There’s no two ways about it: Puglia is a culinary, cultural and photographic extravaganza. Because of Covid our May 2020 trip was postponed to May 2021! And if you would like to set up your own private trip to Puglia let me know. I’ll share it all with you in a deep dive into the food, wine and culture of the region, along with some of the most spectacular photo ops you can imagine.
Breathtaking Polignano a Mare
The week will be an in depth exploration of the region, with visits to places you might never have even heard of but each one will remain etched in your memory for the rest of your life! Get ready for seven days and seven nights jam packed full of a total immersion into the captivating Puglia region.
Why explore Puglia with me?
I’ve lived in Italy 35 years and have spent my time exploring this gorgeous country. I’ve traveled to Puglia many times and driven around seeking out the most exquisite and singular spots in this spectacular region. I speak Italian fluently and chat with everyone I meet, and make new friends everywhere I go. Through my rich network of friendships with locals I get to share in all their unusual, out-of-the-way and treasured places – and foods – of the region. And all this goes into the weeklong trip to Puglia I’ll share with you.
Day one: The orecchiette ladies in Bari & Altamura bread
Our Explore Puglia week starts and ends in Bari, the region’s capital.
Plan to spend the morning strolling around the historic center of this lovely town. One feature of the morning will be our walk down a narrow street where daily local signore are out along the street busily making orecchiette pasta for local shops, restaurants and their own families.
Their hands work at lightening speed so it’s almost impossible to see how they make the orecchiette pasta! But don’t worry: this week you’ll have a hands-on lesson in orecchiette pasta making.
Just at the end of this fascinating street we reach the restaurant for our lunch. This restaurant has been around for many decades; it’s lively and almost always packed. Of course we’ll have to taste some homemade orecchiette pasta made by delightful local ladies.
Right after lunch we’ll be on our way to visit Altamura, a town famous throughout the region and all of Italy for its fabulous bread. First a visit to a grain mill to see how the flour for this delicious bread is milled, plus a look into how they use the flour in pasta making. Naturally we’ll stop at a bakery so you can sample the amazing Altamura bread. And who knows? We might even have a quick bread making lesson while we are here!
After a quick tour through the town we’ll be on our way to our accommodation for the next two nights.
We’ll drive straight through Puglia and into its adjacent region: Basilicata. We can’t explore Puglia without experiencing a few of the magnificent features of this region that’s so closely linked both geographically and culturally to Puglia.
Throughout Puglia and Basilicata a classic and traditional accommodation style is the masseria – a fortified country house, or farmhouse, that’s part of a huge estate. Masserie are speckled throughout Puglia and Basilicata, and most of them date back to the 16th to 18th centuries.
Our masseria is in the heart of the Basilicata countryside. It’s absolutely charming, with an excellent winery featuring some of the region’s top wines.
The masseria dates back to the late 1700s. It’s full of beautiful wide open spaces, stone floors and brick vaults. Its history is deeply linked to the owners of the estate who’ve been working the land of the masseria since the early 1600’s producing olives and grains. Now the family maintains the bespoke masseria accommodation, and have added vineyards and orchards.
The masseria has 10 cozy and comfortable rooms renovated in the traditional Lucan manor house style. Each room is furnished with original pieces from the 1800’s that belonged to the family. The name of each room reflects the history of the family that lived in the room.
Plan to get settled in and ready for a light dinner and orientation on what’s ahead for the rest of the week.
Day two: Making orecchiette & a wine-tasting
Following breakfast we’ll have our first cooking class featuring regional recipes, including orecchiette.
After lunch feel free to stroll around the masseria and its grounds before our late afternoon visit to the award-winning winery and tasting of some of the estates outstanding wines. Our dinner this evening will pair some of these wines with our meal.
Day three: Magical Matera & a cooking class
First thing this morning we’ll say farewell to the masseria and head off for our drive to nearby Matera. Matera is the jewel of the region and the pride of Italy: it’s a world heritage site and the 2019 European Capital of Culture.
Matera has been inhabited since prehistoric times and is described as “one of the most outstanding organized urban settlements ever created in the world, a real masterpiece of human creative genius and capacity to adapt”.
Matera is one of the most photographed places on earth and each and every photograph you see is magical! No matter how often you visit Matera each time you are struck by its beauty and your heart skips a few beats.
As soon as we reach Matera we’ll check into our newly renovated hotel right in the heart of the historic center and then head off to lunch.
The restaurant is just a short 10 minute walk from our hotel. The chef at this renowned gourmet restaurant prepares dishes that are a modern twist on regional classics. We’ll spend the afternoon in a hands-on cooking class with the chef and taste some of his specialties!
Then it’s back to the hotel to freshen up and get ready for a stroll through Matera and a sunset photo op. Afterwards wander off by yourself to do some shopping and have a light dinner on your own or with others from the group.
Day four: Matera, Ostuni, ancient olive trees & a special masseria
This morning we return to the Puglia region. But first plan on a sunrise photo op at dawn in Matera. There’s usually no one around at that hour and the photographs you capture are nothing short of spectacular.
Then we’ll head back to the hotel for breakfast and a morning checkout before we head off to explore Puglia further at our next accommodation and adventure in Ostuni in Puglia.
Our enchanting hotel is right in the historic center of Ostuni and each and every room is well appointed and unique. Here you’ll have a feeling of times gone by in this beautifully renovated hotel that dates back to the 13th century. Each and every one of the rooms is unique, all with a singular view of the city. Many of the rooms still show traces of the ancient stonework of the original building. The hotel also has stunning common areas and terraces with ravishing views.
Once we’re settled into our hotel we’ll head out for a tasty light lunch and tour of Ostuni.
Ostuni, known as the White City, is a splendid town with great food and lovely winding streets and passageways. As you approach this hillside town – just 8 km from the Adriatic coast – you’re dazzled by the splash of white-washed houses and palazzi throughout the town.
Ostuni has a long and fascinating history that dates back many, many centuries. It takes its name from the Greek word astu-neon, meaning new city. Ostuni remained under Roman control until 448AD, and it was later controlled by the Ostrogoths and Longobards. Much, much later on the Bourbons controlled Ostuni and then finally in 1860, when Garibaldi united Italy, the town became part of present day Italy.
Following our afternoon tour we’ll visit a nearby masseria and its spectacular olive groves. Puglia has roughly 60 million olive trees, many of them over 2000 years old! The region also produces 40% of Italy’s olive oil. We’ll have a tour of this masseria and learn about its history before a delightful dinner onsite paired with local wines.
Day five: Polignano a Mare, a cheese tour & the trulli of Puglia
This morning we’re off to one of the most gorgeous seaside towns in the entire region: Polignano al Mare. Each view here is breathtaking: the town seems to spill right into the Adriatic Sea. Needless to say no shortage of spectacular photo ops here! After our stroll through the town plan on a wonderful local seafood lunch.
Following lunch we’ll head off for a cheese producer tour, and then visit three of the most charming “trulli” towns. Trulli are distinctive dry stone abodes with a conical roof. You find them speckled throughout the countryside in Puglia and although initially they served as temporary dwellings for agricultural workers they’re now used for homes and accommodation. These fascinating and delightful little dwellings are found in one town in particular, Alberobello, which is almost entirely comprised of trulli.
A freshly-made cheese tour in Puglia
Day six: Hand-painted ceramics & primitivo wine
Grottaglie is known as the hand-painted ceramics capital of the Puglia region and this morning we’ll stroll through the town and explore some of the local artisan shops.
Probably the best-known wines of the region are made with the local Primitivo grape. This afternoon we’ll taste some of these wines from two acclaimed Pugliese wineries.
Day seven: Explore Puglia in Lecce, the Florence of the South
This morning we head south along the coast to explore Puglia further in the beautiful Baroque city, Lecce, often known as the Florence of the South. Lecce is filled with narrow winding streets, dozens of Baroque-era churches, and columns and gardens of creamy, soft local limestone: Pietra Leccese. This beautiful stone is carved from quarries right in the area, and the distinctive stone is only found in one other place in the world.
Another cooking class today to learn some of the specialty dishes from Lecce. Depending what’s on our menu you’ll learn to make typical pasta dishes from Lecce: perhaps scapece, an ancient Leccese street food. Or maybe polpo alla pignata which for centuries has been cooked in a terra cotta vase.
This afternoon we head back to Ostuni for our last evening and a farewell drink and light dinner together. Tomorrow morning bright and early following breakfast we head to Bari where our Explore Puglia week comes to an end.
Ostuni, the White City of Puglia
For prices and details on what’s included please contact me: flavorofitaly@gmail.com
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