thank you thank you TDK, for sharing a mini-trip report here. PLEASE write a TR when you have time. Thanks for the detail and the info!
May I be as blessed as you are to travel as you do when I am 84!!!

tdk320n -- What WONDERFUL information you have provided.

Visited Polignano a Mare today and liked it very much. We were there in the morning as folks in the Centro storico were setting up for lunch, etc. Nice and quiet, really charming streets and good views of the cliffs and sea. After lunch it got busier, but I still enjoyed the ambiance. Excellent roasted prawns!

When we were done wandering we drove over to Alberello. A swarm of tourists detracted from the experience (where did they all come from?), but the view of the trulli stacked up the hillside was very neat. Worth a glance if you can stand the crowds.

While the ancient sites, the flat open spaces, the local buildings and the miles of olive trees are spectacular. The high point is the people who are very different from northern Italians, so, to enjoy your trip you need to find a method to engage more than on most holidays.

I also like Martina Franca (yet another town with poor looking outskirts and a wonderful old centre) and Gioia del colle, which has both a roman town in the hills around (buy tickets at the Norman castle) and a Norman castle (1100AD) built into the town centre. Gioia is the centre of the buffolo mozzerella industry (have the balls fresh with tomato and basil on a bit of olive oil soaked bread and go to heaven) and they also make a fine chardonnay. You can stay in town but if you get to the south end of the runway (from which we all bombed Libya) you will find http://www.anticoleccio.com/#/Antico-Leccio/ it looks not much fun but we took a bike ride there once and it was wonderful

Oh and Jamikins and Bikerscott write a mean story
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...t-do-italy.cfm

I haven't looked at this thread all weekend because I have been so terribly busy reading and salivating! Seriously! I started reading <b>ekscrunchy, vincenzo's, and bilbo's</b> info. Then as I was reading them, other people on their threads told of their trips to the region, so I'd click on <i>their</i> names and read <i>their</i> reports. Mamma mia! So much to absorb! Thank y'all for kicking off this thread to a great start!

Isabel: Thank you. I will if you will ;-)

Alessandra: You're a sweetheart. Thank you for encouraging me! I just clicked on your name and found your TR. I will get to it by nights end. When my husband said that maybe we should get a car, I beckoned him over and read aloud what you said. My sentiments exactly. Driving works for many, if not most, but certainly not for us all!

TDK: I am SO grateful that you found the names of these drivers! I really want to go to Lecce, drive around like you did, then try to ascertain which one of these towns beckons us the most. We have plenty of nights to stay in quite a few villages. The big question is "where" considering we have so many choices. I will definitely look into the places you stayed. We like to mix up our nights with clean, comfortable rooms at an affordable price and great location, with a splurge place or two mixed in. Thank you SO MUCH! I am also convinced that we should stay in Altamura after your (and others) feedback. Enjoy your stay in Paris, and thanks again for finding those names and numbers!!

aprillilacs: Thank you for your Matera recommendation. Sounds like a great location. I'll check it out.

bilbo: Thankfully, we'll have no trouble with engaging because I speak Italian very well and we're very talkative. Martina Franca is definitely on my radar. I am sure we'll find our way there, and thanks for the additional TR link. What a difference in information available! Back in 2006 I was ready to go to Puglia and started reading up on it, but there was so very little to read about!

Visited Locorotondo today. The centro storico is all white, very charming, super quiet. We loved walking through the lanes, seeing what was around the next corner (another charming lane). Might not hold your interest but it's certainly pretty and worth a visit. Nice small park, too, at the top of the hill, with views down over the trulli-dotted countryside. In fact the countryside is a highlight of the area--much nicer than the towns, in my opinion. An argument for renting a car for at least a few days.

In Locorotondo we had a wonderful lunch of antipasti di casa at Ai Trei Santi, a restaurant in one of the lanes. 14 small dishes, including eggplant 5 ways, fried zucchini flowers and artichokes, shrimp and octopus salad, meats, fresh ricotta and mozzarella...and more--40 euros, with a half bottle of wine, water, coffees, and cookies included. Delicious.

aprillilacs - How are you finding the driving into and parking in all the small towns? Are you mostly finding parking lots or doing on street parking? And have you run into any limited traffic zones? Any place you wish you had not driven into?

Sounds like you are having a great time.

I've not found any ZLDs ( or is it ZDLs, well traffic free zones) but in the older towns the roads can (seldom) be too narrow to drive down or turn. Certainly we have always been able to park, normally on the street or in small public parking areas. Central Lecce (off the main concourse) is pretty tight and certainly found my choice of a Fiat Cinquecento or similar was the right one.

No parking problems at all. We drive close to the Centro and park on the street (if the space is blue we pay at the ticket machine). In Matera we parked in an underground lot next to our b&b off Vivo Fornaci. In Polignano there was a very large, almost empty lot by the cliff, but we took a place on the street just outside the Centro. In Locorotondo we found street parking just down the hill. Even found easy street parking in Alberello, away from the buses.

I once drove right up to the Duomo in Florence (by mistake) so am extra cautious about the traffic free zones since then. Material has one but it was easy to avoid.

april, did you like your b&b in Matera?

Ha! After having spent a few weeks in Florence, I can't imagine. I can just see your face. Not that we've ever met, but the look of, "I don't think I'm supposed to be here" is universal.

Our Matera b&b was very good. Only 3 rooms plus a breakfast area and access to a small terrace. Super clean, and comfortable. Good breakfast. Host Danilo is a nice guy. I would stay there again.

Today we went beautiful Lecce. Impressive baroque sandstone architecture, tons of churches, and the duomo square is stunning. Loved our visit. Lunch at Alle Due Corti, a traditional restaurant that serves interesting local dishes, simply presented, reasonably priced. Very good! We didn't get away without one adventure, however. Took the wrong turn while we were looking for parking and--you guessed it--ended up driving through the central piazza, a repeat of the Florence experience. No wonder they call Lecce the Florence of Puglia!

All's well that ends well, though--I didn't panic and we survived unscathed, as did all those pedestrians we had to maneuver around.

Tomorrow we are going to explore the coast a little more, maybe relax at the beach, and then head to Rome before flying on to Greece for a couple of weeks. Time for the next wave of Puglia visitors to take over. Enjoy!!

Alle Due Corti, is great. You may need to book in the evening

too windy and cool for the beach walk today so we hopped in the car and drove to Martina Franca. So glad we didn't miss it--what a beautiful town (the centro storico anyway). We wandered the alleys for a good hour without repeating our steps. nice view over to Locorotondo on its hill, too. Plenty of good-looking places for lunch. We chose one run by a local masseria, with produce from the property. Don't miss Martina Franca!

april, Thank you. Alle Due Corti and Martina Franca are on my radar.

I'm glad you liked your B&B in Matera, but you didn't tell me its name. :-)

Did you get a room in Lecce, do you like it?

Sorry! Our Matera b&b was Le Fornaci. We booked it through Booking.com.

After Matera we went to a trullo rental we booked through Vacanze in Puglia--it's called Villa Alcova, near San Michele Salentino. Website of the agency is vacanzeinpuglia.com. A delightful place. We have been here all week--a bargain at 380 euros for the whole week.

Great referral. Nice website with photos. Has a ton of excellent reviews on TA. Great price. Only three rooms. Thank you!

Such a bargain on the trullo. One reason why Puglia is so great being less "discovered" than other regions in Italy. We travel in public transportation, so we need to be in the city, but maybe your suggestion for the trullo will help others who read this thread.

Tina (aka tdk320n) I hope you check in on this thread because I have a question about Lecce. In the place you stayed which you loved, did you grab a cab at the station, or walk, or someone from the B&B pick you up?

I will walk anywhere under a mile with my luggage, but I don't want to bother my husband with walking if it's not easy due to traffic or confusing layout.

I have written to Dario also, and I am really looking forward to driving on two of his trips.

We leave in a few days. Very exciting!

Dai
I took a cab because of my lugage, If I remember correctly it was 10 euros.
It is a nice walk to the railroad station which I easily did without luggage another day.
Have a great trip

Tina

Great info, thank you. I'll grab a cab. Grazie!

Arrivederci!!
Ciao!!!