Called the sun bleached heel of Italy – the region boasts of longest coastline of mainland Italy and Lonely Planet does better justice than I ever can, to the region.
From Munich I flew Alitalia to a quaint Bari airport. Couple of hours of wait, coffee shots and buttery fluffy croissants later – I was joined by my sister. We look like twins and with dark hair and darker eyes – we could almost pass off as locals.
At a 25 mins drive from the airport, we had a week long stay at a enchanting 1927 Stone cobbled Unahotels Regina at Nociattaro.
An evening walk around in Torre A Mare followed by a hearty seafood meal where we were served the main course with a flourish and shy Hindi translation of “you girls are beautiful!” after having been told we were from India. Needless to say we giggled like schoolgirls and went “Awww” - Italian Men! We could (and probably should) dedicate an entire blog post if not a book on the beauty and the unaware charm of these delicious specimens.
There was a time when strangers on the side of the roads doubled up as guides and maps; and getting lost in an unknown city in an unknown country was part of experience; the discovery of a beaten or unbeaten path to the destination made up the family legacy stories for generations. Google Maps made it an easier prop of the stories now.
Hence, ensconced within, a 300 Euros a Day S 560 4MATIC Sedan chauffeured by very amiable Giovanni - we made our way to:
the UNESCO Heritage Village Site of Alberobello – famous for its white limestone huts with conical rooftops called Trulli - some dating as long ago as Bronze Age. The place makes you believe in magic. It is magic
Via the meandering hilly highways lulled by the hum of the car we went on the idyllic cozy Locorotondo. It was the weekend and the air was a heady mix of washing, homemade orchiette pasta, woodsmoke and mulled wine. Walk around the town with its quaint church square – nonnas going about their business, young people hanging around. This place makes you want to give up your city life and make home here.
The beautiful white cities with medieval architecture, meandering highways lined with sun dappled olive groves and brilliant cuisine – Puglia as a region has fairytale beauty to it.
And not just because of those delicious men!
And this post hasn't even begun to do just justice to myriad experiences one had. In any case, in my experience - like pain, pleasure of senses can never be fully described. You just live it! Making it part of one's blood streams. it shapes you.
This wasn't meant to be a travel diary or even a reflection on flying 18 hours one way for a week long vacation at one of the less touristy spots.
This was meant to be more of a dog eared page - as an adit leading to - hibernation cave of my self for a while.
Copyright © Neerja Yadav