Our Trip to Puglia – Land of a Million Olive Trees!
Jul 1st, 2013, 03:48 AM
#21
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I want to commend you again on a terrific report, one that reflects how you got off the beaten path a bit. It also brings back a lot of memories for me (not of the horse rides, though!!)
I keep searching for a hotel in Sta Maria al Bagno, but so far have not turned up anything that would draw me there for an overnight..only one or two hotels in that town...
What was the price of the meal at Il Frantoio? Were there Italians among the dinner guests? I have always resisted booking a meal there but perhaps it is time to take the leap!!
Again, I am loving your report..great attitude....great spirit of adventure! so glad it worked out well for you and eager to read more..
I keep searching for a hotel in Sta Maria al Bagno, but so far have not turned up anything that would draw me there for an overnight..only one or two hotels in that town...
What was the price of the meal at Il Frantoio? Were there Italians among the dinner guests? I have always resisted booking a meal there but perhaps it is time to take the leap!!
Again, I am loving your report..great attitude....great spirit of adventure! so glad it worked out well for you and eager to read more..
Jul 2nd, 2013, 03:10 AM
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Eks, I'm glad that you're enjoying the report. We had such a good time!
As for the hotels in SM al Bagno, there didn't seem to be many options as I recall. A quick search on Booking.com brings up 3 options:Hotel Piccadilly, Hotel Corallo, & Vistamar di Gallipoli (this one looks like it sits in the hills above the town - the description says 600 meters to town). Of course, I don't know your dates or budget. Regardless, it seems like it's slim pickings when it comes to hotel options there.
The cost of the meal at Il Frantoio was around 60 euros each, I believe. Not many Italians at the dinner as I recall, but there were a lot of folks and I was mainly focusing on my table and new acquaintances. It's definitely worth it. I'd go again.
Good luck!
Leely2, I'm so glad that I persisted. We were NOT going to leave Puglia without riding a horse! When I think back on how fun that day was, I smile. It couldn't have been a more perfect day.
Sass, Thanks for reading along. Puglia was a special place. The people there so friendly and welcoming.
KJA, Glad I could bring back some memories for you!
How about we continue on the journey! Here's the final installment...
As for the hotels in SM al Bagno, there didn't seem to be many options as I recall. A quick search on Booking.com brings up 3 options:Hotel Piccadilly, Hotel Corallo, & Vistamar di Gallipoli (this one looks like it sits in the hills above the town - the description says 600 meters to town). Of course, I don't know your dates or budget. Regardless, it seems like it's slim pickings when it comes to hotel options there.
The cost of the meal at Il Frantoio was around 60 euros each, I believe. Not many Italians at the dinner as I recall, but there were a lot of folks and I was mainly focusing on my table and new acquaintances. It's definitely worth it. I'd go again.
Good luck!
Leely2, I'm so glad that I persisted. We were NOT going to leave Puglia without riding a horse! When I think back on how fun that day was, I smile. It couldn't have been a more perfect day.
Sass, Thanks for reading along. Puglia was a special place. The people there so friendly and welcoming.
KJA, Glad I could bring back some memories for you!
How about we continue on the journey! Here's the final installment...
Jul 2nd, 2013, 03:10 AM
#26
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Easing Into The Home Stretch.
MAY 21 TUESDAY
Hotel: Al Mirador (Fasano).
Before breakfast at the hotel, we packed up our luggage as we’d be moving hotels today. After breakfast, we headed up the coast, stopping at an AGIP gas station to fill up the tank before we hit the highway.
We headed first to Polignano a Mare. It was another beautiful day. We had a great time exploring the town and its signature picture-perfect blue water cove tucked between the high rocky cliffs. We snacked on some yummy Mandorla (almond-flavored) granita from a place that supposedly served the finest of these icy treats. We walked down the steep steps, under the beautiful arched bridge, to the rocky cove to check it out from that vantage. There were lots of young folks sunbathing on the rocky beach and a few brave ones swimming in the chilly water.
On the way back to our car we found a great restaurant for lunch, Grotta Ardito Ristorante. We were one of the few patrons when we arrived, so we got an awesome table on a tiny balcony overlooking the azure sea. We ate yet more outstanding seafood with delish wine. Life in Puglia (as a tourist) is grand!
From Polignano a Mare we headed inland. Next stop, ground-zero for tourists, Alberobello. You read it time and again, this place is a tourist trap, but it’s a place you’ve got to visit when you come to Puglia. We did a quick walk-through of the unique trulli area, took some pics, and were on our way driving out of town in under 45 minutes.
It wasn’t long before we were pulling up to the gate of Al Mirador, our hotel for the next two nights. This place was rated 4-stars, a splurge for us on this trip. It sat high up on a hill (above Fasano) and had gorgeous views overlooking the many small towns below and the coast not far beyond. After checking in, we were treated to prosecco and snacks in the poolside dining area. We settled into our room and chilled by the pool for a while.
For dinner, we drove back into Cisternino to dine at Ristorante Da Zia Rosa. We sat at an outside table as it was a pleasant evening. We weren’t too impressed by this place – the food was just OK. In the darkness, we drove along the winding country roads, then back up the hill to our hotel for the night.
MAY 22 WEDNESDAY
Hotel: Al Mirador (Fasano).
We slept in today, then had breakfast at the hotel. This would be a very relaxing day for us. Mid-morning we headed into the town of Fasano to check it out. We walked around the historic district, checked out a church, tried some interesting fruit at a small fruit store, and then jumped back into the car. Nothing too exciting about this town, but by this point in the trip, all of the small little towns were starting to look the same to us.
We made the short drive back to Cisternino to pay a parking ticket we’d gotten the evening before and to do a little souvenir shopping. Then back to the hotel to relax the afternoon away at the infinity pool.
We cleaned up and ate dinner at the hotel. As there were just a few guests staying at the small, boutique hotel, we felt as though we had our own personal chef for the evening. Tasty dinner, then back to the room to pack up our luggage. We’d have an early morning tomorrow as we would be heading back to Bari to drop off the rental car at the airport, with a few stops in between.
MAY 23 THURSDAY
Hotel: Sheraton Nicolaus (Bari).
Up early, unfortunately. Neither of us slept well as the AC unit couldn’t cool the room to our liking. We opened the doors to the balcony in the middle of the night to get some fresh air, but the lights (around the pool and hotel) were really bright.
Quick breakfast at the hotel, then we hit the highway - heading north to Bari. The plan, which worked well, was to swing by our Bari hotel (on the outskirts of Bari) and drop our bags off, then head to the airport (bag-free) to drop off the rental car. The rental car drop-off went very smoothly – Enzo shrugged when I mentioned the busted side mirror. I wrote a quick explanation on the rental agreement that it got knocked off in Matera. I joked to Melissa that they probably kept a box-full of extra side mirrors in the office for all of the foreign drivers who aren’t familiar with flipping in their side-mirrors!
We wanted to be bag-free because from the airport, we took the Tempesta Bus to Bari Centrale (train station), then hopped on a train to Trani. We had some time before the train departed, so we walked around Bari a bit. We departed for Trani after a while. It was fun to be on an Italian train again (that had been our mode of transport on our past Italian trips).
It was a quiet day in Trani. We headed straight for the harbor area. We were blessed with another blue-sky day. The large harbor was so peaceful-looking as boats of all sizes bobbed up and down. Before heading to the cathedral and castle/fort, we decided to grab some lunch at a one of the harborside restaurants, La Perla del Sud. I had a huge pizza and a nice cold beer – boy did that lunch hit the spot! We walked along the waterfront until we came to the tall, tall cathedral that the town is known for. Before heading into the church, we took the long walk out to the small green lighthouse at the end of the rocky pier that wrapped around and protected the harbor. We saw lots of cats out there, but all were skiddish, so no petting them.
We walked around the cathedral doing a self-tour. That is one high-ceilinged church! We skipped trying to figure out how to get access to the tall campanile next to the church and walked over to the castle/fort. We paid to enter the castle and then were left to tour it on our own. That was a waste of time and money. It was basically a bunch of empty rooms with very little information available.
From the castle, we headed back to the train station, stopping along the way at a pet store to look for souvenirs for our 2 cats. No cat toys, but Mel did get a chance to pet some cute puppies and kittens. One more stop for some gelato, then on to the train station to hop the train back to Bari.
Once back at Bari Centrale, we grabbed a taxi to our hotel on the outskirts (residential area) of the city. Back at the hotel, Mel relaxed (napped) and I went out to explore the area around the hotel. We needed more bottled water for the in-room refrigerator. It was a nice day and was enjoyable to just stroll around. I found a café close by and picked up a couple of large bottles of “fizzy” water. Later in the afternoon/early evening, Mel and I went back out to do some more exploring (walking around) of the immediate area around the hotel.
Later on, I was not particularly hungry, so I skipped eating dinner. Mel grabbed some fruit from the fruit bowl in the hotel room and made a meal out of that. Early to bed.
MAY 24 FRIDAY
Hotel: Sheraton Nicolaus (Bari).
Our last full day in Puglia - we slept in. This would be a day of relaxing and preparing our bodies for the long trip back home tomorrow. We ate breakfast at the hotel – a terrific and extensive array of items offered. The largest breakfast I’d EVER seen offered in a hotel. We went back to room and did a little more packing/preparing.
There was a large recreation complex across the street from the hotel. It had 2 pools (indoor and outdoor), a huge gym, aerobic classes, and a putt-putt course, among other things. When we checked-in to the hotel yesterday, they gave us two passes for the use of the complex. We went over to the outdoor pool and enjoyed sunning for a couple of hours. The pool water was chilly, but we did occasionally put our legs in to cool off.
After changing into real clothes back in the room, we grabbed some lunch at a close by restaurant called L’Osteria Dei Quattro Gatti. Good food & nice service. All filled up, we decided to do some more exploring of the area (and burn off some of those calories!). We set off on a long walk. The area was mostly residential, but there were pockets of commercial parts (stores, grocery stores, cafes, etc.) around. We went into most of the grocery stores we encountered because we simply enjoy checking out foreign grocery stores – they’re just interesting to us. There was a university nearby where lots of young people were milling around. We stopped in a café and had some refreshing lemon granita. It was just a lazy walk around. We ended up back at the hotel and rested and finished packing up.
Early evening, we cleaned up and went down to the hotel bar. We’d been given a couple of vouchers for complementary prosecco. We sipped on the bubbly vino and munched on bar snacks for a while, then strolled to a restaurant around the corner for dinner. Vinagre was a nice, modern restaurant. We’d discovered it on our walk earlier in the day. All of the staff was very friendly. Our final dinner in Puglia was very relaxing and yummy. We both had some nice red wine and then Mel tried a special cocktail. It turned out to be very strong, but she persevered and finished it! Back to the room to get to bed – there’d be an early morning alarm clock going off.
MAY 25 SATURDAY
Early morning wake-up. Too early for the hotel breakfast, unfortunately. We took a taxi to airport (25 euros), where we grabbed a quick breakfast at airport. I drank my last Chinnoto (a bitter-flavored cola drink) of the trip.
We departed Bari BRI at 7:30am via Alitalia. We had less than a 1-hr layover in Rome FCO so we had to kind of rush through the airport to catch our connecting flight. Next, the 10+ hour flight to Atlanta ATL via Delta. Nice and uneventful flight. Then a 4-hour layover in Atlanta.
Dinner at Café Intermezzo, of course. Finally, the quick flight (less than an hour) home to Charleston CHS. Arrived at CHS @ 8:30pm.
Priscilla and Giovanni met us at the airport, as they’d be giving us a lift home. Giovanni had seen a picture (of me in Alberobello with a canned drink) that Mel had posted to Facebook. Being Italian, he recognized the drink in my hand and as a surprise, he had a couple of cold Chinnotos waiting for us in the car for the ride home! Talk about a true friend!
Rutledge and Siena (our cats) greeted us at the door and were happy to see us. We were happy to see them, too! What a great trip and celebration of our 15th wedding anniversary. We’re already thinking about where to go for our next trip!
MAY 21 TUESDAY
Hotel: Al Mirador (Fasano).
Before breakfast at the hotel, we packed up our luggage as we’d be moving hotels today. After breakfast, we headed up the coast, stopping at an AGIP gas station to fill up the tank before we hit the highway.
We headed first to Polignano a Mare. It was another beautiful day. We had a great time exploring the town and its signature picture-perfect blue water cove tucked between the high rocky cliffs. We snacked on some yummy Mandorla (almond-flavored) granita from a place that supposedly served the finest of these icy treats. We walked down the steep steps, under the beautiful arched bridge, to the rocky cove to check it out from that vantage. There were lots of young folks sunbathing on the rocky beach and a few brave ones swimming in the chilly water.
On the way back to our car we found a great restaurant for lunch, Grotta Ardito Ristorante. We were one of the few patrons when we arrived, so we got an awesome table on a tiny balcony overlooking the azure sea. We ate yet more outstanding seafood with delish wine. Life in Puglia (as a tourist) is grand!
From Polignano a Mare we headed inland. Next stop, ground-zero for tourists, Alberobello. You read it time and again, this place is a tourist trap, but it’s a place you’ve got to visit when you come to Puglia. We did a quick walk-through of the unique trulli area, took some pics, and were on our way driving out of town in under 45 minutes.
It wasn’t long before we were pulling up to the gate of Al Mirador, our hotel for the next two nights. This place was rated 4-stars, a splurge for us on this trip. It sat high up on a hill (above Fasano) and had gorgeous views overlooking the many small towns below and the coast not far beyond. After checking in, we were treated to prosecco and snacks in the poolside dining area. We settled into our room and chilled by the pool for a while.
For dinner, we drove back into Cisternino to dine at Ristorante Da Zia Rosa. We sat at an outside table as it was a pleasant evening. We weren’t too impressed by this place – the food was just OK. In the darkness, we drove along the winding country roads, then back up the hill to our hotel for the night.
MAY 22 WEDNESDAY
Hotel: Al Mirador (Fasano).
We slept in today, then had breakfast at the hotel. This would be a very relaxing day for us. Mid-morning we headed into the town of Fasano to check it out. We walked around the historic district, checked out a church, tried some interesting fruit at a small fruit store, and then jumped back into the car. Nothing too exciting about this town, but by this point in the trip, all of the small little towns were starting to look the same to us.
We made the short drive back to Cisternino to pay a parking ticket we’d gotten the evening before and to do a little souvenir shopping. Then back to the hotel to relax the afternoon away at the infinity pool.
We cleaned up and ate dinner at the hotel. As there were just a few guests staying at the small, boutique hotel, we felt as though we had our own personal chef for the evening. Tasty dinner, then back to the room to pack up our luggage. We’d have an early morning tomorrow as we would be heading back to Bari to drop off the rental car at the airport, with a few stops in between.
MAY 23 THURSDAY
Hotel: Sheraton Nicolaus (Bari).
Up early, unfortunately. Neither of us slept well as the AC unit couldn’t cool the room to our liking. We opened the doors to the balcony in the middle of the night to get some fresh air, but the lights (around the pool and hotel) were really bright.
Quick breakfast at the hotel, then we hit the highway - heading north to Bari. The plan, which worked well, was to swing by our Bari hotel (on the outskirts of Bari) and drop our bags off, then head to the airport (bag-free) to drop off the rental car. The rental car drop-off went very smoothly – Enzo shrugged when I mentioned the busted side mirror. I wrote a quick explanation on the rental agreement that it got knocked off in Matera. I joked to Melissa that they probably kept a box-full of extra side mirrors in the office for all of the foreign drivers who aren’t familiar with flipping in their side-mirrors!
We wanted to be bag-free because from the airport, we took the Tempesta Bus to Bari Centrale (train station), then hopped on a train to Trani. We had some time before the train departed, so we walked around Bari a bit. We departed for Trani after a while. It was fun to be on an Italian train again (that had been our mode of transport on our past Italian trips).
It was a quiet day in Trani. We headed straight for the harbor area. We were blessed with another blue-sky day. The large harbor was so peaceful-looking as boats of all sizes bobbed up and down. Before heading to the cathedral and castle/fort, we decided to grab some lunch at a one of the harborside restaurants, La Perla del Sud. I had a huge pizza and a nice cold beer – boy did that lunch hit the spot! We walked along the waterfront until we came to the tall, tall cathedral that the town is known for. Before heading into the church, we took the long walk out to the small green lighthouse at the end of the rocky pier that wrapped around and protected the harbor. We saw lots of cats out there, but all were skiddish, so no petting them.
We walked around the cathedral doing a self-tour. That is one high-ceilinged church! We skipped trying to figure out how to get access to the tall campanile next to the church and walked over to the castle/fort. We paid to enter the castle and then were left to tour it on our own. That was a waste of time and money. It was basically a bunch of empty rooms with very little information available.
From the castle, we headed back to the train station, stopping along the way at a pet store to look for souvenirs for our 2 cats. No cat toys, but Mel did get a chance to pet some cute puppies and kittens. One more stop for some gelato, then on to the train station to hop the train back to Bari.
Once back at Bari Centrale, we grabbed a taxi to our hotel on the outskirts (residential area) of the city. Back at the hotel, Mel relaxed (napped) and I went out to explore the area around the hotel. We needed more bottled water for the in-room refrigerator. It was a nice day and was enjoyable to just stroll around. I found a café close by and picked up a couple of large bottles of “fizzy” water. Later in the afternoon/early evening, Mel and I went back out to do some more exploring (walking around) of the immediate area around the hotel.
Later on, I was not particularly hungry, so I skipped eating dinner. Mel grabbed some fruit from the fruit bowl in the hotel room and made a meal out of that. Early to bed.
MAY 24 FRIDAY
Hotel: Sheraton Nicolaus (Bari).
Our last full day in Puglia - we slept in. This would be a day of relaxing and preparing our bodies for the long trip back home tomorrow. We ate breakfast at the hotel – a terrific and extensive array of items offered. The largest breakfast I’d EVER seen offered in a hotel. We went back to room and did a little more packing/preparing.
There was a large recreation complex across the street from the hotel. It had 2 pools (indoor and outdoor), a huge gym, aerobic classes, and a putt-putt course, among other things. When we checked-in to the hotel yesterday, they gave us two passes for the use of the complex. We went over to the outdoor pool and enjoyed sunning for a couple of hours. The pool water was chilly, but we did occasionally put our legs in to cool off.
After changing into real clothes back in the room, we grabbed some lunch at a close by restaurant called L’Osteria Dei Quattro Gatti. Good food & nice service. All filled up, we decided to do some more exploring of the area (and burn off some of those calories!). We set off on a long walk. The area was mostly residential, but there were pockets of commercial parts (stores, grocery stores, cafes, etc.) around. We went into most of the grocery stores we encountered because we simply enjoy checking out foreign grocery stores – they’re just interesting to us. There was a university nearby where lots of young people were milling around. We stopped in a café and had some refreshing lemon granita. It was just a lazy walk around. We ended up back at the hotel and rested and finished packing up.
Early evening, we cleaned up and went down to the hotel bar. We’d been given a couple of vouchers for complementary prosecco. We sipped on the bubbly vino and munched on bar snacks for a while, then strolled to a restaurant around the corner for dinner. Vinagre was a nice, modern restaurant. We’d discovered it on our walk earlier in the day. All of the staff was very friendly. Our final dinner in Puglia was very relaxing and yummy. We both had some nice red wine and then Mel tried a special cocktail. It turned out to be very strong, but she persevered and finished it! Back to the room to get to bed – there’d be an early morning alarm clock going off.
MAY 25 SATURDAY
Early morning wake-up. Too early for the hotel breakfast, unfortunately. We took a taxi to airport (25 euros), where we grabbed a quick breakfast at airport. I drank my last Chinnoto (a bitter-flavored cola drink) of the trip.
We departed Bari BRI at 7:30am via Alitalia. We had less than a 1-hr layover in Rome FCO so we had to kind of rush through the airport to catch our connecting flight. Next, the 10+ hour flight to Atlanta ATL via Delta. Nice and uneventful flight. Then a 4-hour layover in Atlanta.
Dinner at Café Intermezzo, of course. Finally, the quick flight (less than an hour) home to Charleston CHS. Arrived at CHS @ 8:30pm.
Priscilla and Giovanni met us at the airport, as they’d be giving us a lift home. Giovanni had seen a picture (of me in Alberobello with a canned drink) that Mel had posted to Facebook. Being Italian, he recognized the drink in my hand and as a surprise, he had a couple of cold Chinnotos waiting for us in the car for the ride home! Talk about a true friend!
Rutledge and Siena (our cats) greeted us at the door and were happy to see us. We were happy to see them, too! What a great trip and celebration of our 15th wedding anniversary. We’re already thinking about where to go for our next trip!
Jul 3rd, 2013, 06:22 AM
#30
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Thank you Robbie for your detailed and wonderful trip report. It was a pleasure reading it. We will be in the Apulia region next year and I appreciate your commentaries about the villages/towns you've visited including restaurants you've eaten at.
Joy
PS. We were going to stay in Taranto before our early flight out of Bari but now that you have mentioned the Sheraton, I think I will just use our points and stay there. It seems a decent and convenient place to stay for our last night.
Joy
PS. We were going to stay in Taranto before our early flight out of Bari but now that you have mentioned the Sheraton, I think I will just use our points and stay there. It seems a decent and convenient place to stay for our last night.
Jul 3rd, 2013, 11:30 AM
#31
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Joy,
I think that the switch to the Sheraton in Bari would be a wise choice. It was very convenient to the airport. I'm sure that you could tell from my TR that the hotel is in a residential area of Bari. We didn't mind this as we'd explored downtown Bari earlier in the trip, plus we used the last few days of our trip as "down" days to relax and prepare for the long trip home. There's plenty of great restaurants very close to the hotel.
Do you know if you will be driving in Puglia, as we did? If so, the navigation system (GPS) in the car was very helpful and made for a much less stressful trip. Melissa was the master of the navi system and I was the driver. We'd get in the car, she'd punch in the destination, and away we went!
In early preparation for the trip, I'd purchased a Michelin map of "Italy South" (map # 564 Regional Italy). Because we ended up with a navi system in the car it was never used (although it was nice to know I had it as a backup, just in case). I don't see a need for keeping the map, so if you'd like it (and are in the US), I'd be happy to mail it to you. It would be my gift to you for taking the time to read my TR! Let me know if you're interested.
You're going to really enjoy Puglia! Please let me know if you have any questions.
Happy planning!
Robbie
I think that the switch to the Sheraton in Bari would be a wise choice. It was very convenient to the airport. I'm sure that you could tell from my TR that the hotel is in a residential area of Bari. We didn't mind this as we'd explored downtown Bari earlier in the trip, plus we used the last few days of our trip as "down" days to relax and prepare for the long trip home. There's plenty of great restaurants very close to the hotel.
Do you know if you will be driving in Puglia, as we did? If so, the navigation system (GPS) in the car was very helpful and made for a much less stressful trip. Melissa was the master of the navi system and I was the driver. We'd get in the car, she'd punch in the destination, and away we went!
In early preparation for the trip, I'd purchased a Michelin map of "Italy South" (map # 564 Regional Italy). Because we ended up with a navi system in the car it was never used (although it was nice to know I had it as a backup, just in case). I don't see a need for keeping the map, so if you'd like it (and are in the US), I'd be happy to mail it to you. It would be my gift to you for taking the time to read my TR! Let me know if you're interested.
You're going to really enjoy Puglia! Please let me know if you have any questions.
Happy planning!
Robbie
Jul 3rd, 2013, 12:12 PM
#32
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Thanks, Robbie.
We will be flying into Brindisi and flying out of Bari. And yes, we will have a car and a gps.
Sorry, I've made a mistake....I meant we were going to stay in Trani, not Taranto [which is quite a distance from Bari].
We will be flying into Brindisi and flying out of Bari. And yes, we will have a car and a gps.
Sorry, I've made a mistake....I meant we were going to stay in Trani, not Taranto [which is quite a distance from Bari].
Jul 4th, 2013, 02:24 AM
#33
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Chucktown dobbs,
Interesting report! I too liked my stay at the Sheraton near the airport for convenience. I can't help but think that the mandorle granita you enjoyed was made with the delicious real almonds of that area, not just an almond flavoring. Almonds are just delicious around Bari.
Tuscanlifeedit,
Indeed the native voice of Matera need to be heard, in all their variety, and not just what has come to be the official story. But it has never been disputed that in the 1950s, everyone agreed that only one-third of the Sassi could be declared uninhabitable by any measure.
Italy was not alone in embarking on hugely destructive urban "renewal" projects from central capitals that had no understanding of the communities they were destroying. And as in other places, the communities themselves were made to feel ashamed, and in the the Sassi of Matera, it reached a point where the historic Sassi was evacuated and used as the town dump. Even Carlo Levi felt obliged to intervene, likening the Sassi to the Grand Canal of Venice, in need of protection. Within 10 years, the government was made to reverse its policy of destroying the architecture, but it took much much longer to recognize that the people had a right to live in their own homes -- by which time it was too late.
It is amazing the amount of energy and determination the locals have to reclaiming Matera as a living city, filled with the children of Matera, living in harmony with nature. I hope they can get beyond being just a tourist stop.
Interesting report! I too liked my stay at the Sheraton near the airport for convenience. I can't help but think that the mandorle granita you enjoyed was made with the delicious real almonds of that area, not just an almond flavoring. Almonds are just delicious around Bari.
Tuscanlifeedit,
Indeed the native voice of Matera need to be heard, in all their variety, and not just what has come to be the official story. But it has never been disputed that in the 1950s, everyone agreed that only one-third of the Sassi could be declared uninhabitable by any measure.
Italy was not alone in embarking on hugely destructive urban "renewal" projects from central capitals that had no understanding of the communities they were destroying. And as in other places, the communities themselves were made to feel ashamed, and in the the Sassi of Matera, it reached a point where the historic Sassi was evacuated and used as the town dump. Even Carlo Levi felt obliged to intervene, likening the Sassi to the Grand Canal of Venice, in need of protection. Within 10 years, the government was made to reverse its policy of destroying the architecture, but it took much much longer to recognize that the people had a right to live in their own homes -- by which time it was too late.
It is amazing the amount of energy and determination the locals have to reclaiming Matera as a living city, filled with the children of Matera, living in harmony with nature. I hope they can get beyond being just a tourist stop.
.
Jul 12th, 2013, 03:10 AM
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Echoing the thanks for taking the time to write this report!
By the way, chinotto is a soft drink made from an sour-orange-like citrus. You can buy it in shops in Italian neighborhoods, and order on Amazon. The same flavoring is used in Campari and other amari (bitter alcoholic beverages)
By the way, chinotto is a soft drink made from an sour-orange-like citrus. You can buy it in shops in Italian neighborhoods, and order on Amazon. The same flavoring is used in Campari and other amari (bitter alcoholic beverages)
Jul 12th, 2013, 03:47 AM
#37
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Thank you for your great report.
It was great to visit Puglia with your report.
I have been wanting to visit this area for several years and am trying to figure out if it can be done by using public transportion.So far I have not had much sucess.
I am a very senior female who usually travels solo and I would not attempt to drive .
Any sugestions ?
It was great to visit Puglia with your report.
I have been wanting to visit this area for several years and am trying to figure out if it can be done by using public transportion.So far I have not had much sucess.
I am a very senior female who usually travels solo and I would not attempt to drive .
Any sugestions ?
Jul 13th, 2013, 06:18 AM
#38
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Thanks all for your kind comments!
Eks: Indeed, we have occasionally found Chinotto in the States in specialty markets. A real treat for us. An acquired taste. Similar to Kinnie in Malta.
TDK: I know that there are buses and trains connecting some of the cities/towns in Puglia, but personally I think that it would be difficult to see/experience this region using only public transportation. It is very rural.
Others may have better info on this front as I knew that we'd have a car and really didn't explore the use of public transport (besides the train from Bari to Trani).
Robbie
Eks: Indeed, we have occasionally found Chinotto in the States in specialty markets. A real treat for us. An acquired taste. Similar to Kinnie in Malta.
TDK: I know that there are buses and trains connecting some of the cities/towns in Puglia, but personally I think that it would be difficult to see/experience this region using only public transportation. It is very rural.
Others may have better info on this front as I knew that we'd have a car and really didn't explore the use of public transport (besides the train from Bari to Trani).
Robbie
Jul 13th, 2013, 09:45 AM
#40
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I really loved reading about your journey - so interesting (and well written!)
Iam hoping to fly to Bari from London for four nights at the beginning of October. I would like to visit Polignano a mare for one night and perhaps one or two other towns. Where would you suggest? We would be travelling by train. I love the sound of Ostuni and Trani but fear I may be being too ambitious. Thank you.
Iam hoping to fly to Bari from London for four nights at the beginning of October. I would like to visit Polignano a mare for one night and perhaps one or two other towns. Where would you suggest? We would be travelling by train. I love the sound of Ostuni and Trani but fear I may be being too ambitious. Thank you.
