For the first of these two linked articles, click here, which covered my overall impressions of the Puglia region on the heel of Italy; this article deals with the specific visits we made during the 4-day trip.
TRANI
Visiting this coastal town north of Bari, we received an introduction to the cultural heritage of the region, including Cathedrals and Churches - both Catholic and Orthodox - as well as the Norman influence on the region. Walking from the market square (with stall-holders offering all regional produce for sale - most markets here feature fruit & vegetables, flowers, sea food and pasta) along by the fortified Norman castle to the coastal wall and impressive cathedral with its tall bell-tower and underground crypts, murals, mosaic floors and ancient copper/bronze door. In fact, this building is really three churches in one, with two being in the crypts and one over-ground
The sea air was whipping up the water, but the breakwater ensured the water inside the harbour was almost flat calm. A stroll along the harbour wall enabled us to get up close to the yachts, pleasure craft and fishing boats, with some small fish for sale, including sardines, bream, eels and monkfish - these small ones are used for preparing a traditional regional fish soup.
Hungry and thirsty, we had a table booked at the Restaurant Il Melograno in Trani for lunch. We were about to discover the extreme Puglia hospitality at first hand; not only is the food based on fresh local produce and regional recipes, but one's hosts present a large number of dishes and large volumes. Along the coast the main focus was seafood - fish shellfish and crustaceans, with meat more the focus inland, served both cold and freshly cooked.
On then to the Castel Del Monte, a unique octagonal structure with 8 rooms/floor built by Emperor Frederick II and dating from the 13th century which is now a World Heritage Site. Standing over 500m above sea level at the top of the hill and offering magnificent views down to the coast and out to sea, it is quite an imposing structure with an inner courtyard, but unfortunately all the interior marble had been removed centuries ago.
Dinner was at the Hotel Palace (the largest in the town) back in Bari, with seafood and pasta washed down by some excellent Italian white and red wine, before retiring to our spacious and airy rooms for a decent kip after the early morning start and a packed itinerary on Day #1.
OSTUNI
Day #2 saw up on the road by 8am for a drive south along the coast road and fertile land with mainly olive groves and vineyards - while some grapes are grown for wine, most vines are covered and are for table grapes.
A walk through the narrow streets of Ostuni with pristine exposed stonework and white-washed walls, as well as potted plants providing greenery and colour on the building's balconies throughout the quaint town, with dozens of cafés and restaurants showing how popular this is for relaxing, socialising and dining on summer evenings.
The minibus then took us inland to the Valle d'Itria for a ride by horseback through the olive groves at the Parco di Mare. All the mounts were docile, so no unexpected dismounts. then to the Masseria Oasi San Giovanni where a magnificent lunch was prepared from bread, cheese, cold meats and much more, all from the locality.
LOCOROTONDO
Locorotondo is known for its magnificent views over the Itria Valley, and out first glimpses of strange round stone buildings with conical rooves, the trulli. These were used for dwellings by wine-growers and were unique in that they did not rely on any form of cement, but were entirely dry-walled, and also that the outside rooves hand a separate interior ceiling that formed an early form of air conditioning as they kept them cool during summer and warm during winter. Most now are white-washed inside and out; the shape at the apex designated the owner's family, etc.
TENUTA MONACELLE
Some of us, including yours truly, were lucky with the draw and got the unique opportunity to sleep in a trulli that night, at the rural resort of Tenuta Monacelle, where we also dined at the rustic restaurant. The ONLY downside to staying in a trulli was that the thick stone walls did not allow any wifi signal to get through, but the resort bar had both a strong wifi signal and a great menu of wines and grappa. A morning stroll amongst the cherry orchard of 900 trees in blossom was a great start to the day.
ALBEROBELLO
With hardly a cloud in the sky, photographs of the centre of the trulli universe, Alberobello - a Unesco heritage site - allowed much contrasts of blue and white. Their origins are thought to have both Greek and Byzantine influences, but the modern ones are from the 15th century.
CASTELLANA GROTTE
Discovered in 1938, the Grottes de Castellana comprise stalactites, stalagmites, columns and curtains, with a 1km and a 3km from which to choose a guided tour, available in a multitude of languages. Not too dissimilar to the Grottes de Han half-way to Brussels, these subterranean caves are a fascinating place to explore.
CONVERSANO
Then on to a participatory cookery demonstration-cum-lesson and meal of the results at the Dire Fare Gustare in Conversano - a rustic farm that was completely renovated by its present who now delight in culinary tourism - starting with focaccia with tomatoes and olives, to a Cavatelli dish of fried mushrooms and diced bread, to one with bread-balls with a light tomato sauce in pasta prepared and cooked there and then, to fruit biscuits for dessert. All the ingredients used they grown in their self-contained masseria, just like in years gone by - a masseria was a type of communal farm project.
POLIGNANO
To walk off the results of our labours, we had a walk through Conversano itself which also boasts a Norman castle, beofre heading back down to the coast to Polignano, with the town of white-washed buildings built atop a cliff of limestone rock which was being eroded by the power of the sea, with Casemates-like caves underneath.
BARI
Back to Bari and the Palce Hotel, but not before a last (again, substantial) dinner at the nearby Restaurant Giampolo. Day #4 was relaxing with a tour through the city on tousist tricycles with pedal-guides, tasting fresh focaccia again, as well as seeing some of the city sights, including the basilica - serving both Orthodox and Catholic - with its incredibly ornate ceiling. With a population of 320,000, it is over 2,000 years old which explains why the streets are so narrow, and then there is the new part of the city which started to emerge as recently as 200 years ago. The old city walls and castle are very impressive indeed, and imposing too, with the guide also talking about the region's saint, St Nicola, who was dark skinned, probably from Turkey. An interesting statistic is that in the old city alone, there are no less than 27 churches.
I hope that I have been able to convey that the time is ripe for Puglia to be properly discovered, and before the tourism industry in the region starts to explode. Yes, it gets very hot in August, so my advice would be to go sometime other than during the height of summer. Where we went and I have described above hopefully serves as a flavour of what is on offer; from this menu one can take one's pick, with so many other things to do and see too.
How to get there: twice-weekly flights to Bari by Luxair (Sundays and Wednesdays), with a fly-drive highly recommended. See www.luxair.lu.
To see the entire photo album,, click here.
Photos by Geoff Thompson
