Lovely Puglia, plus Rome, & Limoncello.
 

Finally getting started on this...It makes me think of that song from the movie Oliver! based on Oliver Twist that goes “Food, Glorious Food”! Although there were some definite duds! This was my 14th trip to Italy, but I had never been to Puglia, and after reading lots of trip reports about the area, I thought it was time I went there. Since Rome is my favorite place, I had to include it at the end of the trip. Another wonderful trip to Italy! Except it was HOT!

Due to age & arthritis, I move a lot more slowly than most. While a knee replacement means I can walk better and do stairs, I still try to minimize both when possible (yes, I know it’s impossible to avoid both sometimes), and stay longer in each place than most people think is necessary.

I’ll note here that all of the places where I stayed did not have somebody there 24 hours. Sometimes this is OK, sometimes not! I’m not looking for luxury because it’s usually out of my budget. My main criteria are a good location, an elevator, and hopefully a walk-in shower (NOT a tub!). Since learning that everybody in Italy uses WhatsApp, I installed it on my phone, which turned out to be a very good thing, since my phone didn’t work the entire time I was there (mostly not a big thing). I’m checking into why. I did:

Flew into Brindisi, 4 nights Brindisi (I find that jet lag affects me more as I get older, so I want 4 nights in my first stop), 5 nights Lecce, 5 nights Polignano a Mare, 3 nights Bari & 5 nights Rome, flew home from Rome.

I take a taxi from the Brindisi airport, 25 Euro flat rate (no meter for this route), to the Maria Vittoria Charming Rooms & Apartments, Corso Garibaldi 100. There is a little glitch, the instructions they sent me for getting in aren’t working. Of course, this is where I find that my phone isn’t working. I can WhatsApp them, but of course I need WiFi to do that. I notice a café open less than a block away, so I go over there and ask them if I can use their WiFi and explain what happened and that I will be back to eat there. He easily gives it to me, I contact the owner of the B&B, and they are there in a few minutes to straighten everything out. She says that the weather can affect their system!

The B&B is in a great location, just over a block from the beautiful, very blue Adriatic! The room is nice, shower is not huge but is big enough that I can bend over to wash my feet and has good water pressure, which is always good (I don’t have huge requirements here as long as it’s not tiny :)). Breakfast is good (you can get bacon & eggs for an extra charge & letting them know the day before, but hard-boiled eggs are included). I heard some concerns about Brindisi when I posted my itinerary, but I liked it, especially being so close to the sea. It didn’t have a bad feeling at all, quite the contrary. It has a nice vibe, and everyone was very welcoming.

By the time I get checked in and a couple things unpacked, it is late afternoon, so I just walk down to the sea and enjoy the sight of that beautiful water, take a look around, and take in the ambiance of the area. Later I go to dinner at La Cantina ti ‘artisti on Via De’ Terribile for dinner. Huge mistake for my first meal in Puglia. I was very much looking forward to the food! It’s pretty bad. The Mussels with Breading, then baked, had so much salt (and I usually like some salt) that you couldn’t taste anything but salt. Then the Torbi pasta with Shrimp & Artichokes was slightly less salty, but still way too much salt, plus the artichokes were so tough I could barely cut them, let alone eat them. I don’t usually complain about a dish to a waitress, but I had to tell her that salt was all you could taste. Of course, it wasn’t her fault, but I was hoping she would tell the chef and perhaps he would adjust his salt in the future. I will note that the wine was good; I don’t have a note of what it was, but I always ordered the local wine, which was generally great. As a “sorry” for my dinner, she did bring me a complimentary frothy lemon drink that was good. Things can only get better, right?

They do when I stop for a limoncello about a block from the B&B, which is the best part of the night.

The next morning at breakfast I meet some great people, a couple of young women who have each left their three children at home with their boyfriends to have a little getaway, and a couple from Washington DC, who have come from Rome and are on the original route of the Appian Way, which actually ends in Brindisi. This is one of the benefits of a B&B where everyone eats together. Later, I walk back through Piazza Vittoria Emanuele to get another look at the sea before working my way up through Piazza A. Sottile Ade Falco to the Piazza Duomo.

Along the way, I have lunch at Tata Poke on Piazza Matteo, a Poke Bowl with octopus, salmon, nuts, cucumber, edamame, olives, ginger, Basmati rice, olive oil & Balsamic vinegar glaze. It’s delicious!

The Duomo is lovely if a bit plain compared to most churches in Italy. Some beautiful stained glass windows. To the left of it is the Strada Colonne, which is the end point of the Appian Way. It starts as a street sloping down to a long staircase down to the sea. I really like a railing and there isn’t one, but it’s OK because there is a side of a building, so I’m good. It’s very hot, probably mid-80’s. When I get to the bottom of the staircase, there is a café, so I think maybe it’s time for a Negroni. I love those! I just sit there for a while enjoying the view and sip it, because it’s not exactly a drink that you drink quickly!

Later, I go to dinner at Pantagruele. The Sea Bass Escalope with Honey Vinaigrette is delicious. Then I have Spaghettoni with Urchin Mash & Mullet Roe. Also delicious, and the only time I find sea urchins, since it turns out I’m there the wrong month for them to be able to harvest them.

More to come...

on for the ride.

Me, too. More, please.

Enjoying your report and looking forward to more. I've noticed liberal use of salt in southern Italy and have definitely had a few salty dishes here and there.

I've been eagerly waiting for your trip report, Susan! Loving it so far. Bummer about your first meal.

Andiamo!!!!!

Thanks, everyone. Here's some more:

After dinner, I’m thinking that I’ll go back to the same place for limoncello, which was Anto’s Square S.U. It’s a large outdoor section shared with a small café next door. The previous night, there was only one other table with people eating. However, I hear the music and noise as I’m approaching it. There is a big 50th birthday party going on for somebody. They have a live band, every seat is taken plus people standing. Guess I won’t have my limoncello there, and there aren’t a lot of other possibilities around. I go into the small café to see if they have limoncello. It was a little odd, the young man said he had to check with his father. I certainly don’t look underage! His father says OK, so he pours it into a plastic cup. I’d rather have glass, but no big deal.

The next morning at breakfast, the couple from DC on the trail of the Appian Way are talking about a golf cart tour they took in Rome to the Appian Way and Catacombs, which they highly recommended. I had thought about going there this trip, since it’s something in Rome that I haven’t done. I take buses all over Rome and had checked out how to get there. It’s not difficult, but I’m a little leery about catching the bus back. Anyway, I hadn’t thought about a golf cart tour and will check it out.

I head up to Palazzo Granafel-Nervagna and Column Hall ((16th C), which had looked interesting when I passed yesterday on the way to the Duomo. It has a small area of excavation, but the neat thing is the column head that has been put here to save it from salt and sea air. There were originally two on the top of the Virgil staircase in front of the harbor entrance. I go upstairs to find the restroom, and there is some sort of political meeting going on. I don’t seem to have written anything in my notes and don’t remember exactly what it was. A guy is giving a presentation on some sort of new surgical technique.

I wander back down, looking for someplace for lunch, and when looking down Via Ferrante Fornari, see a restaurant, so I’ll try it. I rarely make a reservation for lunch, because I’m not sure exactly where I’ll be when I’m ready to eat. The restaurant is Molo 33 Ristorante & Pizzeria. As soon as I enter, the woman says they don’t serve pizza at lunch. This happens several times in Puglia, pizzerias that don’t serve pizza at lunch. Not sure why. She takes me out the rear to outdoor seating. Right across the street is Piazza Mercato, and the people are taking their stands down. I’m thinking this is a lot of work to have to do every day! Actually, I don’t know if the market is open every day. I order Frito Misto with calamari, sardines & shrimp. It’s quite good, I wouldn’t say fabulous. I have to say that I understand cooking the whole shrimp with head attached for flavor, but I hate having to peel the shrimp. Such a pain!

I continue wandering without paying attention to my map. I know if I keep heading left and down, I’ll reach the sea. This thinking actually works! :) I know I’ve already said this, but the water is so beautiful! Not turquoise blue like the Caribbean, more of a cobalt blue or what is not surprisingly called marine blue. There is certainly more to see in the way of churches, but it’s so hot. I head back to the B&B to put my feet up for a while. I check out the golf cart tour. The company is Biga. I think the DC couple booked it through Viator, but you can book directly with the company, better for them. The tour does look interesting. Of course, the description talks about many uneven stairs, which is not surprising. I’m just afraid there are no railings. I read more, and the catacomb visited is under St. Sebastian’s, and I’m surprised to find out they have Bernini’s final sculpture. I love Bernini! Had no idea there was one of his sculptures out there. Now I really want to go. Have to find out about railings on the stairs.

For dinner, I go to the café where they helped me the first day with their WiFi, Antica Focacceria Boscaini, about ½ block from the B&B on Corso Garibaldi, a small family-owned place. A little odd, there is no focaccia on the menu! I don’t care when I taste the pizza. I order La Daniele, pizza with tomato, mozzarella, prosciutto & mushrooms. Wow, yum! I’m surprised to be saying that it’s as good as the pizza I had in Naples, which I didn’t think could be matched. So good! Most places want you to go inside if you’re paying by credit card, so I talk to the owner when I pay. I tell him his pizza is as good as that in Naples. He says, well, Naples is a little different, and proceeds to tell me all about their methods, including that they make their own mozzarella. The wall separating the front from the kitchen doesn’t go all the way to the ceiling, and he tells the chef to hold up a ball of mozzarella for me to see. Fun! I’m still dreaming about that pizza! :p

Brindisi hasn’t been that busy ‘til now, but Corso Garibaldi is definitely the place to see and be seen on a Saturday night! Lots of people out and about. Lots of bare midriffs, some of which look great, others not so much. The young ladies at the next table are fixing their lipstick after eating. I wonder where they’re going and who they’re trying to impress.

The place for limoncello is full again, this time with the crowd watching soccer, so I go back to the little café next door. The young man apologizes for giving me a plastic cup the night before, says it was due to the crowd, and this time gives me a small glass. It’s different from any I’ve seen, so I ask if I can buy the glass (I’ve done this in the past, sometimes with success, sometimes not). He says he’ll have to ask his father, who just then comes in. Upon being asked, he says “Impossible!” I say really, impossible? He explains that he only has six of them. OK, I understand. The young man tells me to wait and goes off into a back room. He comes back out and shakes his head, then goes behind the counter and offers me an espresso cup, says it’s a gift! So nice!

The next morning at breakfast, we’re talking about a bunch of things and I forget to ask about the stairs/railings in the catacombs. The couple checks out, because even though they have extended their stay in Brindisi by a day, the B&B is full, so they’re going somewhere else. I’ll have to see if I can email the company to find out.

I’m off to the Temple of San Giovanni al Sepolcro, hoping they’re not closed due to it being Remembrance Day. It’s 11th C, at one time run by the Knights Templar and was a place Crusaders stopped to pray for success on the way to the Crusades and on the way back to give thanks for surviving. Entry is 3 Euro, and it’s well worth it. Beautiful frescoes, most of them not complete but lovely just the same. Beautiful arches (the building is round). There’s a door on one side leading out into the garden. It’s quite rough and uneven, with a board sticking out the front of the bottom step, so I pause to decide the best place to step without tripping. All of a sudden, the lady selling the tickets is next to me offering her arm (she had seen me pausing). So nice, even though I could have done it myself. She doesn’t speak much English but manages to communicate that I should get her attention when coming back in and she’ll gladly help. The garden is nice, some roses still in bloom, there might be more in bloom at a different time. When going back in, I’m fine, so I smile and tell the lady it’s easier coming back in.

Time for some lunch, so I go a couple of doors down from the church on Via Sepolcro to Il Tempio dei Sapori. The Eggplant Parmigiana is delicious.

It’s very hot, so I head back down by the water, where there might be a little breeze. I sit down at one of the cafes and decide to have another Negroni. I would be happy to just sit here enjoying the view and the drink, so that’s what I do. A short time later, the couple from DC comes by, so I’m able to ask about the catacombs. She assures me there are railings on all the stairs. They continue on to the big staircase, which is close by, and come back to have a drink, so I invite them to join me. We have a lovely conversation, mostly about our various travels and are probably there over an hour. They actually came over on the Queen Mary. He wanted to, she didn’t, but he talked her into it. They both loved it and will be taking it back to the US at the end of their trip. He suggests we all go over to the stairs and take a couple of pictures, so we do that. Very nice bumping into them again.

Back at the B&B, I finish packing and later go back for more pizza. Yum again! There is a parade for Remembrance Day, lots of people watching.

I’m glad I changed my original itinerary to include Brindisi. I enjoyed it, and surprise, the best meals weren’t seafood. They were that fabulous pizza!

Wonderful!

I wish I could be with you right now!!

I think pizza is a dinner dish in most of Italy and it makes sense in the south when heating up the hot oven might make the restaurant uncomfortable..just a guess, however...

Thanks, ek. I did think of that about the pizza, but I had some at lunch later, so not sure.

I know you love limoncello (me, too!) but its really not typical of Puglia and I think that's why you are having some frustration finding some...its more a drink of Campania where the lemons are so famous...

Would you be ok with trying a typical local dessert drink?

I know there is a liqueur made from the fruit of the prickly pear cactus--fichi di India.
That area of Puglia (Bridisi/Bari) has their own special red after-dinner drink which is sweet: ALEATICO DI PUGLIA. Maybe give that one a try....write the name down on a piece of paper and show it to the barman.

OR, ask for a "typical after-dinner drink," My Italian is horrible but I bet someone else here can help, or just ask for "liquori nostrana," or "Liquori dolce di la zona..."
I KNOW that is not good Italian but pretty sure they will understand.....always ask for things "di la zona..." And when you see foods in the market, the ones that say "nostrano" are the local ones..... Again, my Italian is poor but I get by....and so will you!

Love your report!!!

Thanks, ek. I am always up for trying new things, especially local specialties. I'll make a note of this in case I get back to Puglia. I didn't really have trouble finding limoncello, just that the place close to my B&B was full on those two nights and I didn't want to go further afield. (I do remember the huge lemons on the Amalfi Coast that you can slice and eat, rind and all, like you would an apple!)

What month were you there? thinking of visiting Puglia for our 2.5 week trip next May. Would love some beach time.

I arrived on May 30 and had 17 nights in Puglia and then 5 in Rome. It was very hot!

A few things about Puglia in general:

The drivers are much more courteous than in other cities, always stopping for pedestrians when they are in a crosswalk, and even if they aren’t (a little less so in Bari).

The people are universally pleasant, welcoming and helpful.

A smaller percentage of locals speak English than in other areas of the country. This is NOT a criticism, just an observation.

The next morning, I have a taxi coming to take me to the train station to go to Lecce. When we get to the station, the driver asks if I think I need help. I had found out that it was probably one of those where you had to go down a long staircase, walk over to the other side, and up another staircase to get to the correct platform, so I say I might. He grabs my bags, goes in and down the stairs in no time. I tell him to wait a second because I want to tip him. He says it’s not necessary, but I do anyway.

Once in Lecce (where the train comes in on ground level), I get a taxi to Attico Barocco B&B on Via Giacomo Matteotti. It’s a great location, not far from Piazza Sant’Oronzo. Gianni at the B&B had sent me a message yesterday on WhatsApp to see what time I would be arriving and had let me know that the room wouldn’t be available that early but I could leave my bags. (I didn’t expect it to be ready so early, my train arrived at 9:45.) I like Lecce right away, it has a good vibe. The B&B is nice, the shower is good. They’re not serving breakfast right now but have an agreement with a café a couple doors away where you can get a discount.

I knew I wanted to take a day trip from Lecce so I could see several towns in one day. I tried in vain to book one ahead of time. I emailed Green Italy Experiences and YLTOUR DMC, sending them each four or five emails, but not getting a response. Green Italy never did respond. YLTOUR finally responded, but they only do private tours, and it was way too expensive. I did find an itinerary I liked through Get Your Guide, but they refused to take a reservation for only one person. While I understand that they feel they might not be able to fill the van if they take singles, it doesn’t help me much. They say they will be happy to have me come if I pay for two people. Uhmm…I don’t think so!

Anyway, I was hoping somebody at the B&B could help, and Gianni came through with a company. He was extremely helpful, called to see if they had availability while I was in town, it didn’t really matter which day, and they did have a spot. It included Otranto, which I wanted so I could see the mosaic floor in the cathedral there. Great! He reserved it and told me where to go on the Piazza Duomo to pay for it and pick up the ticket. It all worked out well, since I was going there the first day to buy the combo ticket for the churches. First, though, it’s time for gelato. Don’t know how I happened to go four nights in Brindisi and didn’t have any! Back on Piazza Sant’Oronzo, I get some, I don’t seem to have written the name of the place anywhere. It’s at the opposite end of a covered section from Martinucci’s. My favorite is Nocciolo (hazelnut), but they have some that is Nocciolo with chocolate sauce on top that has whole hazelnuts in it. Yum!

On to Piazza Duomo. I pick up my ticket for the day trip, then the combo ticket, which covers a half-dozen places for 11 Euro, and you can add 10 Euro extra to go up the Clock Tower. I’m figuring that the tower will have more stairs than I want to do, so I don’t plan for that. However, when I buy the ticket at Anico Seminario (you can also buy it at Basilica of Santa Croce), I find out that there is an elevator, so I add the tower to my ticket. I wasn’t too much off in my thinking, since the elevator only opened in 2022.

If you love Baroque Architecture (and I do), Lecce is the place for you! It’s amazing how much there is all in one town that isn’t that big. I figure as long as I’m in Anico Seminario, I might as well check it out now. There is more art upstairs, but I don’t feel like going up there, so I stick to the ground level, where there is a large courtyard with interesting stuff surrounding it. I start with Cappella S. Gregorio Taumaturgo (there is a huge crown sitting the hall outside it), a lovely small chapel which gives me the first taste of the intricate Baroque décor. Interestingly, there are also several modern sculptures placed around the chapel. Moving on, there is a library with seriously old books which is interesting and outside that some old music with old type from a very old printing press.

I’m hungry, so I walk back to Piazza Sant’Oronzo to Café Alvino. I need to try the Rustico, a flaky biscuit filled with bechamel, mozzarella and sundried tomatoes. Yum! It’s very good but quite rich.

I’m on the search for cruschi. After reading so much about it, I thought it would be easy to find. In several food shops where I ask about it, the clerks have no idea what I’m talking about and have never heard of it! In one shop, I finally see one of those packets to make pasta that has cruschi on the label. I look at the label, and it’s a mix of red bell peppers and cruschi. Maybe I’ll come back for a couple of these. I know I’ll be passing it again when I come back to do the tower.

A little more wandering, and I head back to the B&B to put my feet up. Later, I have a reservation for dinner (although I didn’t really need it) at Pescheria con Cottura, Via die Mocenigo 23, which is off Piazza Sant’Oronzo, so not too far from the B&B. This was a great choice. Before they take you to your table, you’re taken to a large table with lots of fresh seafood spread out and a menu written on a blackboard to choose what you want. They start by bringing a bowl of Fried Fava Beans with your wine. Great, I later bought a bag to bring home. Then I had Tuna with Crispy Cipolla & Avocado Sauce. Yum! Really delicious. I hadn’t ordered a side dish, thinking maybe I’ll save room for dessert. I order Chocolate Spumoni with an Orange filling. The dessert is also a Yum! When I leave, I make another reservation for my last night.

I head back over to Piazza Sant’Oronzo to Martinucci’s for a limoncello. I enjoy watching the people, and it’s a nice atmosphere.

I think I would love to follow in your footsteps, this sounds like my kind of trip.

Adelaidean, glad you're enjoying it!

I’m not too anxious to get up early the next morning (not unusual for me!), but I figure I’m in Italy…I can sleep in a bit and have gelato for breakfast if I want to, so I do! :) I go to Martinucci’s on Piazza Sant’Oronzo and order the Pesto Di Mandorla e Fichi Gelato, almond pesto with fig sauce. Another yum!

The combo ticket includes the Duomo, Basilica di Santa Croce, Chiesa di Santa Chiara, Chiesa di San Matteo, and Antico Seminario & Museo di Art Sacra.

First, I’m off to the Basilica di Santa Croce, pretty close to my B&B. What can I say except that it’s amazing! Can’t imagine the time involved in all that intricate carving. I love all the cherubs in the Baroque style and find that I’m taking lots of close-up pictures of them in all the churches. Also love all the columns that have a swirling design going up them.

Next, I go back through Piazza Sant’Oronzo and continue on to Chiesa di San Matteo. Another amazing church. One very odd thing about this one, though, is that there is nothing on the ceiling! Very unusual. It looks as though there might have been something, but even if it were under restoration, it doesn’t seem likely that they would totally get rid of what had been there.

I continue on towards Museo Faggiano, even though I’m not sure I’ll go in due to pictures I’ve seen of the sometimes steep and sometimes uneven route through the museum. Along the way, I pass Pollicestro Boutique Hotel. They have a little courtyard somewhat inside but before you enter the hotel and have some metal sculptures, one of a bass violin and one of an entire piano. Very cool! When I reach Museo Faggiano and see some more pictures out front plus take a peek inside, I decide my first inclination was correct and don’t go in.

I continue back toward my neck of the woods in search of lunch and decide to stop at Il Ristoro dei Templari on Via Asciano Grandi. I order to Orechiette with Tomato Sauce & Meatballs. It’s very good. I’m not much of a beer drinker, but it’s very hot and a cold beer sounds good, plus the TIPA Beer has such a pretty label on the bottle! Don’t you think that’s a good reason to choose a beer? :) It’s actually quite good. When I go inside to pay, they have a small display of Knights Templar memorabilia.

When I get back to Piazza Sant’Oronzo, I realize that you have to go right up to the walls to look down into the theatre in the piazza. While I’m there, I notice a church that is right there, Chiesa di Santa Maria della Grazia. It’s open and is right there, so I figure I might as well go in. Quite a bit less of the ornate Baroque style, but still some, and still a beautiful church. It’s difficult to find a church in Italy that’s not worth going in to check it out.

Back to the B&B to put my feet up. Gianni had sent me a WhatsApp earlier to say there was an American lady about my age, also travelling solo, and he would be happy to introduce us. I replied that I was always happy to meet new people, and he answered that he would like to offer us a glass of wine on the balcony at 7:00 pm. Sounds fine to me! He really was a great host. We meet on the balcony and have a very nice hour together and watched a beautiful sunset. She is another one who has come on the Queen Mary and will be going back the same way. I thought, how unusual to meet two different people who had come that way. She actually wasn’t feeling very well, had cancelled the tour she was supposed to take today and wasn’t sure she would be taking it tomorrow either, even though they had offered her that option. When I saw her a couple of days later, she had tested positive for Covid, so we weren’t able to get together for dinner. Fortunately, I did not catch it!

I don’t have a reservation for dinner but have two options I’m going to check out on Via Principi di Savoia. The first is completely full, so I continue to the second, La Putea Osteria e Ristoro. It turns out to be a lot further than expected, almost at the end of the street. I can see the Porta Napoli Gateway (Arco di Trionfo) from my seat. Didn’t really mean to walk this far, especially since I have to walk back after dinner!

Oh well, I decide I want something a little lighter and order Sweet & Sour Caponata with Pine Nuts, which I never got, and a salad with tomato, mozzarella, tuna, capers, red onion and arugula. It’s very good. There is a cat which I thought was theirs, very cute. I like to see cats, which has happened several times, since I lost my 19-year-old cat in April. When I’m done, I mention that I never got my appetizer because I don’t want to be charged for it. A few minutes later, she brings a wrapped portion of it, but I explain that I wasn’t saying that I wanted it now! Time for the walk back and bed!

Really enjoying your report, SusanP. It brings back a lot of great memories of my trip to Puglia. And I recall well how incredibly hospitable and generous Gianni at your Lecce B&B was during my stay in spring 2023.

studenttobe, your report was one of the ones that made me decide to go to Puglia and is where I got the recommendation for the B&B! 😀

Thank you for posting this SusanP. You are bringing back wonderful memories of our own trip to Puglia and Lecce in particular.