So what do you do when you are gifted an extra long weekend?
Well, you go to Italy of course! Thanks to school gifting Mrs Y a day in lieu, we grabbed this golden chance to finally have that long weekend in Puglia, Italy.
Our late afternoon flight turned into early evening one thanks to a late arriving flight and combined with the terrible organisation at Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport – just 2 people manning passport control for 3 full planes and no organised queuing system – we finally got to our trulli at 12:15am! With little time to familiarise ourselves with anything, we simply headed straight to bed leaving everything till the morning.
The main reason for the visit was due to Mrs Y seeing a TV programme many years ago that visited Matera, its ancient history was so fascinating that it had stuck firmly in her mind and this was to be our first place to visit.
Fortunately, the day was clear and warm but not too hot for walking around. After many circuitous drives around the city, we finally found a car park just 5 minutes walk from the old town. Within minutes we were in the open square but a little uncertain how to see both the cave houses and the precipitous old town! Turning around we noticed a viewing spot so wandered across to see what it was looking at. It was exactly what we had come for – the old town. It was captivating and exactly what we’d hoped for.
The piazza was busy with a couple of large tourist parties but we walked just a few streets away and found ourselves alone in the labyrinthine streets and its perilous overlooks. We walked to the furthest and highest point of the old town to look across the valley at the troglodyte village (sassi), feeling overwhelmed by the complex history we felt drawn to see it from as many angles as possible.
We risked the possibility of getting lost and wandered back along the narrow uneven stepped paths towards the piazza in search of a drink and a bite to eat, settling in a shady corner for an iced spritz and panzanella. Matera was everything we hoped for and made the trip worth the effort.
Our little trulli was just a few minutes drive from the town of Gioia del Colle and as with most Italian towns it came to life after dark in the evening. We appeared to be the only tourists in town, which was a real treat, and enjoyed strolling the streets with the locals before finding somewhere to eat. We chose a pizzeria in the piazza by the castle but despite being empty the staff were reluctant to offer a table – we love Italy and the Italian way of life, but do find the general disinterested service slightly irritating. Finally, we were given a table and seated by a waitress only to be curtly told, by another waiter, a few minutes later, that we had to move. We did have a good pizza but during the entire time we were there only 2 tables, including us, were occupied and we didn’t feel welcome enough to stay after finishing our meal. Our faith was restored when we wandered through town to a cafe bar on the piazza. This was run by a couple of young men who offered us gelato tasting and even made Mrs Y a tea – in a pot with a china cup!! We returned to this cafe again due to the kind and attentive service.
The other reason for visiting Puglia was to see the trullis. We had chosen to stay in a traditional trulli rather than a sanitised, tourist version but wanted to see more of the trulli towns. We planned a journey through Alberobello and then Locorotondo and on to Ostuni and within minutes the landscape became scattered with trullis in varying sizes and states of repair; the sun-drenched olive groves and vineyards looked like a painting as we drove towards our first stop.
After the difficulties of parking in the other towns we had visited, we were delighted to find an actual car park in Alberobello. It is difficult to describe Alberobello but there was a constant stream of people heading from the car park to the centre, so we followed them. A short distance ahead the street became pedestrianised and the floor was whitewashed (totally blinding in the intense sunlight); tourists swarmed like ants through the narrow cobbled streets admiring the perfectly whitewashed trullis now being used as gift shops and boutique hotels. We wandered to the higher levels of the town and got brief moments of solitude away from the beautiful people trying to catch the perfect Instagram moment without including 500 other tourists! As we wandered back towards the car, we noticed some original trullis tucked up on the hillside. Walking up we found exactly what we’d hoped for – an uninterrupted view over the trulli town with only about 6 other people. It made the trip more than worthwhile.
Our second stop of the day was to be Locorotondo, another trulli town but without the overwhelming crowds of Alberobello. It was an easy trip but on arrival we began circling the town looking for somewhere to park. After 20 minutes – and no obvious sign of the promised trulli – we decided to drive on to find some lunch!
Our final stop was Ostuni – the White City – and we were actually able to find a proper pay car park albeit at the bottom of the steep hill that the city sits on! We parked up intending to spend just a few hours exploring the city and then eat. This plan was quickly discarded as we slowly climbed to the main square; there was a steep staircase with inbuilt terraces leading to the piazza with a view across the rooftops to the sea. The restaurant at the top had relaxed dining sofas and tables on the top terrace, all under large sunshades. The food looked incredible and there was an empty table right in the very centre of the terrace so we decided to set up camp for the afternoon. With no time restriction on the table and a steady flow of excellent food and drink, we embraced the Italian lifestyle and, rather than walk around the town, we sat and people watched until our car park ran out! We knew that this would be the memory we would take home with us. We really fell in love with Ostuni and fully intend to return and hopefully reclaim our spot on the terrace with another cold beer!
Having watched the sea from afar, our salty veins drew us closer so we planned our return trip using a different route. We followed the coast, stopping briefly at Monticelli to walk along the shore. The tiny beach was crowded with locals and the rugged volcanic shoreline couldn’t have been further from the images of pristine Mediterranean beaches you see in the brochures but it was exactly what we hoped for. The waves crashed wildly on the rocks blowing cool spray over us but the clear blue water and cloudless sky proved the perfect end to the day.
We finished off the evening with gelato in the main piazza of Gioia del Colle, watching the groups of middle aged+ men shuffling around drinking coffees and beer putting the world to rights.
Before we knew it we were back at Bari airport, our long weekend was over. We have visited much of Italy, but Puglia was the most beautiful, mainly because it feels totally untouched by outside influences; tourists were only in evidence in the main attractions and for this reason very little English is spoken. The lack of spoken and lack of English tourists filled us with joy although we know this would not appeal to everybody. We spent our drive to the airport planning a return, so Puglia has definitely stolen a piece of our heart.
mrandmrsyoung 