Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

Taking the Water Taxi across the Harbor in Brindisi, Italy

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

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Brindisi has a beautiful palm-lined walking street along their famous harbor.

We had just finished strolling along the Appian Way, down the Via Colonne and we visited inside the centuries-old Cathedral located there.

We even did some day sailing and had a good meal at one of the many restaurants lining the harbor.

Today we were taking the ferry across the inner port to have a look at the monument dedicated to the sailors who have lost their lives in various wars in this city.

For pocket change, we bought tickets and the ferry took us to the other side.

Inside the ferry

The entrance to the ferry is shown on the right of this photo where the sunlight is streaming through. It was another beautiful day in Brindisi, and we were looking forward to going across the little bay here and seeing what was there.

The green boxes on the wall above the Life float are where we purchased our tickets. We just put our Euros in, clicked the buttons for 2 tickets and out they came!

Behind the wall is where the captain is driving the ferry.

Photo of our tickets

As you can see here, our tickets cost $2.20 Euros each, just a pittance.

The ticket machines were easy and clear to use.

Very efficient!

Inside the ferry looking out the windows

As you can see, the ferry is clean and offers many seats for passengers.

This commuter boat is used both by tourists and by those who work on one side of the harbor or the other.

Although I could not find an official schedule, we observed that it left very regularly, about every 20 minutes.

Palm-lined malecon

Here we are, pulling away from the walking area and heading on to the other side.

As you can see, it's a beautiful morning, and the port itself is very clean.

Restaurants and historical buildings line this walkway.

Historical buildings and Roman Column

From this vantage point you can see the long stairs that lead to the Roman Columns signifying the end of the Appian Way. Behind the columns is the Via Colonne, an attractive road lined with 17 and 18th century palaces, and it goes right past the city's Cathedral.

To the left of the Roman Column is a cream colored building with black shutters. This is the Palazzo Montenegro, a 16th century palace and is a prime example the Baroque architecture in Brindisi.

Brindisi is a truly beautiful historic city.

More historical buildings along malecon

We are almost to the other side of the inner harbor, so you can see it's not very wide.

To the right in the photo you'll see white tents that cover outdoor seating at a restaurant on the water. It's so lovely to eat in one of these seaside places - such a view and the weather was consistently good while we were there.

Such a change from our weather experience in Lecce.

But then people have complained about the weather for centuries, right?

The Fan Tail of the Ferry

The ride wasn't long, maybe 10 minutes, and the ferry landed.

We were let out on the sidewalk with the view of where we left. We could stay as long as we wanted of course, to walk around this side of the town and perhaps have lunch.

When we landed, people were already waiting in line to take the ferry back to the other side of the inner harbor.

Military Naval Ship

We walked around and saw the monument to the sailors as we had planned.

We didn't pursue this side of the harbor much, preferring to have our lunch at one of the outdoor restaurants lining the water.

In this photo you see us coming back to the main malecon and these military naval ships were docked here.

For centuries, ships have been in this harbor, whether it was the Romans, the Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Lombards, and Saracens, or during World War II by the British and Canadians.

The end of the Appian Way

We are returning from where we started, and from the water this gives a good view of the steps and columns marking the end of the Appian Way.

You will see the word "Pace" written between the columns, which is the Latin word for Peace.

After all this harbor has endured over centuries of invasion and war, and after what the peoples of this town have gone through... Peace is an appropriate message for all to see.

_______

Phone numbers for the Port Authority and First Aid Station

Brindisi Port Authority: +39 0831 562650649, +39 0831 414423, +39.083121022,  +390831562650

Port first Aid station: 0831/590220 - 0831/590401

Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

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