Puglia, feels like the Norfolk of Italy, extremely flat with lots of wind farms and not particularly stunning, it has more of an agricultural feel to it. It’s located just above the heel of Italy but within this plain expanse there are little pockets of prettiness.
Day One
Arriving at Brindisi airport (or Bari airport also close), it was then a two hour drive to Alberobello, the town famous for the walnut whip roof design on the Trullo houses. On approach, I wasn’t sure if my sat nav was correct as I appeared to be in a very modern, unattractive town with a dedicated pedestrian area linking the old trullo houses. With restaurants and ice cream shops through the centre and most of the trullos now souvenir shops and not actual homes, it felt more like a theme park than an historical area. I stayed for about 30 minutes maximum, and was disappointing.
Next stop Matera, and on approach, my heart sank again, I was entering an ugly looking modern town with no sign of the picturesque old town that was featured in the James Bond 007 film, No Time to Die starring Daniel Craig. Once parked I spotted an old brown heritage sign with ‘Sassi’ so I hoped this would lead to something a bit more visually appealling. Instant relief, at the end of one of the main promenades as you come across a wonderful sight, the old part of Matera, perched on the side of the hill and in the distance the old caves. This place is well worth a visit and the area is sprinkled with restaurants and bars, where you can sit and absorb this unusual place.
Onto the Hotel Torre Fiore, just outside Pisticci, an old renovated flour mill overlooking vineyards and the Ionian sea. Complete with pool and very well furnished rooms, this was the perfect location for a wedding celebration and a chance to sample the local orichette pasta plus tiramisu for pudding. Hotel Torre Fiore
Day Two
Time for a quick trip to the small town of Bernalda, where film director Francis Ford Coppola’s family have transformed the Palazzo Margherita into a 5 star hotel. You cannot enter the hotel unless you are a guest but there is a cafe next door, full of photos of old film stars and a welcome stop for a drink and a slice of yoghurt cake. Palazzo Margherita
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