Bari, Lungomare Nazario Sauro] - [May 2026] - Bench chat with a girl reading sci-fi

Giving this a shot, even though I know it’s a total needle in a haystack.
Last Sunday around late afternoon, I was sitting on a bench on the Bari seafront (near the Province building) just catching the breeze. Next to me was a girl reading a sci-fi book. We ended up talking completely by chance because we noticed we were both carrying the exact same tote bag from a book festival.
We stayed there chatting for over an hour about everything—books, travel, and we burst out laughing when we realized we both share a visceral hatred for cilantro. She told me she was in Bari for work but took a few days off to travel around Puglia. She mentioned that the day before, she’d been blown away by panzerotti she got from a tiny hole-in-the-wall spot in Bari Vecchia, and that the next day she was catching a train to visit a coastal town famous for its cliffs and a statue of a famous singer.
Right at the best part, her phone rang—it was an urgent work call. She got up, gave me a quick wave, and rushed off. I just sat there like an idiot realizing I hadn't even asked for her name, let alone her socials.