month in Bari, and it was the perfect base for me to explore Puglia and Southern Italy. I had a really nice Airbnb that was about 18 minutes walk from the station, away from the tourists, and in a nice residential area.

I tried to meet guys on Grindr. I was willing to pay, but hoping for other options.

I really didn't think my prospects were good since I was on the verge of 65 (am now 65) and I've gained about 30 pounds since COVID. But, I was pleased to find that there are people who are looking for someone just like me. Unlike here in the US, where it's rare, there were quite a few guys who were looking for mature, and also fat guys. The problem for me was they were not my type.

I discovered this early on when I met up with a guy who said he was a bottom looking for an older top. I told him I didn't think it would work out, but he said he was also a good top. He sent some pics and was cute and had a nice cock.

When I met him, I discovered that his face pic was probably about 10 years old, and his dick pic was either enhanced or not his. I'm not a fan of sucking smaller cocks, and he also wanted me to massage his feet but they smelled really bad. I was absolutely regretting going forward with this once we started, but fortunately, I was able to get him to come quickly. He left and blocked me on Grindr (saved me the trouble).

I changed my profile saying I was looking for conversation exchange. I figured I'd rather meet people to practice Italian with, who would show me around, than try to find guys to have sex with. I still got a lot of guys hitting me up looking for sex, but my main focus was conversation exchange and if they were hot, I was open to more.

I met one nice guy who took me out several times - twice to a restaurant, and once to Matera, in Basilicata, a must-visit place that was too hard for me to do on my own. We had good conversation exchange. But he wanted more. I gave him a BJ once, and that was enough for me. I didn't want to make it seem like I was leading him on, so I stopped contacting him. He definitely was interested, but was just not my type.

When I took day trips that put me on the radar of guys outside of Bari, often new guys would hit me up. One guy sent a really hot dick pic, and then his face pic. He seemed married and really horny. He talked dirty to me a lot. I decided to rent an Airbnb for a few days in Barletta, near where he was, to see if we could hook up. Once I was checked in, I let him know I was there, and my phone blew up. He went on forever about all of the things we would do together.

The next day we had plans to meet. He asked me if I wanted him to bring a friend. I wasn't thrilled with the idea, but I finally gave in. He was so excited.

When he got there, his friend was an older guy, not particularly my type, but hot in an older straight guy kind of way. We all stripped and his friend immediately began playing with my ass. I started sucking both of them. The friend's cock was nice and thick. The other guy was average. I guess the photos he sent were not his. But it was okay. It had really been a long time since I'd been fucked, and they were the perfect size. It didn't take either of them very long to cum. It was weird, rushed, and hot.

My final weekend, a guy hit me up early on Sunday. He was very interested in getting sucked off. His photos looked hot. He eventually made his way to my place (after going way out of the way) and I started sucking him. It was sort of hot and then he asked if I minded if he snorted. I should have said I didn't want him to, but I said yes. I then realized he was high when he got there and that's why he never fully got hard. After he did two lines, it was useless. Eventually he figured out I wasn't into it, and left. I added "no drugs" to my profile, for what it was worth.

I met one escort who wanted 100 euros, but I eventually lost interest in him. He was Cuban/Italian and had a nice dick, but by that point in my trip, I was becoming suspect of the photos.

The only guy I was actually turned on by was a guy from Bari who lived in Milan and was there for the weekend. We met up and talked for a few hours before going out for panzerotti. He had sent me his dick pics and it was magnificent. He was also very handsome. He was totally my type, but nothing happened. I don't know if I should have made the first move, but it was early on in the trip and I hadn't fully absorbed this attraction to guys like me.

As I was nearing departure, a really hot guy from Calabria sent me an album. Let's just say he put Calabria on my list of places I'll be going next.

So, if you are going to Bari or Puglia, thinking you'll be having a sex-filled vacation, I think you should reconsider. However, it definitely seems possible if you are open to it, especially if you can host. No issues bringing guys into my Airbnb.

I also used Planet Romeo, but Grindr was definitely where I was getting hit up.

Hope this helps if you're planning on visiting Puglia and are curious about what fun you might have.

 

[floridarob]

3 hours ago, joizy said:

So, if you are going to Bari or Puglia, thinking you'll be having a sex-filled vacation, I think you should reconsider.

Is kind of how I feel about Italy in general....even when I was younger, went to saunas/clubs and was never really exciting. Also in later trips when the apps were around, many experiences like yours.

 

 

3 hours ago, joizy said:

when I met up with a guy who said he was a bottom looking for an older top. I told him I didn't think it would work out, but he said he was also a good top.

Red flag, lol
on Grindr filters, I don't use vers. it's like when the  the drag queens  ask someone their role and they reply vers, the Drag yells BOTTOM..... yeah that's right.

[bkkmfj2648]

8 hours ago, joizy said:

So, if you are going to Bari or Puglia, thinking you'll be having a sex-filled vacation, I think you should reconsider.

Dear @joizy great writeup about your stay in Puglia.

I lived in Italy (Rome) for 12 years and one of the more fun gay places to visit was Gallipoli in Puglia.  Why?  Because of its famous gay beach.

I often had sex on that beach either in the hidden ravines (rock dislevels near the shore) or in the nearby forest.  It was very erotic to do it outside with some of the hot Italians and/or visiting tourists.

I stayed in a nearby gay Bed&Breakfast and I remember there being a gay disco at the beach - so you could get some fun during the day and then later at night outside of the disco on the nearby beach sand under the stars.

https://nomadicboys.com/gay-puglia-travel-guide/

https://www.italygaytravels.com/discover-puglia/gay-beaches/

https://www.gayfriendlyitaly.com/lgbt/lecce/friendly-beaches/spiagge-gay-punta-della-suina-gallipoli-lecce

 

 

[FunFifties]

Thanks for the report. I spend five or six days in Puglia near Bari two years ago. It is a very nice area with interesting sightseeing opportunities that are not as crowded as elsewhere in Italy. I had very limited success hooking-up so the only fun I had there was in the sauna in Bari which was a decent if small place with regular guys of all ages.

My next stop on that trip was Sicily and here the hooking-up was at a much more satisfactory level. I met very nice guys from early 20's to mid 40s in Messina and Palermo, so for a sexier destination you might want to give Sicily, especially Palermo, a try.

Sadly, I share your experience that catfishing is more common in Italy than elsewhere. Twice I experienced a bait-and-switch kind of scam where I would chat with someone on Grindr that appeared to be my type. I would agree to meet somewhere, but then when I arrived the profile would stop responding or dissappear completely and "coincidentally" someone nearby, older, and less attractive would try to get in touch with me on the app.

I love Italian food, culture, history and climate, so if hooking-up was easier it would probably be my favourite European destination

[joizy]

1 hour ago, FunFifties said:

I love Italian food, culture, history and climate, so if hooking-up was easier it would probably be my favourite European destination

Thanks for your comment. Sicily is on my list at some point.

Let's just say, I wasn't going there for the sex, so it wasn't a big deal. I had a great trip and a few adventures. The sauna was far from where I was staying, but it might be worth checking out for those who go.