I love Bari. In general, I've found the "deep cuts" in Italy to be way better than the tourist traps. I most recently spent two weeks in rural Sicily where there wasn't much to do and it was fantastic.
English works fine. Get a roaming data plan and use google translate for situations where basic english doesn't cut it. I also print out common phrases and words and try and learn a little bit of the cultural nuances (hand signals, body language etc) which always help break the ice and make communication easier / fun.
