Hello Fodorites,

Almost done with our Puglia trip but have one week of a questionable plan. I have read with enthusiasm all the recent trip reports on Puglia and have planned this week with those in mind.

We will be spending a week in Abruzzo and then driving from Sulmona to Puglia in mid-October. From there we plan:

1 night in Vieste in a B&B to be determined (any suggestions)

2 nights in Trani (possibly Albergo Lucy)

2 nights at Lama di Luna near Andria

2 nights in Matera

2 nights near Ostuni in a masseria to be determined (Torre Maiza is out of our price range).

After this week we head to Galatina for a full week's rental and then return to Rome for one week before flying home. Because we have rentals for 3 of the 4 weeks we are in Italy we don't object to the short stay plan.

Would appreciate any comments or suggestions. We had planned to trip over to the AC for this week, but decided to save it for another trip and see as much of Puglia as possible in the 3 weeks we are in southern Italy.

Cindy I will be happy to chime in in a day or two, once my house guests leave and I have more time..just wanted you to know that you are not being ignored here!

Where are you staying in Galatina, if I may ask?

Thanks, Esk, I was hoping you would see this post.

Tedgale, http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/p40...link_LPjjROP_1

Looks gorgeous. Our big splurge. I was happy to hear that Franco liked Galatina.

Still hoping for suggestions.

If memory serves me right (eks correct me please if not), Conversano is not that far from Ostuni. And if so, I can recommend Agriturismo Montepaolo. The place is beautiful, as are the rooms and the price was right when we were there several years ago. The offered at the time a dinner every evening for 20 Euros per person which was a very full meal. Sometimes the meals were better than other nights but still I thought it was worthwhile. Meantime, since we were there they have expanded and remodeled and it looks even better now !!

Hi - we did a similar trip last year (I have a trip report), staying in Vieste and Castellana Grande, with day trips throughout Puglia. We would love to return to Trani - simply the prettiest marina anywhere. Polignano al Mare is also worth a trip, in addition to Ostuni, Alberobello, etc. Driving from Vieste through the "Foresta Umbra" was such a wildly different experience in Italy - incredibly memorable. If you get a chance, get to Lecce - we had a fabulous, very authentic lunch at Alle due Corti...the owner's hands have been photographed for the UNESCO World Heritage site, for her devotion to authentic Pugliese foods. Enjoy!

Conversano is close enough to be a good base for that area. From there you can visit Ostuni and the trulli zone.

I did not visit this place but passed it many times. It is off the main road between Ostuni and Fasano so is very well located. They are famous for their prepared vegetables and other farm products. I like the little hamlet of Speziale, as there are several masserie restaurants nearby, as well as a great cheese maker/provision store. The coastline of Torre Canne/Savelletri, is very close.


http://www.agriturismonarducci.it/eng/prezzi.html



This one is another option nearby:


http://www.borgosanmarco.it/index_en.php?mggal=5

That is precisely the house I want to stay in! I bookmarked it last year but it was not available when we went to Puglia.

When in that corner of the region, there are some smallish and little known places you shd not miss.

Nardo' is just one example: full of character and beautiful Baroque architecture. Pop. about 3,000, I believe. Another under-appreciated gem is Ugento. Gallipoli blew me away, too.

Check out my trip report from last year -- just click on my name.

Here is a link to my photo album:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...cbb02be&type=1

ttt

Thank you so much for your input. As you well know, not much is out there on Puglia, so any experience is really appreciated.

Flame and Esk, thank you for suggestions for masserias, have emails off to all.

Maria thanks for reinforcing our stop in Vieste.

Tedgale, yes, i did read your trip report and made our travel decisions to visit Puglia based on your trip reports and those of Flame, Esk, Franco, and Maria. I will report back on rental and Galatina stay. I can say that Mark, the owner, has been very communicative, as has been our owner in Bugnaro in Abruzzo (another place with little forum info).

Still not set on Vieste stay. Any suggestions? Also wondering how far in advance to make reservations for recommended restos in and near Montegrosso?

Logistical question: we are returning our rental auto to Brindisi airport and the taking train to Rome. Anyone know if there is preferable way to get from airport to train station in Brindidi?

Thanks to all - hoping this will generate even more discussion on Puglia. Just watched HGTV House Hunters International on Ostuni ----- very pumped!


Also, wondering if 4 nights in Trani/Montegrosso area is too long. We are usually slow travellers, but want to see as much of Puglia as possible in the time we have there and anticipate we will be somewhat slowed down by the time we reach Galatina.

For the restaurant Antichi Sapori in Montegrosso you should book a couple of weeks ahead, or so I was told.

Remember that Montegrosso itself is a speck of a village--there are only one or two shops and a few houses, from what we saw. Minervino Murge is larger and would probably be worth a visit.

Four nights there might be 1 night too long since you are keen to see other areas of the region. YOu certainly could fill that time because there are several interesting towns along the shore including Barletta and others that we did not have time to visit....but even then, I wonder if you might not be better with 3 nights in the Trani area so you could add to the Ostuni potion, where there is much to occupy you on daytrips...


Let's hope that others will chime in on that subject..

We stayed in Peschici last September having decided to go there instead of Vieste. We didn't see anything by way of accomodation in Vieste that grabbed us.
We stayed in Baia Scirroco B&B in Peschici www.baiascirroco.it/
We'd really recommend this. Easy walk from restaurants-but finding it in the first place is something else! My husband who was map-reading took me to a street in the middle of the town with an elderly lady sitting in the evening sunlight watching us. The road stopped there but when he went to look he disappeared down the edge of a cliff on a footpath and we were in the right place after all. To get there by car involved a detour of about a mile!
Lovely owner and daughters and dogs. She makes really good cake for breakfast- the red wine and chocolate one was fab!
Her brother also has a B&B about two miles outside town with a pool. I thought I had the details but I can't find them at the moment . Let me know if you're interested and I'll search.
We went to Vieste for the day and walked near one B&B we'd considered . It was on the sea-front and looked as if it had building work going on. Yet when we checked after returning home it was open. I'd have been a bit disappointed if I'd turned up with a reservation there to find those conditions.

We really enjoyed Puglia and thought of returning next month but we're now going to Sardinia. We'll be back next year though.

We stayed in Peschici last September having decided to go there instead of Vieste. We didn't see anything by way of accomodation in Vieste that grabbed us.
We stayed in Baia Scirroco B&B in Peschici www.baiascirroco.it/
We'd really recommend this. Easy walk from restaurants-but finding it in the first place is something else! My husband who was map-reading took me to a street in the middle of the town with an elderly lady sitting in the evening sunlight watching us. The road stopped there but when he went to look he disappeared down the edge of a cliff on a footpath and we were in the right place after all. To get there by car involved a detour of about a mile!
Lovely owner and daughters and dogs. She makes really good cake for breakfast- the red wine and chocolate one was fab!
Her brother also has a B&B about two miles outside town with a pool. I thought I had the details but I can't find them at the moment . Let me know if you're interested and I'll search.
We went to Vieste for the day and walked near one B&B we'd considered . It was on the sea-front and looked as if it had building work going on. Yet when we checked after returning home it was open. I'd have been a bit disappointed if I'd turned up with a reservation there to find those conditions.

We really enjoyed Puglia and thought of returning next month but we're now going to Sardinia. We'll be back next year though.

Vieste is a rather distant memory now, but we spent a few days of September 2009 at the Lucy in Trani, and really enjoyed our visit... so it was most flattering when they chose to use a few photos of mine on their website.

You'll find those amongst others from around the Regione, here...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/pugliagen

Just too many lovely places!

Peter

ttt

Well, glad to see the tt. We are now, in fact, in Praiano having a rainy day catching up on email, reading etc. We ended up spending a week in Abruzzo which we loved, loved, loved. Moved on to Trani which we also liked very much, 1 night in Matera using Nadia Garlatti as a guide (fantastic) but found it a little dour (Matera, not Nadia) but very interesting.
We moved on to Praiano and love the amazing topography but believe we could have done with 3-4 days instead of a week. Had a very good day in Pompeii and when the weather clears tomorrow will take the Walk of the Gods and finish with a trip to Paestum before we leave for our return to Puglia, heading for Galatina.
What we have experienced in Puglia in our brief stay in Trani bodes well for the rest of the trip..the best fish we have ever had (and we are from Seattle) at Corte in Fiore - very much any urban city in the world kind of place but wonderful fish preparation. When the trip is over I will write a trip report, especially for Abruzzo and Puglia for which there Is a dearth of information.
We are so sorry for any fellow travelers out there whose plans have been disrupted in Rome or Cinque
Terre as well as the citizens who have lost so much.

Looking forward to your trip report!

Me, too. Very much looking forward to it!!