hi blej,

fabulous report - thank you so much for sharing your enthusiasm with us.

i am particuarly interested in Puglia because a friend in the italian class I do has a house in Puglia which she has kindly said we may rent some time - you have prompted me to follow her up with this.

she and her family usually fly to milan then bet an internal flight to Bari. would you recommend the way you did it instead? [we can get flights to Milan and Rome from Bristol with easyjet].

looking forward to more,

regards, ann

Hi Flame123 - the synagogue was a moving experience. I asked my wife how she felt and she related that she felt an emotional connection which started when we realized Via La Giudea referred to where the Jews had lived. She said she felt at home.

Irinel - 25 people. That's got to be quite a logical task. One thing's for sure - no matter what or where you'll eat well.

Annhig - Had we known more of the region we would have still flown into Naples to go to Amalfi, but would have flown back from Bari to avoid the drive back to Naples and to have an extra day in Puglia.

dedec - I would suggest you start a new topic as you will get many more replies and recommendations - and I don't know enough to help. The Locanda is an excellent hotel to visit Matera from.

It was a busy weekend. I'll try to write the next day's report tomorrow. thanks for reading

THE MASSERIA

Day 8 - The Locanda put out a wonderful spread for breakfast but we ate light. We had felt stuffed after eating so much in Amalfi and were now finally coming a little more into measure. The food is so good its hard its hard to resist.

The hotel brought our car and it was an easy ride out of the sassi and onto the main roads. We had charged the GPS and followed its directions onto a lovely back road toward Gioia del Colle. It was a lovely day and there was virtually no one on the road. This was the exact opposite of driving on the AC coast. We took our time and enjoyed the scenery. As we got nearer Alberobello the trulli were popping up everywhere like weeds. Some were simple, rugged, unpainted with a small chimney on the side; others had been incorporated into more modern buildings – even in the midst of a town. Some were a little bit bigger, older and had strange, white, ancient like markings on them. The ones that had the most impact on me were groups of about five older looking ones in a field. You could sense life at a very different time.

The route took skirted Alberobello and brought us through part of the forest of Fasano. It was the first time we saw anything that looked like a North American forest with large stands of trees. At some point we made a wrong turn and ended up ascending along the edge of steep hill and into a residential area. The GPS would tell us to make a left turn, then recalculate and repeat the instruction. This was impossible as we would have had to drive off the cliff. Finally we ignored it completely and followed the signs to Fasano and the to route 16, on which the masseria in Ostuni was located. As we got closer to Ostuni we started to see signs for masserie more frequently and olive trees that weren’t the slender trees planted in beautiful rows we had seen before but now were old and huge and gnarled and twisted in the most amazing shapes.

We had booked two nights at Il Frantoio after reading about it everywhere we looked – online or in print. Lonely Planet listed it as one of the “Famous Five” best eating experiences in Puglia. Other places said if you can get to one of their dinners – go!. When we contacted them and asked about a dinner they told us they were going to have an organic eight-course medieval lunch on April 3rd. So we booked the stay and now had to get there by 12:30 for a tour and a 1:30 lunch. We pulled into their drive with a minute to spare. We needn’t have rushed. We were shown our room and then to a beautifully laid out table in the courtyard where we were served a fruit drink and a plate of hors d'oeuvres.

Il Frantoio is a fully functioning farm that produces extraordinary olive oils and liquors. The farmhouse itself is a sixteenth century structure with rooms that were added in the 1800s – the guest rooms. Each room and indeed the whole masseria is decorated with very fine antiques and the most interesting items – many related to the place, the area or life from different ages. We stayed in the ‘camera dell agrumeto’ which looks out at the lemon and orange orchard and which, I believe is the only room with a balcony. The only shortcomings are a tiny shower and a few overly religious pictures over the bed. All rooms share this except ‘camera degli sposi’, which has no view but has a tub.

As we were enjoying our refreshments a group of about 15 or more bicyclists arrived. They were from all over the world and had been travelling by bike together for many years. They had come for the lunch. We were given a tour of the villa, the garden and the old olive presses in the cave under the building. It was then time for lunch. The two-wheelers were seated all together at a long table in one room and, in a smaller room, my wife and I at one table, another couple from Germany who had just arrived in a camper at another, and three young women who were staying the night at a third. The German gentleman had received the lunch as a gift from his colleagues at work. They had to leave right after the meal to catch a ferry on their way home. One of the three women was on a wine tasting trip for an Italian magazine. Each of the small tables had a bottle of white and a bottle of red wine.

The first few courses of the lunch were served with a very fine white: Giancola 2006, Malvasia Bianca, Tenute Rubino from the Salento, heel, part of Puglia.
> Lunch began with scherzo di cucina con pate di lampascioni – little breads with pate of wild onions;
> Pure di fave con papaveri – pureed fava beans with poppy leaves and Il Frantoio olive;oil.
> Orzotto con zucca e zucchine – Barley with pumpkin and zucchini;
> Gamberi in pastella con crema di peperoni al piccante- Shrimp in batter with a lightly spicy pepper cream;
> Laganari agli odori dell’orto con asparagi selvatici – hand made “Laganari” pasta with garden flavors and wild asparagus.

The next courses were served with an excellent Aglianico biologico 2006, IGT Puglia, Antica Enotria from near Foggio.
> Granatine e polpette alla “Malvasia” su patate velo al timo – “Granatine” meatloaf and meatballs with Malvasia wine on potatoes like a veil and thyme and olive oil;
> Insalata mista con fiori di Giuda – Mixed salad with Judas tree blossoms.

Finally we were served some of their Rosoli, a liquor made from olive leaves. Coffee and pastries were put out by the fireplace so we could mingle while they cleaned up. The meal was delicious and an event. Each course was lovingly prepared and presented. Everything was simply prepared with the flavors of the ingredients doing all the work. (I don’t mean to imply by simply prepared that it wasn’t time consuming. I made some pureed fava beans this past weekend, minus the poppy leaves, and it took a long time.) Photographs were being taken all through the meal at every table as everyone wanted to remember what they had eaten. We took what was left of our red wine back to the room and then went for a walk through part of their 150 acres. We just followed the farm dog and meandered through the centuries old trees taking pictures of these most amazing creatures.

In the evening we went down the road to Ostuni. We parked the car and walked around trying to find the old part of town. Finally we saw it and couldn’t believe we could have missed it as it is very large, painted white and up high. As we did everywhere, we just followed our nose up and down the narrow curving alleyways not knowing where we were and not caring. There was something different about this town. I don’t know if it was the Greek influence in architecture, the smells of the food or what it was. I was sorry to have only explored for about an hour and a half, but we were tired and wanted to relax. Back at the masseria we weren’t hungry and just noshed on a few items we had with us and had a little more wine. We read in one of the “living rooms” and then called it a night.

hi blej,

do you have a link to this marvellous place?

regards, ann

Blej:

I just returned from Piemonte and have to say that this report makes me want to pack my bags this instant. I think that your sensibility, your writing and your attention to detail are astounding! And of course I like the focus on food and wine! I can't wait to read more--and I hope there are many more days left!

The driving does sound a bit off-putting; you are very brave to tackle all that and with a good sense of humor, too!

Is this the masseria?

http://www.masseriailfrantoio.it/pag.../home_eng.html

Hi ekscrunchy - welcome back. I'll bet you had a great time and look forward to your report on Piemonte. As for driving -if you're a driver you get used to it quickly; (I've been driving an older Porsche for over 35 years)if you're at all timid in tight places the AC or any hill town is not for you - Naples is not for anyone. The key is to have a small car and not to be intimidated by cars behind you wanting to pass - let them pass. Some of the larger cars will not be able to make the tight switchback turns without going into the oncoming lane.

Ann - ekscrunchy has it right - the link to their site is: http://www.masseriailfrantoio.it/pag.../home_eng.html

The cost was 88 euro per person per night and the lunch feast was 55 euro each and included two bottles of wine per table. It is also perfectly located, being close to trulli country, the Salento and the Taranto area. Lovely people and more than willing to help as you'll hear in the next installment. I wish we had had more time.

THE VALLE D’ITRIA

Day 9 - Breakfast at Il Frantoio was another wonderful Italian spread of homemade pastries, fruit, cereals, breads, cheeses and meats, etc – probably the best we had on our trip - certainly the most comfortable setting. After breakfast we took off to visit a few towns. We drove through Cisternino and Locorotondo without stopping and made it to Alberobello. This, of course, is the trulli town. The whole old part of town is made up of trulli, the church, the stores, the houses all trulli. It is pretty amazing and you can't help but take pictures. We had arrived reasonably early so there were not many people out yet. As we passed each opening the storekeeper would come out and give their little speech to entice us to come in. At one point we entered a shop that had extremely fine linens. I knew I was in trouble the minute we entered as my wife loves fine fabrics. We spent quite a bit of time as the storekeeper pulled out ever finer examples and extolled their virtues. She had silk sheets woven with a damask pattern or woven with patterns of flowers,600-800 euro each sheet; a table covering that was hand-woven silk netting with hand embroidered silk flowers – over a thousand euro. We purchased a very fine cotton and linen bedspread at an admittedly excellent price and then pulled my wife out before the shopkeeper showed her any more. “Bottega Del Tessuto Artigianale, Via Monte S. Michele 70”.

We explored a little more in the side streets, but by then the streets were filling with tourists and it had started raining so we left Alberobello. I had originally hoped we could visit Locorotondo, Cisternino and Martina Franca, but it was clear we had to leave out one so we headed for Martina Franca. Valley d'Itria is full of rolling hills and beautiful vistas and a delight to drive. Martina Franca was the most elegant of the towns we visited. The buildings had large impressive iron or wood doors, beautiful wrought iron balconies and iron decorations. the streets were wider and the town is more flat than others. We very much enjoyed walking around. We were very hungry and wanted to find a restaurant recommended in one of the guide books. We asked an elderly man who walked with a cane for directions. He spouted out a list much too fast for me to understand so we just set out in the direction of his first instruction. As we really didn’t know where we were going he kept catching up to us and yelling for us to turn this way or that. Eventually he pointed down a narrow street and said the restaurant was there. We didn’t find it and asked another gentleman. He said we were at the right address but we couldn't find the restaurant and decided it must have gone out of business. As we were reading the menu of another one he came over and said the food was very good – so we went in. Piazzetta Garibaldi (Piazza Garibaldi 17/18) is a lovely restaurant in a very old building. On the main floor you could make out the large back door which was used to bring in the wagons and the animals and the large trough where they ate - which was right next to our table.

We ordered our usual bottle of water, bruschette and a half bottle of Primitivo, which was recommended, the antipaste di la casa, a pasta with tomato, eggplant, and ricotta and an order of pasta with mushrooms and sausage. For desert we had two coffees and a torte with candied fruit. The pastas were excellent but the antipasti was just superb. Eight courses were brought out one at a time:
Mozzarellini Burratine – small burrata
Scamozzine alla Brace – grilled scamorza cheese
Parmigiana di melanzone
Pizza di Patate
Verdure Grigliette
Verdure Cotte
Capocollo e Caliocavallo – two specialties of Martina Franca – a cured meat from between the head and shoulder and mashed broad beans and wild vegetables
Mertimese – I only have a vague memory of four small delicacies.
Total for lunch was 44.5 euro. We were a long way from the car and we took our time getting back.

In some way all the whitewashed towns share a similar general look, they’re old and have narrow winding roads, but it was immediately obvious when we entered Cisternino, which is only nine kilometers from Martina Franca, that we were in a different town – one with very different influences (Greek). The winding roads were more winding and narrower, the iron work was more elaborate with more gentle curves and tendrils and the buildings had narrow arched doorways and curved staircases. The smells were also different as in Cisternino they sell grilled meats at shop windows. We did our usual wandering until we realized we were tired and headed back to Ostuni.

We had eaten lunch late and that evening we were only interested in a light snack. We asked girl at the masseria if we could bring some food into the breakfast area and eat there. She said, “of course” and that she would set a place for us. We drove to Ostuni looking for a deli to buy some salumi and cheese. As we approach the city we came to an area that had an unobstructed view of old Ostuni. It was all lit and glowed beautifully high up on its hills. We entered the town and were careful not to make any wrong turns as we did the night before when we turned off the main road and found ourselves having to drive straight up a very steep hill and turn down the most narrow passageways with cars parked on both sides. We had to pull in the side mirrors and crawl past. So we stayed on the main street and went into the first store that was open. It was a very modest corner store that sold everything from soap to soup. It wouldn’t have been our first choice but we weren’t in a mood to search further and didn’t want to enter the main part of town. So I selected a variety of salumi and cheese and left. The storekeeper wouldn’t sell me bread, indicating that it was no longer fresh.

When we returned to Il Frantoio we met with a most pleasant surprise – a most beautiful table was set for us. There were flowers, fruit, bread, water, olives and more all set with cloth napkins and place mats. With the wine we still had we enjoyed a mini feast. We couldn’t thank her enough.

Blej: The descriptions of the food are tantalizing. It is truly amazing to consider the enormous variation between the regions of Italy with regards to food. For example, Piemonte might as well be another country when I compare the food we just ate with that which you enjoyed in Puglia/Campania.

I also like that you are including the shopping details!

One of the dilemmas I have had when contemplating a visit to Puglia (my usual travel partner will only take one week and not one day more) is the difficulty of finding one base from which to meander. But from your report, I see that Ostuni would make a good base for exploring at least the central part of the region....based on what you write, I have to move Puglia up on my "future" list, although all that maneuvering along the narrow lanes and tucking in the mirror does give me pause! Please continue!


Also--it sounds as if you chose the perfect time of year to explore, as long as one does not want to do any beach/swimming--do you agree?

ekscrunchy - remember that most of the hard driving was on the Amalfi Coast. Any city can be confusing but we didn't ask for directions, relying on the GPS. Had we asked the hotels in Trani and Matera beforehand and gotten instructions it would have likely been easy. What you gain in freedom and great views more than makes up for the difficulties.

We very much enjoyed the relative emptiness of the towns as neither one of us likes crowds. The two drawbacks were: a greater chance of rain and that we were about two weeks before the flowers would bloom. Amalfi and most of Puglia are at about the same latitude as NY although they are about two to three ahead in blooms. I would imagine the perfect time would be just after Easter. However, just before the prices are less.

With a car and/or a driver I would think someplace near the Gargano and Ostuni would make good bases. As much as we like to stay in one place, we usually end up moving around a bit. With a car its not too bad. We just need to learn how to pack a little better so we don't have to bring suitcases into each one night stand.

Blej: Thank you! My interest is deepening. I still say that you deserve credit for not getting ruffled (like SOME people I know) about the driving!

Coincidentally,the new (May, 2009) Saveur magazine has an excellent article on Matera that mentions Locanda di San Martino and the Latteria Rizzi. I think you will enjoy reading and seeing the photos; much mention is made of the fantastic peppers from Basilicata.

I

blej - LOVING your report!! It is taking me back to my own trip just exactly two years ago now!!

We chose to skip Il Frantoio because we thought it too expensive but from your ravings and other things we have since heard and read, I am hoping I can convince my husband otherwise, if we ever return. Sounds like a truly marvelous place.

We also loved the elegance of Martina Franca. I did not find the driving difficult in Puglia at all. But I must say that we did not enter deeply into the small towns, with the exception of Trani where we stayed right in town. It was actually the easiest driving I had yet in Italy, having driven before in Tuscany and Umbria.

The food of Puglia is indeed enticing and delicious. Piemonte - have not been there yet and can't wait to read your report ekscrunchy!!! Welcome back.

Bravo!! I missed this earlier so am glad it came up again! I loved your report and am tantalized by descriptions of sassi.

The little structures you saw on the road may have been mini-shrines to people who died there or nearby.

More, more!

Thanks, Flame..I will begin the report within the week.

Meanwhile I am loving this one! Please do not miss the new Saveur with the photos of the food in Matera..the best thing for us is that the ingredients are available in the US (ok, I know they will not be the same...but there are some great-looking recipes including one with pasta, bread crumbs and those DOP dried peppers she discusses in the article, available in New York City and by mail order from DiPalo on Grand Street)

http://www.saveur.com/article/Food/P...d-Bread-Crumbs

hi blej,

how did you find out about the lunch at masseria - the website doesn't really mention anything except lunch. teh whole place looks gorgeous.

I love the foody details too - fancy a baker here refusing to sell you bread because it's not fresh!

you have really whetted my appetite for all things puglian.

regards, ann

bookmarking to read later - great report - thanks so much for writing!

annhig - I called the masseria to see if they had a meal planned during the time we would be in Puglia. When they told us the date for lunch we booked the date and planned the rest of the our time around it. In the off season they are infrequent. I would guess that by now they are offering lunch and dinner very frequently. As they say themselves the farm revolves around the kitchen and in particular around their amazing olive oils. I didn't mention this earlier but each course featured a different olive oil.

By the way the Lonely Planet's "puglia and Basilicata" is an excellent guide and the one that lists them in their top five.

ekscrunchy - I just purchased the new Saveur and very much enjoyed the article. Its alway fun to "extend" the vacation by reading, drinking and eating what was just experienced. I was happy they also mentioned Le Botteghe where we had dinner. It is a large restaurant and lovely inside. For those interested in cooking I would recommend, "Puglia, A Culinary Memoir" by Maria Pignatelli Ferrante - available from Amazon. It is written first-hand in a way that weaves the history of the region, life in a peasant home years ago when the area was very poor, the changes that took place and 265 traditional recipes. That's where I got the recipe for the pureed fava beans.

Since we returned I have found fava beans, fresh burrata that you can order 40 minutes ahead of time and a dozen wines from Campania, Puglia and Basilicata in Arthur Ave. in the Bronx; my local wine store is already clearing space for Campanian whites and some Aglianicos. The peppers from DiPalo's sound like a much.

Good news about the local products! I will investigate the cookbook; I hope we can try different recipes and share our experiences here! I will pick up the peppers next time I visit DiPalo.

You are truly a man after my own heart in that you planned your Puglia stay around the lunch at the masseria!

Eagerly awaiting more Pugliese adventures!

LAST FULL DAY IN ITALY

Day 10 - Even though we were the only overnight guests and thus the only ones for breakfast a full spread was set out for us. That one little act of service endeared the masseria to us forever. It didn’t take too long to finish packing and we now had a decision to make – to stay in Puglia for the day and sleep somewhere within an hour of Naples airport or to go straight to Naples and see a little of the city. We had a 6:40 AM flight the next day and my wife was concerned about getting up early to make the flight. I was worried about stopping and leaving the de Simone passenger in the backseat while we toured a town. We opted for Naples. We made fairly good time getting to the outskirts of Naples in about 3 ½ hours. The drive to Bari is on the highway and unremarkable, but as you turn towards the opposite coast the views of the land as it changes from the agriculture of Puglia to the mountains of Campania, are wonderful. At one point the giant windmills make their appearance – modern and unbelievably tall – spread all along the tops and sides of the hills. I don’t know how I would feel if I lived there, but they are impressive. Not too much after, as we approached Benevento, we could once again see the small towns on top of the mountains. I could feel the desire to stop and explore – but we continued on.

I had the name of two hotels near the airport and we headed for the first on the list. We couldn’t find it and my wife did not like the neighborhood we were in, so we called the second - Hotel Joyful and stopped in to see what it was like. We were in a bleak industrial neighborhood with nothing pleasant to see anywhere around. However, the hotel itself is very nice – simple, but clean and nice and about 6 or 7 minutes from the airport. We decided to stay there and unloaded our luggage. After a short rest we walked with some trepidation to the train station and boarded for central station. We then started to walk towards the historic part of town. That was a mistake! The neighborhood was filthy, the characters were suspicious (or least we were suspicious of them) and my wife was not happy. We finally made it to a main street with taxis and quickly grabbed one. I asked to be let off at Piazza del Plebiscito, not knowing anything about it except that on the map it looked like it was near historic buildings and the water. We got out and started to explore and look for a place to eat – as usual it was the time that everything was closed. We ended up at the waterfront and bought paninis and beer from a stand and sat down to eat. We spent about an hour avoiding the North Africans who walk right up to you with their jewelry and pressed resin animals and a very insistent sales pitch and talking to a couple from Iowa. He travels to Naples at least once a year and they both love the city and stay at the same hotel facing the water. At their suggestion we walked down Via N. Sauro, around the port to Piazza Vittoria and into the town back to Piazza del Plebiscito where we explored the impressively massive buildings. It started to rain at a good clip so we took a taxi back to the hotel.

I remember reading that some people love Naples and some do not. We didn’t love it. While we were there only for very short time and probably saw only the worst of the city, it did not leave a favorable impression. My wife hated it. The buildings are incredible and I would imagine what they contain in art and history must rival any city – but the graffiti ruined it and the place is just dirty. Worse than NYC ever was. While I would return with someone who knew the city and could guide us, I doubt my wife would. I certainly would never drive in Naples again. The drivers there are just crazy. They ignore traffic lanes, block oncoming traffic and race each other to the intersection from four directions.

We ended our stay ordering some room service to augment the food we still had left over and turned in early. About three–thirty in the morning my wife wakes me up and says the bed is shaking. As there was no one else in the bed but the two of us I told her she was dreaming and to go back to sleep. We didn’t find out until we landed in NY that there had been an earthquake.

Two quick items about the return: the al Italia flight back had an all male crew, which was something I not seen before. They were great. They gave everyone whatever they wanted, put out all the refreshments and snacks in the back and let everyone help themselves and were friendly and joking throughout the flight. It reminded us of flying in the old days – except that the lounge was only a little galley in the back.

The second thing was that I was distracted at Naples security when my wife was pulled aside for hand screening and I left my laptop in the bin and didn’t realize it until I was on the plane. The stewardess spoke to the pilot but there was nothing to be done as they were ready to leave the gate. In Milan I spoke to a young lady at lost and found who told me there was nothing to be done and that no one would want to take responsibility for it. I persisted, told her I knew she could do something for me and called her a few times before leaving Milan and in NY. Two days later I called again and she told me the laptop was located and was being held at Naples security. I went online, found a number and spoke to a wonderful lady who was holding it in her hand as I called. At her direction I called FedEx to pick up the laptop, which she had packed, and two days later I had it in hand. It just highlighted how friendly people are when you’re on vacation – or when you’re home and it hasn’t yet worn off.

All-in-all we had a great time and as always – feel we just scratched the surface of the places we visited. The food in Puglia is wonderful – not only because of the restaurants and their great skill – but because the produce is wonderful, fresh and local and there is great pride in the region to stick to only the finest ingredients and traditional methods. What is just beginning in the US is the culture in Puglia.

In case you’re wondering, the vase made it in one piece.

blej - I was happy to read about the vase making it safely to your home and that your laptop was also returned safe and sound, albeit with some problems at first. Indeed, there are service people and there are service people. If you are lucky enough to get someone who cares, it makes all the difference in the world.

We return from our jaunts to Italy via the Rome airport and I am always disappointed that our last day/night in the lovely Italy always "ruins" whatever grand time we had before whether in Tuscany, Umbria, Puglia, whatever. When we have chosen to stay at the Hilton Garden Inn at the airport, it was OK, but nothing special of course. On our last visit about 6 months ago we stayed at a small B&B close to the airport which was quite awful and unfortunately our last dinner there was also regretful. I guess we need to make many more visits (wink) before we figure out how to keep the wonderful taste of the country in our minds and breath even when in the larger cities. So while I have only been in Naples even more briefly than you (in order to catch the hydrofoil to Capri), I did not like it either. But I imagine, as you write, that given the opportunity to be shown around with someone who knows the areas, etc. we could probably be turned around!!

hi blej -

how lucky about the laptop. it puts my story about DS's errant mobile on the shade.

your comments about driving in Naples reminds me of what my italian teacher [who is from Rome and therefore can be taken to know a bit about crazy driving] said abut driving there. He was in a jam, obviously lost, hemmed in on both sides, when the driver from the car in friont approached and banged on teh window. full of trepidation he wound it down expecting to be robbed or worse, only to find that he was being asked where he was going and being invited to follow to get him onto the right road! LOL. the driver had guessed from where they were in Naples and the no. plate that they were lost and from out of town and wanted to help. so even the italians have misgivings about Naples.

we went there once too, BTW, and found a lovely galleried shopping centre, as well as some of the dirtiest streets and children I've seen, before or since. and I threw up all over the side of the hydfrofoil on the way back to Sorrento!

thanks for for the great report,

regards, ann