Puglia

Exploring its charm

Landing at the airport in Bari felt like arriving home. After three weeks in Eastern Europe, Italy felt so familiar.

We took a direct train into the city, which took a little over half an hour.

From there, a short walk but one that was felt because of the oppressive heat to Palazzo Danisi Rooms & Suites.

A very good alternative for a few days in Bari from where we toured Puglia.

For that afternoon, we had planned a visit to Monopoli. It is reached by train and when we got off we started a walk of about half an hour, well relaxed to its historic center. First we visited the Cattedrale Maria Santissima della Madia, in baroque style. Keep in mind that the basilica closes at noon. We were struck by the sign prohibiting the entrance in bathing suits, because we did not imagine that someone could pretend to enter like that, but when we left, after contemplating the Byzantine icon of the Madonna della Madia, we ran into tourists who came straight from the beach, almost dripping, so we understood the reason for the sign.

We continued walking to Porto antico, the ancient gateway to the city, getting lost in its beautiful pedestrian alleys, admiring its characteristic white stone architecture, until we reached the Castello Carlo V, built in 1500 with an extraordinary view of the Adriatic Sea.

Passing through Vico del Mare, we made our way to Cala Porta Vecchia, where tourists were taking advantage of the seawater to cool off.

Then we decided it was time to sample the rich seafood cuisine, so we sat down at L'ísola che non cé to order a well-touristed Fittura Mulloschi, with a variety of fried seafood, and two Aperol Spritz.

On the way back to the train station we made another stop at a neighborhood pizzeria, full of locals, where we shared an octopus and shrimp sandwich with arugula. Delicious!

For the next day, we had hired a private tour to get to know the icons of Puglia in an efficient way.

We started in Matera, touring its beautiful old town. The town is known for its houses carved into the limestone rock, known as Sassi. These are the prehistoric settlements declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The ancient city grew in height on a hillside, so it is a must to take advantage of the panoramic views offered by its viewpoints.

Then we drive along a highway to Alberobello, with its particular stone architecture with conical or pyramidal roofs.

The driver, yes, because the Italian who was our guide only served as a driver, because he kept talking about himself and ranting against American tourists and bragging about the superiority of Italy, had to drop us off at the Fontana Santa Lucia, in Piazza Giangirolamo II, from where you get a phenomenal view of the whole structure of the roofs so unique.

Tradition has it that their particular conical shape in stone originates from a tax issue, to avoid paying taxes, as they looked precariously shaped, so that they could be demolished in case of inspection and rebuilt. These houses, known as Trullis, became a building tradition and today they are found everywhere in the area.

Certainly, the number of automaton tourists wandering through the small alleys was overwhelming. The heat didn't help either. But the unique beauty of these small Italian villages always ends up conquering hearts, especially if combined with its incomparable gastronomy.

The last stop on the circuit was in Polignano a Mare, with its beautiful historic center overlooking the sea. An ancient fishing village that is booming with thousands of tourists, who come in the summer season to swim in the Adriatic. We got lost in its narrow streets, admiring its beauty, until we reached the Belvedere su Lama Monachile, with its scenic view.

Then, from another viewpoint, we observed the well boxed beach of Grotta Piana, which by then was buzzing with visitors.

Back in Bari, we decided to take a walk along the commercial Via Sparano da Bari to the old town.

First, we sat down at a small table in its alleys, at the rotisserie Lo sfizio del borgo antico, to try the famous panzerotto con polpo, a sandwich with octopus, tomato, lettuce on freshly baked bread and ice-cold Peroni beers.

We continued on our way to Piazza del Ferrarese, passing by the viewpoint of Muraglia di Bari, along the coast.

Another must was to try the foccachia of Panificio Fiore, extraordinary!

With a happy heart, after those delicacies, we set out to visit the Basílica San Nicola, the 12th century Romanesque church, known for its saint, who, according to tradition, gave birth to the celebration of Christmas gifts.

The characteristic of the church is that it served as a place of worship for both Catholic and Orthodox Christians.

We got lost in the little streets of the old quarter and then headed back to our Bed & Breakfast, but we knew we could not end the day without tasting the famous orecchiettes, so we chose a restaurant near our accommodation that we had seen in our previous research, the Mamapuglia. And it was excellent. Seeing the venue full of locals on that hot Friday night, we knew it would be a good choice. And the pasta was obviously very good!

In the morning of our last day in Puglia, we had to fulfill an unfinished business. To meet the Italian women making pasta outside their homes, in the passageways of the old town, in particular, on Via delle Orecchiette, very close to the Castello Svevo di Bari. The scene is very picturesque and has become a must for every tourist strolling through Bari.

We had been told that it is better to get lost in the little streets and buy the pasta in the most hidden corners, since there the pasta makers had a little extra patience with the foreigner. We chatted with one of them and when we saw her predisposition, of course we sat down with her and tried to make the pasta, which in my case was quite a feat, not being good in the kitchen. After that little while we bought the corresponding pasta to take back home and eat it on our way back from such an incredible trip, as an occasion to celebrate, saying goodbye to the eternally beautiful Italy.