Puglia

I have been a slacker! Last week I spent 5 days in Puglia and I am just now blogging (because I am off to another Medieval town tomorrow, Montelupo, and I have to catch up.) So Puglia, a region in Southern Italy, was amazing! It took 10 hours on a train to get there. I started in Bari, the capital of Puglia. The first night I shopped and shopped and shopped. I don't even like shopping but I had no choice, so many great stores. Not thinking ahead to how I was going to get all this home on a train for 10 hours, much less lug it around for the next four days, I did it anyway. The next day I signed up for a tour to Alberobello and Matera. Alberobello is the town with the whitewashed trulli huts with conical roofs. Our tour guide explained that at the top of the cone if it is flat, it is a regular family. A ball at the top means the family owns multiple properties and a cross atop indicates that someone in the family is a member of the Vatican. It was very steep and very beautiful. Perfect weather and great food! This region is known for olive oil and although I did not buy olive oil, I did purchase a beautiful leather belt and had a delicious Periznotte a thin pastry filled with gorgonzola and walnuts washed down with a cold Peroni and a pistachio pastry...It was 11:00am...gotta love Italy!

Next on the stop was Matera. Matera is an underground complex of cave dwellings carved into the mountainside. Literally a whole city built below ground level. It was interesting, but a half day is all that is needed to walk the city.

Alberobello

Matera

After two days in Bari, it was off to Monopoli. The plan was two days in Monopoli, but after the first day, I was done. Not a whole lot to see. On the suggestion of a friend (thanks Mel!) I went further south down to Lecce. What a great choice. Hands down the highlight of the week. A town of Baroque churches that take your breath away. Also, a new culinary treat... the Pucce! OMG the food just keeps getting better and better. A Pucce is sort of a sandwich made of very very thin crust pastry. I ended up having one for lunch with Burrata and basil and one for dinner with Sausage, cheese and jam.

Monopoli

LECCE!

It's a lot of pics, but I just loved Lecce! If it ain't Baroque don't fix it...BUT put it on your bucket list.