franco

Mostly warm and nice, but certainly no beach weather for most of the time. At the very end of our trip, in early June, we were lucky enough that weather allowed for half a day on the beach - not more. (The next days were among the chilliest and wettest of the whole trip, so it was really just good luck that we could go to the beach at all.)

HG001London

thanks Franca, that is really useful...am feeling a but happier about not staying in the Salento region now. We have booked a viila near locorondo but was feeling a bit jealous of all the beaches in the south, so dont feel so bad now!)

HG001London

ooh one last thing...how about parking that time of year in the smaller towns like locorondo etc etc. Is it really difficult, or ok

thanks again for your help...we are getting a bit nervous as out first time driving in Italy (done France-easy, Mallorca-hmm not so easy)

franco

No problem at all about parking.

HG001London

oh great- thanks Franca

jamikins

HG001London - we are going to Puglia the last week of June and would love to hear about your trip before we go...will you be doing a trip report? (please please please!)

HG001London

haha, yeah i will have my notebook so will be taking lots of notes). 2 weeks in a villa, we are big foodies and this is the main reason for our trip so apologies in advance if its a bit foodie focused!

We are also visiting Matera so will report on that too

jamikins

We are HUGE foodies! Please share anything you find food related!!!

If you click on my name I have a thread out there about our itinerary with recommendations for places to eat.

Happy Planning!

HG001London

oh wow, thanks Jamikins...will go look at it now, you have obviosuly done way more planning than i have yet!

ekscrunchy

Franco you've made a very good point. The hotel options for overnight, though, appear better in the area of Bernalda than they do in Senise. But we could overnight in one of 2 masseria in or near Bernalda, and then drive to Senise on the Monday after phoning the Pennella farm for an appointment.

http://www.masseriacardillo.it/ (cannot tell if they serve lunch or dinner here)

http://www.santeodoronuovo.com/

There seems to be a very good restaurant in Bernalda, for Sunday lunch possibility. Or Sunday dinner. (La Locandiera; website barely functions)

I think we will begin this week in Noci, and from there, make our pepper-seeking foray into Basilicata.

Would you prefer if I started another thread rather than deviating from your report?

franco

Dear ek, if you're about to start your usual planning feast, a separate thread may be preferable, but if it's just about a few more specific questions, I think we can discuss them here, as well - just as you please.
Masseria Cardillo doesn't seem to have a restaurant. From Bernalda, you could also go to Orto di Lucania for dinner (see above), that's only 30 kilometers - not open for lunch, though.

ekscrunchy

Thanks ever so much, Franco. Just bought my air tickets today so I will be moving into full planning mode soon, with all the attendant (and yes, obsessive) questioning. Will start a new thread then but may return here for a few more quick questions...

Had you heard anything about La Locandiera in Bernalda? (I will never convince my "driver" to travel 30 km at night to Orto di Lucania, but they do have rooms there.......)

franco

No sorry, never heard about that place. I wouldn't stay overnight at Orto di Lucania, though, just to have dinner there. The food is very good, but not that spectacular.

ekscrunchy

F: Thanks again! This place looks like a candidate; they do serve Sunday lunch. Not far from Bernalda; listed in SlowFood:

http://www.santeodoronuovo.com/


Do you see any "red flags?"

franco

I think it looks very nice.

dina4

Wow, Franco, what an amazing report. Thanks so much for all the thoughtful and practical information.

I am just starting o plan a trip to Puglia this summer (after having to scrap a trip to puglia a couple of years ago), and I was thinking of basically dividing our time between Lecce and what appears to be a lovely masseria outside of noci. (with an overnight in Matera)
http://www.abatemasseria.it/

I got worried when reading your observations about the area near Noci being disappointing. We thought it would be a good base to see small villages like Locorotundo, Ostuni, and Monopoli, Mottola, etc. We wanted to have a beach day, as well, and lots of good food. I was thinking 3 nights there.

I also plan to book a room at Palazzo Persone in Lecce -- I found that place yesterday online and it looks amazing. Was so happy to hear you liked it so much!

ekscrunchy

I was also planning to begin our trip at the Abate Masseria!

dina4

Oh that's great, eks!
I thought it looked so great.
I am now thinking to spend more time in Lecce so we can do more day trips to the coast.
There's just never enough time!!

I have to find your last puglia report and take notes on all your restaurants. i always love your reports!

franco

Abate Masseria seems actually like a good example of what I was trying to describe: while the masseria is certainly lovely, judging from their website, the immediate surroundings are the communal soccer and tennis fields (with the inevitable concrete shacks), and a car repair service. You can even see that in the aerial view on their own website, and on Google Street View, you can "drive" almost up to the access gate to the masseria. Now that's certainly no desaster, but certainly not quaint, rural and romantic either, i.e. not what most people seem to figure when thinking of the trulli region.
Actually, no need to be worried - just to be prepared in order not to be disappointed! Obviously, everybody wants to stay at a trullo or a masseria when visiting the region, and so did I, after all; however, for my next visit, I'll go and find myself a nice accomodation in Cisternino or Martina Franca center.

ekscrunchy

Franco: In the days since I wrote the above I have just about discarded the idea of staying there, especially since I've already had the experience of staying in a trulli (Villa Cenci outside Cisternino).

I had selected Abate for its proximity to Bari Palese (we will arrive after an overnight flight from New York), a reportedly good restaurant in Noci, Antica Locanda, and (dare I write this?) their swimming pool, as I love to take a long swim after flights or long days of sightseeing.
(Dina, please see: http://www.pasqualefatalino.it/)


But I now see that the drive from the Bari airport to points in Basilicata (Matera, Bernalda, Pisticci) is not much longer than the drive to Noci. So I have shifted gears and am now trying to work out where to stay in THAT region (did not receive a response from the agriturismo San Teodoro Nuovo I wrote to a few days ago). I have a total of 9 nights and 4 of those will be spent near Fasano. So any sightseeing in the "trulli zone" can be done from Fasano near the end of our stay.


I think it is soon time for me to begin a new thread, even if you and I alone will continue to discuss! I've not done so yet because I keep vacillating between options for the first part of our trip, always keeping in mind the goal of the Senise peppers!