Puglia is a definite "must see" region of Italy!

Wow, we have had several days of amazing sightseeing in the region of Puglia.  On Tuesday, we loaded up the van and drove to the town of Guagnano, not far from Lecce.  We stopped at the Feudi di Guagnano, a local winery.  Of course, it did take a bit of time to find the small place in a village of tiny streets with cars parked everywhere that they were NOT supposed to be.  LOL  We met Alessandro and he gave us a very interesting overview of the wine production in the area of the Salento Peninsula.  The main grapes grown in the area are Negromaro and Primitivo, both very old traditional grape varieties.  We then tasted several of the wines, which all enjoyed very much.  There was also some very tasty local munchies to go along with the wine tasting.  Remember the Italian motto, "no wine without food, no food without wine".  Love it!  Everyone had a good time and learned all about a new wine region.

Then we followed Alessandro into the nearby vineyards. Even though the harvest is over, there were still a few grapes on some of the vines, so it was fun to taste them.  We enjoyed exploring the fields and being out in the country.  Finally, we had to say farewell and continue on our adventures. We headed north along the coast and the water of the Adriatic sea was beautiful.  It was a turquoise blue.  We turned west as we neared the "white city" of Ostuni.  On the way we were surrounded by forests of Olive trees.  Some of these huge trees are over 1000 years old.  Ostuni sits high on a hill overlooking the olive groves and on to the sea. 

We took some time to explore Ostuni and spend a little time shopping.  There are several lovely shops selling local products and beautiful art.  We then drove to our overnight destination located near the town of Alberobello.  Masseria Torricella is one of the many "historic farm centers" found throughout Puglia.  Set in the middle of around 100 acres of olive and fruit trees, it is a lovely place to call home for a few days.  Everyone was happy to settle into their beautiful rooms with views over the surrounding countryside.  Carol and I had rooms in one of the little "casitas" on the farm.  We had our own little "slice of heaven" in the fields.  There was even one of the "truilli" buildings next to us. 

We met for our dinner at the farm and enjoyed a "farm to table" dinner that was delicious.  The setting was also lovely.  There was plenty of delicious food and local wine made by the farm.  It was a perfect ending to a perfect day in the Valle d' Itria. 

On Thursday, we met up with Geo once again for another day tour. We started with a drive through the countryside on the way to the coast and the pretty town of Polignano a Mare.  This was a lovely coastal town and a favorite of most of the group. It is also the home town of the creator of the famous Italian song, "Volare".  There is a huge statue of Domenico Modugno in a piazza by the sea and there were many Italians taking pictures with this native son.  We walked along the coast into the old town.  This is definitely a town where one can truly enjoy the "good life" in Italy.  We stopped for a drink to do just that on a pretty piazza. 

Then we visited one of the most popular and most unusual villages in all of Italy, Alberobello.  This town is known as the home of the "trulli".  The trulli are dwellings that look like they should be in a Smurf village.  They are built of limestone with roofs stacked of stone tiles without mortar.  I cannot really describe what it is like to see hundreds of these pointed structures dating from the 14th century sitting right in the middle of a 21st century town.  This could only happen in Disney World or Las Vegas!  It was amazing!  Geo led us on a walking tour of the town and explained all about the history of the village. We also visited the Cathedral which had some of the most beautiful, as well as unusual stations of the cross that I have ever seen.  Then we stopped by the "Sovrano Trullo" museum to see the only "two story" trulli dwelling.  We also had a delicious lunch at La Cantina, one of the oldest restaurants in town.  Here we enjoyed a lunch of local favorites of the Cucina Povera or simple, poor food.  The restaurant was busy as was the town and several in the group still could not believe that they were not in another world somewhere.

As we headed back to our peaceful "farm hotel", I think all were very happy to have the quiet for a bit.  It was a peaceful evening with everyone meeting at our little "Casitas" for wine and snacks.  This was one of those evenings that everyone dreams of experiencing while on a trip to Italy.  I am so happy that everyone had the chance to be a part of such a wonderful cultural experience.

Yesterday, we said goodbye to our lovely countryside hideaway.  I think it will be hard to top our time in Masseria Torricello.  We drove north for a visit to the "Symbol of Puglia", Castel del Monte.  This 13th century fortress/castle was built by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II.  It commands a stunning position on the barren plains.  We met our guide, Alex who led us throughout the castle and shared the history and "secrets" of the building. 

Afterwards, we went to the neaby Masseria Montegusto for a lunch that was another one for the memory books.  Alex suggested that we stop here for lunch and it was a great recommendation.  Even with limited Italian and English between us all, we sat down to a meal that was amazing!  We had an array of local favorites that were delicious.  Our waitress, Angela was so kind and added to the wonderful experience.  The location of the restaurant was also special with a perfect view of Castel del Monte.

After our perfect lunch we headed south and left the region of Puglia and crossed into the region of Basilicata.  Our destination was the ancient town of Matera.  Our time in Puglia was a memorable one for sure.  I knew that this group would be the perfect one to help me explore this new region.  All have enjoyed every minute of it and I hope that someday you can join me on another tour of "the heel of the boot" in Puglia.  I will try to get more picture posted of our time in the area as soon as I can.  I will see you soon with more updates on our amazing adventures in this new area of Italy.  Ciao, Suzan