PUGLIA AND BASILICATA ROAD TRIP: ALBEROBELLO

Some lovely pictures and memories from Alberobello have been waiting to be shown and told for a while now. It's been a busy summer and I neglected blogging a little, but since it's October already, I have decided to try posting more regularly! :)

In my last two posts I talked about our roadtrip to the beautiful Italian south, the region of Puglia, where we first visited the town of Trani and then the Gargano National park. The road led us further to the countryside, to the magical land of trulli and famous Alberobello.

The trulli are traditional white washed houses with peculiar conical roofs made of limestone. They have been built in a special building technique without using mortar since prehistoric times. For centuries, people have been living in those dwellings, and they still do in this part of Italy. Seeing people actually living there was so interesting that I couldn't resist from peeking through the open doors and tiny windows.

I had high expectations of Alberobello, and thought I might be dissapointed since I was told that it was pretty touristy, but I loved it, and it as charming (if not more!) as I imagined.

We spent a night in a beautifully restored old masseria (main buildings of the former agricultural properties scattered throughout southern Italy). This B&B, La Piccola Corte, was one of the most relaxing places I've been to, as it had a secluded courtyard with a lemon tree, seating area, amazing lighting by night and two lovely cats (a mom with her playful kitten). If I ever go back to Puglia, I would love to spend a few days there, just relaxing and reading hidden in this beautiful courtyard.

The owner of the masseria was very helpful in suggesting us what to see and where to eat. Alberobello is obviously very touristy, but she showed us on the map the residential part of the city, where there are no shops and no crowds, only "the colours white and grey" as she said.

Alberobello is conveniently small, and you can reach all of its highlights in one lovely walk. We headed to see the Trullo Sovrano first, the only two storeyed trullo in Alberobello, dating back to 19th century and obviously built by a wealthy family. It's a museum now, and you can see how people used to live in the trulli. For me, the interesting part was that it had two large kitchens but two tiny bedrooms, despite being owned by a wealthy family.  It seems like the kitchens were the heart of the house, the main social area of the family.

There was a wedding going on in a nearby church, Basilica dei SS. Medici, and a couple of men were decorating the cars- the scene was so charming and profoundly Italian, that we had to take some photos! 

From Trullo Sovrano we took a walk to the panoramic viewpoint, where a cityscape of cone shaped roofs lighted in afternoon sun opened up before us- we enjoyed the (certainly not everyday) view but also took some photos, like true tourists. 

Following our host's advice, we headed to the residential area of the town, located on the left side of the viewpoint. As she said, there were no tourists, shops or restaurants, just the peculiar neighbourhood of trulli. The contrast between tiny houses built in ancient building technique and items of modern day life was especially interesting: here and there trough an open door or window, we'd see a plasma TV in the middle of a small stone vaulted livingroom, or a shower gel on loophole bathroom windows.

The main, touristy trulli area is also charming, regardless of overpopulation of souvenir shops and people wandering everywhere. There are lots of flowers on the streets, colorful ceramics and textile in front of the shops, and a good thing is that by visiting any shop you get to see what the interior of the trullo looks like! 

Among souvenir shops one can still find nice local worskhops selling ceramic or traditionally made textile. We found some beautiful art pieces to take home from Alberobello, and although we were flying only with hand luggage, we managed to fit in a beautiful "sea-urchin" lamp (which now shines in thousand dots on the walls of our livingroom), ceramic souvenirs for our family, and two lovely tablecloths with traditional patterns. 

We had a tasty dinner at a restuarant called Favola in Tavola (another of our host's good advices). It was a cozy and nicely furnished restaurant which played one of our favorite albums, Eric Clapton's Unplugged- all that accompanied by great food made for a beautiful evening in Alberobello.

We even had some room for dessert in well known gelateria Mille Voglie (visited by Giorgio Locatelli and Andrew Graham Dixon in amazing travel series Italy Unpacked). 

This summer there was a Light Festival in Alberobello, dedicated to Vincent van Gogh (as it was 125 year anniversary of his death). The streets, the roofs, and the walls of the houses were lighted by images of Van Gogh's famous works, and it kind of made a magical atmosphere in the city. We enjoyed the walk in blueish light of Van Gogh's works and other light instalations, and few times during the evening the power broke down, so we got to see how Alberobello lighted by the moon looked like. 

Alberobello is one of those rare places that regardless of their popularity among tourists from around the world and the side effects that popularity brings, still is beautiful, charming and beyond any doubt, worth visiting.

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PUGLIA AND BASILICATA ROAD TRIP: THE GARGANO PENINSULA

La vita è bella on the Gargano peninsula. And to make it even sweeter, try staying at a local hacienda. We picked one by chance, I panicked that there will be no nice accommodation left and impulsively booked a room without really knowing that it was going to be a relaxing hacienda in a lovely setting. The B&B Shanti is located about 5 km from the town of Vieste towards the inland, with a view of olive groves and pine trees, as well as the sea in the distance. Gargano is one of Italy's 24 (!!!) National Parks and is considered to have one of the most beautiful coasts in Italy. The peninsula is situated in the region of Puglia, and covered in lush Mediterranean pine tree forest and olive groves.  

July in southern Italy is really hot, so we spent mornings and evenings bathing, eating and walking the crowded streets of Vieste, but during the day we would just stay in on our hacienda, lying on one of the terraces, enjoying the view and the scent of the Mediterranean (and drinking lots of water!). There were a few cats keeping us company and the one called Silvio was the funniest as he was reacting to his cool name and he would peak his head through the curtains of our room from time to time. 

The breakfast at B&B Shanti puts a smile on your face (and lots of tasty Italian food in your belly)- nonna's cake, homemade jams, mozarella with tomato, bruschette, prosciutto, local cheeses, ricotta with chocolate, the crunchy taralli (typical Pugliese salty snack), watermelon skewers, a bowl of fruit, all home made and local grown, of course. 

As the hacienda is located on steep terrain, there are multiple terraces planted with olive trees, lavender, rosemary, palms, fig trees, agavas, there is a buzzing of the bees and flies in the air, a quick movement of the lizzards on the hot stone, and a sparkling light in the olive branches. Have you ever noticed how beautiful the olive trees look in the sun and how their leaves quiver and emanate the silver and green light? I tried to catch it on my photos!

As for the beaches, I read about how Gargano peninsula was once (in the remote past) connected to what now is Dalmatia, and how it resembles the Croatian coast, and so Croatian that I am, I decided that it would be best to spend our beach time in Puglia right here. :) As we started driving the Gargano peninsula, it really did remind us of Croatian coast, especially Croatian islands, with its thick pine forest and rocky coast with beautiful bays, but the color of the sea was different, and as we proceeded to the town of Vieste, the kilometers long sandy beaches appeared (uncommon on Croatian coast), accompannied by the "forest" of parasols, beach bars and restaurants, hotels, and all that we thankfully didn't have in Croatia few years ago, but it started to appear lately.

Nevertheless, there are some pretty amazing sandy and pebble beaches that aren't spoiled by mass tourism, and the funny thing is that you just have to walk to them for 10 minutes and there is immediately 90% less people! The sand is fine and clean, without unpleasant surprises in form of seagrass or sharp rocks, and the sea is so warm, I have never bathed in such a warm sea! Oh how we enjoyed it, we would stay in the water for hours, and I think I haven't enjoyed the sea that much since I was a kid, and my lips would turn blue and my fingertips would shrink from the endless playing in the water. It was extremely hot those days, but in the afternoon the sea seemed warmer than the air!

The town of Vieste is a romantic site, perched atop of a steep rock above the sea, a labyrnth of narrow streets filled with all sorts of knick-knackery, and a hoard of tourists spreading in all the directions. But the town is still charming, packed with lovely retaurants, and there is a bar called Carpenter that has an amazing view, good music, coctails and nibbles. We ate good in Vieste, seafood of course in a delightful ambience of restaurant Al Cantinone.

We ate even better on a ranch situated not far away from our hacienda, called Ambrenella. Based on their good reviews, we decided to check it out, and as we followed the sign from the main road it didn't look promising. It was a dark narrow road, passing trough an olive grove, and the drive seemed quite long at that moment. Then we arrived to a buzzing, rustic restaurant, filled with both locals and tourists, and the delicious smell of the grill convinced us that it was going to be a great evening. We were greeted warmly and seated on a charming terrace surrounded by the greenery and decorated in a rustic way.

We decided to eat local and typical of the area, so we ordered some olives, bruschettas, grilled caciocavallo cheese and orechiette- homemade pasta in form of a little ear (hence the name), which is a regional dish of Puglia. One with cime di rapa, and the other with tomato sauce. Cime di rapa are also typical for this region, and those are esentially the turnip leaves. The dish tasted earthy and heart warming, a real cucina casalinga (home cooking), which reminded me of the local Croatian dish which my grandmother used to make, the pasta with cabbage (literally translated from Croatian "Cabbage patches"). You can imagine that we really enjoyed this dinner, and if you're ever in Vieste or Gargano peninsula, do visit this place, it will pay off!

Three days we spent here just flew by, and it was a proper vacation, three days of sun, sea, good food and resting in the shades. Our next destination was Alberobello, and we were a bit sad that we had to leave the seaside. But Alberobello was wonderful, as expected, and you can read all about it in my next post. In the meantime, I would love to hear from you, with your advices if you've been to Gargano, questions if you're planning to go, and impressions of this post in general. 

PUGLIA AND BASILICATA ROAD TRIP: Trani

Trani was the first town we visited on our recent road trip through Puglia and Basilicata, and alongside Matera, which left a deep trace in my heart and in my mind, might be my favorite.

It may not be the most beautiful, the cleanest, the greenest or the most organised town I've been to, but for some reason it got under my skin, in a way that I would love to return, not just once as a tourist, but as if I was visiting old and dear friend.

I can not define what exactly made me feel connected to this town.

Maybe it's the beautiful park of Villa Comunale which stands like an oasis of green between the sea and the stone paved streets of the town behind, overlooking the port and the majestic cathedral of San Nicola Pellegrino.

Maybe it's the kids, loads of kids, playing in the park and on the streets, tag, football, or whatever game kids used to play outside, a view uncommon these days.

Maybe it's the simple beauty of the romanesque seafront cathedral, which dominates the townscape, both by day and night, and the square in front of it which becomes a lively meeting place in the evening.

Maybe it's the baker in the supermarket, who seeing that we are in doubt of which pie to choose said: "Questa. Melanzane e pomodoro. Buonissima. Te lo consiglio io." ("This one. Aubergines and tomato. Delicious. I recommend it.").

Maybe it's the golden hour, which makes the town and its port emanate golden, pink, and orange shades.

Maybe it's the colorful boats in the port, and the fishermen selling fresh fish directly on the boardwalk.

Maybe it's because it reminds me of my favorite Croatian coastal town Rovinj, a place where I used to spend happy summers when I was a kid.

Maybe it's the perfect seafood dinner we had in a beautiful restaurant called Osteria Frangipane (if we were living there, we would certainly call it "ours"). I still can't get over the fried little red mullets, best fried fish I've ever had.

Or the happy morning we spent eating fresh and fragrant croissants (cornettos, as Italians call them) in Bar Centrale, my new favorite breakfast spot in all of Italy.

Despite all of that, there are literally no foreign tourists in Trani in July. Maybe some Italians, but also scarce. There are no crowds in front of the cathedral, no full restaurants for dinner, no tourist menus, no plastic flip flops and tacky beachwear stores. Only golden cobble stoned streets, white cityscape, and simple everyday life by the sea.

I realize that someone might not like Trani as much as I did. It may take only one rainy day or lousy restaurant to take the magic away, but with me and Trani it all just clicked perfectly.

Discovering the well kept secrets of Trentino

We are always up to discovering a new nature escape, especially if it's a) a lake b) off-the- tourist radar. So when I read a little passage about Lago di Ledro in Lonely Planet Italy guide (I find the most interesting places and experiences in those separated excerpts) I got curious, and when I found a perfect b&b to spend a night in there, I was convinced that we have to go.

The lake is situated in the northern Italian province of Trentino, about half an hour drive from Riva del Garda, a city located on the northern tip of the lake Garda. Given the proximity of the two lakes, Ledro is surprisingly peaceful and "undiscovered" compared to Garda.

After a really long drive along the busy riviera of Lago di Garda (as always, we decided to skip the highway and drive the scenic road by the lake, but, as always it took too long), we were anxious to finally get to the lake. 

We were tired from the never-ending drive and not so overwhelmed with the mass tourism of Lago di Garda, but when we caught a first glimpse of Ledro and tucked our feet into its green water, we knew it would be a lovely two days!

Our b&b Enjoy Ledro in Pieve di Ledro was really neat- every room was decorated in different style, and we chose to stay in the Alpine-hut styled room in the attic with sweet wooden details. Our host, Beatrice served a lovely breakfast- raspberry milkshakes, homemade pies, tiny jars of cheesecakes with the background music played on a gramophone. Very cool.

But, the best part of our stay was the fact that she also provided city bikes for her guests, and the two of us made the most of it. :) Cycling tracks connect the nearby villages and there is a route that circles around the lake, but there are parts where the track disappears and you have to drive on the main road, alongside with the cars. Since the traffic around the lake is not that dense, that wasn't a problem.

The cycling/walking path around the lake is beautiful, and so is the lake itself. As you change your point of view, so does the water color- it's dark blue, turquoise, dark green or just crystal clear in the shallows. The water is really clean and the temperature is good for bathing- it reaches 24 degrees Celsius in the summer months, which is pretty high for an Alpine lake. 

I liked the fact that the lake is not overcrowded with tourists, and there was just about right amount of swimmers, walkers, yachstman and cyclists to make it a lively but relaxing place.

For some people, the tropical beaches represent the perfect escape, for other the Mediterranean sun, but for me it's the mountains and the lakes. There is nothing more fulfilling then breathing the crisp mountain air with a profound woody scent, soaking up the sparkling greenery of alpine meadows, watching the clouds accumulating over the mountain peaks or the traces of misty fog surrounding the fir trees, and above all, resting my eyes on the changing colors of the lake waters.

I always think about how some people are lucky enough to call those places home, and imagine what it's like to live there, what's their daily routine, do they miss the buzz of the city, or does the nature make up for the things one might miss when living in a small community. I'd like to try it out for myself sometime. :)

Thanks to our host, we discovered a perfect agrotourism called Agritur La Dasa, situated above the nearby village of Bezzecca. They're producing their own dairy and meat products, but also serve hearty local meals for lunch and dinner. We enjoyed the cheese plate (the smoked riccotta is something special), home made spinach gnocchi (so soft and gooey) and delicious pasta al ragu. Few can beat their location- you can enjoy the view of the lake from their terrace or the greenery of nearby meadows and mountains, and if you visit by night, in the silence of the valley, you can hear the cows chewing the grass just below the terrace. 

The whole family works on a farm, with father being the head chef, who speaks only the local version of Italian but is more then happy to hang around and explain the menu to his guests. When I asked him if they had Tripadvisor (with intention on writing an excellent review) he didn't understand what was I talking about. Then his wife told us that she heard about it, but they were not using it. It was the middle of the week, and they were full for dinner. Well, that speaks enough about the quality of their products.

Our stay was short, and we spent most of or time by the lake, because it works like a magnet for peace and calm longing visitors, but next time I'd love to explore more of this extraordinary beautiful region. I feel like we just scratched the surface of what Trentino has to offer. 

The delights of Istrian countryside

Most of us travel to see new places, experience new things, taste new flavors, but at the same time, we often overlook the beautiful places and experiences just around the corner. Example, we travel pretty often to Italy, and Italy is truly wonderful, but so is Croatia. We do not travel nearly that often to beautiful places in Croatia or more specific Istria, because it's home, something too familiar, something we can visit anytime. And so it happens that we spend some time every summer climbing the Slovenian or Austrian Alps, but never climbed Croatian Velebit. 

That's why we decided to explore Istria bit by bit, to try out all the local specialties, to drive all the roads and to get to know the little places not so many people heard about.

All of them are just a day trip away, and this time we did a little tour around northern Istrian hilltop towns, which included Visnjan, Groznjan, Buje, and Motovun.

Each of them is known for something: Visnjan for its planetary and the events connected to it, Motovun for its film festival, Buje for its beer brewery, and Groznjan as the seat of musicians and artists. 

The thing that they have in common is obviously that they're located on the hilltops, they're all overlooking the Istrian countryside (there are some fantastic views!), and the beautiful local architecture: stone houses, narrow cobbled streets, baroque churches and loggias...

My personal favorite is Groznjan, because of its artsy vibe, loads of flowers, music that reaches out around the corner and beautifully restored stone houses. There are some chic bars, restaurants, and lovely art shops to spend your money in :). If we were tourists and if this was foreign to us, we would have been blown away! I suggest visiting in May or July, as it was just crowded enough to be lively but not overflowed with tourists. 

Motovun is both an amazing sight as seen from the river Mirna valley, and an amazing viewpoint of the hilly countryside and orange rooftops. There is a walk that circles around town upon the city walls, and from there you can admire the beautiful landscape of all four sides of the world (namely, Istria). The city loggia looks like a frame for the landscape picture behind it, and I can imagine it being the most photographed site in Motovun. And if you're a film enthusiast, there is a perky film festival held here every year in July.

The main square of Buje is a vast open space with the church od San Servolo, giant (50 meters high) bell tower, Venetian style palace, city hall, school and a pillory which once served for punishment and public humiliation, and now serves as a flag holder. The peculiar facade of San Servolo church is made out of brick with reused building material from ancient and medieval buildings called spolia built in it. If you look at the facade you will recognize them as the white stone parts popping out of the brick. For a bird view of the town and its surroundings, climb the bell tower (there is a grid protecting the tower from the pigeons so it's a bit difficult to take nice shots with your photography gear, but we took a few anyways :)).

As every Istrian hilltop town, Visnjan offers some great views from the square and the loggia in front of the neoclassical church of St Quiricus and Julietta. The cobbled streets are adorned with flowers and there is a nice arbored walk with chestnut trees giving much-needed shade to the main street. If you're into astronomy, Visnjan has a planetary that's doing a good job in education, especially of younger ones. There is also a pretty cool event called Astro Fest held every 21st of June, where people gather to welcome the summer solstice. The lectures on astronomy, ethno music, dance and games last until the first rays of sun appear.

After a long day of wandering we had to have lunch, and we wanted to try a restaurant near Buje which made it to the top in Istria on Tripadvisor, but thanks to our luck it was Wednesday, and they do not work Wednesdays (that is so typical of our trips!!). We found an alternative, easily, and enjoyed some tasty Istrian cheeses, olives and olive oil, pasta with truffles and ravioli with sea bass. I can understand why Istria is making its way to a foodie destination!

The best part of Istrian countryside day trips is that, if you're tired, if it's too hot, if you ate too much (fill the gap by personal preferences), you can always be at the seaside in less than an hour and take a swim in the beautiful Adriatic!

What are your thoughts on traveling close to home and what is the most beautiful place close to your home? I'd love to hear about it, and maybe get inspired for the next adventures (away from home). :)