Once again I would like to thank Susan P for her most helpful information about her stay in Bari not long ago.

I am planning a return to Puglia next May; we were in the northern area, including the Gargano, last year, but I have not been anywhere south in about 12 years or so. I have flown into Bari a few times but never stayed in the city.

This May I am planning a stay of several days in a hotel near Fasano and, another, close to Otranto. (either or both can be changed)

But we will surely fly into Bari, a city I would like to explore. I found a great looking (and surprisingly expensive) hotel in Bari with the perhaps unfortunate name of BRA HOTEL.

SO: We will fly in from JFK with one connection, probably in FCO but who knows.

So arrival in Bari on Day #1.
Most of day will be at rest with dinner out.

Second day
Third day
Fourth day

???

I may be allowing too much time for the Bari stay....thisi would be three full days, albeit for two people who take it VERY slow, and one person who will likely be on her own for much of the time outside hotel.

All of you, especially Susan P: Three of four nights in Bari??

We would not likely take any day trips unless to places very close the we might get to by taxi. We have been to Puglia numerous times and have been to Alberobello, Locoratondo, Ostuni, and the like. I ADORE Matera and might include a day trip there, OR to Altamura, where I have been only to the outskirts on a fruitless search for a particular bakery; we were flummoxed by the traffic and lack of parking so ended up just driving through on a main road, but perhaps a day trip to Altamura, from Bari???

The big question is: Are four nights too long?
Mind you, there is nothing I like more than to just wander around walking (but NOT if temperature is much over 72F) and talking with anyone who seems to have the most minimal interest in anything an American tourist might say, in very broken Italian.

I must try that spicy spaghetti alle assassins--surely I have the name wrong but I will figure it our and you all know what I mean....

I also like to look around food markets and am not indisposed to just peek into shops for women's clothing.....anyplace that lets me chat with local people. (I had a wonderful time in Catania last month doing just that...I could pass hours and hours just roaming around, etc....but NOT if it is very hot and I know that weather is a fickle thing.....in any case, the hotel looks nice enough that if it is too hot, we can hang around there and make forays into the city.......)

After the 3 or 4 nights in Bari, we will rent a car (probably at the airport as that must be the easiest place to exit from although I do remember trying to go south from there and ending up about an hour's drive en route to Foggia, instead.......those were the days before I had anything like GPS and was relying on paper maps..it must have been a big annoyance since I still remember this, about 15 our more years later!).

From there, south to Savelletri di Fasano, where we have been a few times....

We are so much older now (or one of us is, as my ageing process has halted) that we just want to relax, eat well, roam around some interesting towns....it's really a relax vacation with a lot off attention to eating. This time I MUST make to Ceglie to which I have never been.

I will have three nights between the hotel in Fasano and the one near Otranto.....would welcome any ideas.....not Lecce, but maybe some inland town int he Salento?? I remember that Specchia and Ruffano were beautiful ( we only drove through and I was transfixed) and I always wanted to go back there...but stay where??
Also Taviano, and Galatina......as this point I have three open days between the hotels near Fasano and the one near Otranto....but this post is mostly about Bari..so I can confirm the number of nights there at the start of the trip.

We will take the car in Bari and probably return it in Brindisi if I can get a good flight back to JFKk from there......

So: 1. How many nights in Bari?

2. Where to stay for 3 nights inland Salento, or even as far west as Nardo/Galatina, Taviano, even the southern tip.....etc. Not Gallipoli, however....been there and have no desire to return....

No experience with Bari beyond flying into it and then heading directly to Polignano, but I did try the Assassin’s Pasta while I was in Matera and was not a fan. It wasn’t particularly spicy and the crunchy texture was off putting to me. I wonder if anyone else might have other opinions to share?

Interesting. Would you mind sharing where you ate this dish in Matera?

I'm surprised that it's even offered in Matera but I suppose it's become very famous due to the USA tv food programs (did I see it on the CNN Stanley Tucci show??) and I think the NYTIMEs ran a story about this dish as well, but I could be wrong there...

I hope you loved Matera; its among my favorite cities in Italy and I was happy that it did not seem to have suffered a huge influx of tourists since our last stay, which I think was about 2004 or so....
You know what I remember about that stay? We arrived just after the news had spread that Osama bin Laden had been captured. And everyone in Matera, once they learned we were Americans, were giving us the thumbs up and shouting how much they loved Obama! So I guess that should let me know exactly when I was in the city the first time!!

Thanks very much for your post.

Consider spending some time in Trani. It's waterfront cathedral is quite impressive, IMO.

Thanks, KJA...I've spent some time in Trani on earlier visits (not stayed there, though) and agree that the cathedral is stellar. That might be a good side trip from Bari on this trip..thanks for the reminder....it would also be great to spend a night or two there but I've already sorted out the plan, more or less, for this time....

You've been to Polignano a Mare?

ek, I spent three nights in Bari, but it was my last stop in Puglia before going to Rome. I generally like to have four nights in my first stop because, as I get older, jet lag seems to affect me more, so I know I won't get much done on the first day. You say you move slowly, but it would be difficult to imagine that you move more slowly than I do!

Whether or not I like a place has a lot to do with the vibe I get. Bari wasn't my favorite place as far as that goes at first, seemed like any city, but it was different just a couple of blocks away on the Adriatic. On the other hand, there didn't seem to be cafes or anything like that along the water to sit and have something to eat or drink while just enjoying the view (like there was in Brindisi, where I flew into out of Newark, which I actually liked better). In the Old Town, just a couple of blocks to the north, there was a much different vibe. Even as slowly as I move, I did the Old Town in one day. The main things are Basilica of St. Nicolas and Bari Cathedral (Cattedrale di San Sabino), both worth seeing. I'll note that in both churches, I didn't go down into the crypt (something I doubt your partner would want to do due to the stairs). I also didn't actually go inside the castle. And if you want to see the ladies making their orecchiette in the street leading to the castle entrance, do it earlier in the day. By the time I got there, it was after 4:00 pm, and they weren't there. I didn't see much in the way of markets except a very small one in between the two churches, nothing you would go out of the way for.

As far as food, I wasn't seeking out places that might be on your list, because, although a few splurges are definitely in order, the high-end places are not generally in my budget. Nice meals are important to me, though, and I look for places with good local food. I had great meals at Piccini 28 and Argiro 52 (I can still taste the Cacciocavalla al forno con pomodorni, origano, sale & olio evo ). On the other hand, I went to Al Sorso Preferito, which is supposed to have the best Spaghetti all'assassina (confirmed by the host at my B&B), and was seriously underwhelmed. Maybe you feel you have to try it, but I agree that it was less spicy than anticipated and VERY dry. Not really good at all.

So, as to three or four nights - since it's your first stop, maybe four, otherwise I would say three. It's for you to decide!

Meant to add, I laughed out loud when you said your ageing process has halted! Please let me know how you managed that!

I absolutely LOVED Matera! I’ve never seen anything else like it and was constantly picking my jaw up as we walked around.

How can one not be awed?



We had dinner here both nights we were in Matera and found the food, beyond the assassin’s pasta quite good.

I suspect your memories of Bin Laden being linked to your time in Matera will be replicated on a smaller scale with the connection between our time in Italy this summer when Kamala Harris became the presumed Democratic candidate after weeks of Italians asking us “wtf is going on in your country?” and “is old man Biden the best you can do?”

You guys are great!

KJA--Yes, been to Polignano a couple of times, but never actually went to that beach that is on every ad for Puglia. No...we had to go to Polignano mainly (please do not laugh) to see the statue of Domenico Mondugno. Had to see it on two different trips to Puglia. I,, of course, had never heard of Polignano's most famous home-town hero but my partner set me straight on that. That town is a jewel......the entire place..along the sea, and in the old area. I suppose we could go again to walk around and see DM again!! By the way, the people of Polignano because angry that once he got famous, he never returned to the town, not helped in any way with his newfound wealth and fame. All that is local gossip gleaned from about three people so who knows if it's true.

Those photos of Matera, NYLIlly, are glorious. I cannot get enough of that town. I also like very much the upper part, above the sassi, where the market is....
I keep repeating this here but if anyone is heading that way, see if you can fit in an overnight in Tursi, which is an easy drive and a fascinating place that I think will find its way onto the tourist map someday.....for the food alone: Wow!


Devoted American fan paying homage to Sr. Mondugno, of Polignano a Mare..note the joy on the onlooker's face!

Mondugno plaque next to statue in Polignano, Puglia

Polignano, 2011--about ten sunbathers on that gorgeous beach, in September. I would give anything to be able to swim there!!!


SusanP: I read your report several times and I love your travel style. I was so surprised at how you loved Brindisi because, although I had flown in and out of there a few times, I never thought for a second about staying in the city. I don't know where I got the image of a scruffy town filled with scruffy ferry-goers. Pretty silly.... I am sure you are right about three days being better for Bari, but also yes, the first day will be a wash...we will rest and go out for dinner. But that still leaves three full days...... I was planning to rent a car upon exiting Bari (next stop is a hotel we've been several times before, outside Savelletri). The older I get, the longer I want to stay in a place....meaning even two nights is too rushed. BUT, we could stop for one overnight between Bari and Savelletri..I have to look at the map. Ceglie is a great food town, or so I've read--maybe find a hotel IN that town. Again, need to look at a map....

I also have three nights free between Savelletri and a place near Otranto.....I found this, which looks lovely; it's on the western side which we don't know as well. BTW: If anyone is heading to Puglia, I loved the small coastal town of Santa Maria al Bagno; these were taken LONG ago in that town, where we had a wonderful lunch, coming from Bernalda (Basilicata) and heading further south:

I can't get them all to post here.....anyway, it's a beautiful little town with a glorious small beach right in the center of town...

Santa Maria al Bagno, Salento



Just to keep things together, this is a hotel I am looking at for the few nights between Savelletri and the Otranto area, outside Alliste. This is an area of Salento that I don't see many travelers on this site get to......true, it's not got the fame of Alberobello, Lecce, even Gallipoli (I did not love the latter town), but some of these small towns in the Salento are really interesting, as long as you keep in mind the there is nothing to do when they close up tight for that long lunch break. I think I mentioned driving through Specchia and Ruffano--those looked like glorious options if one could find a nice place to stay. With the way Puglia has exploded in popularity in the past decade, there are probably many options throughout the region......

Anyway, this is the hotel near Alliste:

GIARDINO DEI PINI
it's resort-ey but should be a great base to drive around, and also to relax. (As if the entire trip were not about eating and relaxing!)

I'd love to hear from anyone who has spent some time, or knows, the towns near the tip of Salento, especially inland and on the Ionian coast...we did stay near Ugento once and that area has lots to offer...

This is an interesting website:


https://italysegreta.com/5-beaches-t...ide-of-puglia/

Glad you enjoyed my report (which I still haven't finished, have to do the last part about Rome - maybe I should do that now!). Yes, I did like Brindisi, such a good vibe, the beautiful Adriatic, fantastic pizza, as good as Naples. Also liked Polignano a Mare and of course have a picture of the statue. I'm afraid I don't have information on the other ones you're talking about, since as usual, I wasn't driving.

I do have a question about Matera, though, since it looks so hilly. Are there a lot of stairs around town with no railing?

eks, I think you would enjoy three days in Bari, since you seem to keep yourself busy with lots of puttering around, poking into food shops, etc. But two full days might work for you as well.

I am one who really enjoyed the spaghetti all'assassina at Sorso Preferito, but I didn't expect it to be spicy and I didn't like my first few bites. It grew on me the more I ate it. Everyone at the restaurant seemed to order it as a true primo piatto, often shared, as part of a larger meal. (I had some tasty mussels as well).

Re: spicy Italian food. I remember once having dinner at Sepia by Niko, a restaurant in Senigallia with a Sicilian chef, and listening to a group of Italian men dining near me. I can't remember what the dish was, but they were opining that it was good but "molto piccante," sounding a bit shocked. And I thought, "What? It's not remotely spicy."

Yes Matera is hilly and there may be stairs without railings. BUT both of us, even when I was in my "bad" period with my back, were just fine......I am sorry I cannot remember all of the steps, but there was always a place I could hold on and not be nervous.

I wanted to stay in the Upper Town for a few reasons..it's flat, for one, and you can then walk down into the sassi area. I could not find a hotel I liked but that is an option for you. But no matter where you stay, you will spend much of your time in the sassi. The streets are mostly stones, and you will be careful about navigating. In no way should you miss this city; it sounds as if you and I are more or less int he same boat as far as mobility....you can walk slowly, like so many others do....and there is always the option of a taxi.....

Let's try to find you someplace near the walkway to the upper town but still IN the sassi areas.......



I meant to post some photos of Tursi, and the ORANGERY RETREAT, where we spent one night, and had a fantastic dinner within walking distance. Tursi is famous for its oranges, which feature in many of the dishes and combine wonderfully with the prime meats of the region.






Our B&B in Tursi, owned and run by the lovely Martina, from London, who relocated to Tursi years ago and renovated this house, and others..

Bathroom at Martina's house, where we stayed: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...asilicata.html

Martina, in a typical Tursi cobbled street...NO OTHER tourists, unlike MAtera, which we also adore...staying here is like traveling back in time, in a delicious way....

The rabatana of tutsi, at night...magical https://dooid.it/en/basilicata-discover-tursi/

Tursi,, Basilicata..the ancient Arab quarter of the Rabatana....this is NOT the Italy you think you know!!!

View of the calanches of Tursi...those folds in the landscape typical to some parts of Basilicata, places with which I have fallen in love...

Main floor of Martina's B&B in Tursi; we had a FANTASTIC dinner in Tursi, at PALAZZO DEI POETI..worth the drive from Matera....Martina came from the fashion industry in London and has made a life for herself, alone, restoring several houses, one of which is the B&B where we stayed only one night.....we saw not ONE other tourists during our 20 hours or so in Tursi..there is also a modern town, below, with all conveniences......we met Martina at the car wash and followed her to our parking spot on the street near her B&B...no issue of leaving things in the car.....this is a magical area of Italy and one which I love very much........Basilicata does not have the tourism infrastructure of some other regions, so you have to dig yourself to find the many gems.......and oooh..the food!!!!
We arrived after our visit to the pepper farm outside Senise..roads are VERY easy and nary another car in sight.

Thanks for the info on Matera. If I were to go there, I would want a hotel with restaurants nearby. I prefer to not have to go far for dinner. I might need to add some to the budget for taxi rides but would rather not have to take one to and from dinner.

I am SURE we could find you great places to eat within an easy walk of your hotel....so start planning!!
And remember that you do not have to stay in a cave room. You can always peek into one, but many are dark inside and not good for reading in bed.
So many Italians came to Matera in the past two decades and opened up B&Bs..very nice ones. I think it's one city where there are plenty of accommodations in all price ranges....

Look, this one is right near TRATTORIA STANO, and the rooms are one flight up..could you manage that? If not, we will find someplace else:
If you do decide to go, I will write to the trattoria that we loved, STANO, and ask them where they recommend close to them, for a moderate price, for someone with some tourlbe walking or climbing.


https://giuliettaneisassi.it/?page_id=145&lang=en


Susan, you really ought to think about going there. It's one of the highlights of Europe, I think.....and lots of cafes to hang out over a limoncello!!!! (see, we know you by now!)





I just booked four nights at the new BRA HOTEL in Bari......arriving mid-May. It is expensive but looks very good. I keep rationalizing that this is the partner's birthday "year," so we can splash out with travel.......and since he, like SusanP, and myself, has trouble walking far and cannot walk fast, we can take it easy, and if we can do a day trip that would be lovely......after staying there, will go to airport to rent a car for the rest of the Puglia vacation. Again, Sixt will be my first choice for a rental.

Thanks for the ideas. I could do one flight of stairs at a hotel but would prefer not to. Is there such a thing as a hotel with an elevator in Matera?😁 You realize, of course, that you want me to go to both Sicily and Matera? Not that I don't want to! (And, believe it or not, Belgium/Paris is also on my list - too many places, not enough time!)

Hope you enjoy Bari. Your hotel is on the same street as where I stayed. Thinking back, there were a couple of clothing stores, although I wouldn't be able to give you a name. On Via Abate Gimma, it would have been in the three-four blocks west of Via Argiro. That is also where I had a great dinner at Argiro 52. If it looks as though the outdoor seating under the tent is full, they bring out many more tables.

So weird--I cannot recall, SusanP, if Hotel Italia, where I stayed in 2023, has an elevator. It seems like it would. It's right in the new part of town, great location, easy walk down to the sassi, but lots of cafes and restaurants to enjoy nearby in the flat part, including the easygoing La Latteria Rizzi. Stano, where I also had a great meal (believe it's in the Osterie d'Italia app, think that's how I chose the restaurant) is a not-steep downhill walk.

https://www.albergoitalia.com/

ek, that place looks good, and I love the price! They have a short YouTube video with outside stairs that I think goes up to the roof. I can do OK without railings if there is the wall of a building there, just need something for a little balance.

​​​​Thanks, Leely, I will take a look at that one as well.

I don't know if it would suit your travel style, but one thing you might consider in Matera is making lunch your major meal. In daylight it's easier to navigate stairs/steep-hills, using walls for a guide where there is no handrail. And then maybe an lighter dinner very near your accommodation, so no major hill or stair trekking in the dark. Just a thought because, although I don't have problems with stairs or walking long distances, I do remember thinking, "Oh, I hope I don't miss a step and trip on these hard stones" while walking around at night.

You might look at Locanda di San Marino -- I loved it!
https://www.locandadisanmartino.it/
Perhaps you know that you can search for hotels with elevators, and rooms that can be reached without stairs, on booking.com?