Puglia

54 photos

Puglia was a pretty stark contrast to London and Rome. It is spread out, much less populous, and very much more laid back.

We spent leisurely days exploring the coastal towns of Polignano and Monopoli.

Then a day trip to the hilltop town of Matera, site of the cliff caves houses of the Sassi, and site of many movies, most recently (as of this writing,) No Time To Die.

Next up was a trip to Alberobello, another hilltop town, with its city center of unique Trulli buildings.

Finally, we headed to Ostuni, known for the fine olive oil produced in the region. We went to an olive oil tasting, and toured around the town itself.

Throughout the trip, we enjoyed amazing meals made with local ingredients. These included many small restaurants (no, I don't take food pictures), but also one night having a local chef come to the villa and teach us how to make local style pizza and pasta. Although we made some progress in learning the techniques, thankfully they prepared a huge, varied meal for us.

It was a very interesting introduction to a part of Italy less frequently visited.