After twice postponing a one-week visit to Puglia, all the way down the boot on Italy’s Adriatic coast, we finally managed to get ourselves organized for a visit, as our probable last longer trip within the country and doubling as a baby moon!
Puglia is one of the regions of Italy that we only heard about after arriving. Somehow in the second tier of regions behind Tuscany, Sicily, Sardegna, but as gorgeous and welcoming as any. And maybe slightly more budget friendly.
Since we’ve been sketching out a tentative itinerary for almost two years, we had a pretty good plan of attack to try to maximize our week and get a taste of different parts of the region.
Deciding against the four hour train or five hour drive to Bari, we hopped on a Ryanair flight from Rome and landed on a gloomy Saturday some 45 minutes later.
Rather than staying in Bari or even nearby Monopoli, we decided on an Apulian agriturismo near Ostuni. The countryside location, not far from many of the little towns we hoped to visit, was a perfect launching point for the trip.
Unfortunately the rainy weather continued pretty much throughout our full two day stay. Although this dampened Dalia’s and my mood somewhat, Aleksander was completely undeterred. He played in the wet playground, chased cats and sang with the chickens every moment he could!
Otherwise, since our days couldn’t be spent sunning by the pool, we visited the nearby towns, starting with Ostuni.
As ever, even in the rain, maybe even moreso in the rain, historic Italian towns always shine, inspire and enchant. Ostuni was no different. The slick hilly cobblestones kept things interesting both in the stroller and out and we were immediately satisfied with our decision to stay nearby.
The following day was gloomy but slightly less rainy and so we decided to head to the coast and visit Monopoli, one of the bigger cities in Puglia. It happened to be Mother’s Day and we reflected on the fact that our next similar trip would probably be as a quartet. A lot to consider, take in and reflect on as the afternoon Sunday sun peaked out in the historic harbour.
Being unable to find an available lunch spot in Monopoli, (Italians love to reserve – especially on holidays), we decided to take our chances with a late lunch visit to Martina Franka, on the way back to our agriturismo. We scarfed down not the best lunch in Italy, followed by not the worst gelato and headed for the gates as the heavy clouds loomed once again.
We spent a quiet evening before braving the morning showers for our next stop near Nardo. We arrived at our next agriturismo in the rain and were immediately charmed by the outdoor furniture of Casina Solatia and Aleksander was thrilled to find new cats to chase around.
Our stay at Casina Solatia not only prompted one of my first poems in a while but really provided almost a cinematic backdrop for an intimate few family days. It was more than once, watching Aleksander play piano or run through tall grass in dimming sunlight, that I felt like we were in a Terrence Malick movie. And Simona the host, a costume designer and fairly recent transplant from Milan, really made the place feel like one big open home. Maybe another couple overcast days weren’t the worst turn of events.
Our first free evening, we decided to visit nearby Gallipoli for a windy evening by the sea, visiting the old town castle and having dinner overlooking the water.
Our second day staying near Nardo finally brought some hopeful weather. It wasn’t quite yet beach friendly but with a partially sunny forecast, we made our way to Lecce, the biggest city in the southern part of Puglia.
Lecce was quite bustling and busy with European tourists. We kicked balls through the alleyways and Aleksander made some Canadian friends over lunch and we started to look forward to what the rest of the week might bring.
On our way down the coast the following morning, we passed by a stretch of beach known as the Maldives of Salento. And even though the beaches weren’t quite prepared for summer crowds, we were thrilled to have some sunny clear skies and Aleksander finally got to dig into the coastal sands.
Heading to the southwestern-most point of Italy’s heel, we lunched and lounged a bit more in the small charming town of Santa Maria de Leuca. The seafood fry, white wine and gelato all passed the test in this scenic stop. Also home to maybe the world’s most picturesque natural seaside pool.
As we turned up the coast for a few days near Otranto, our trip finally started to look like what we had hoped it would. The late May weather started to look characteristically as it should in Italy at this time of year. We gratefully pulled into our final stop at the Cuti Mari guesthouse and were not disappointed.
We drove to Otranto about fifteen minutes away to pick up an evening pizza and walk around the boardwalk.
We took our chances the next day and found the nearest (open) stabilimento and even though less than ten of the hundreds of sun loungers were occupied, we were happy to spend a relaxing day by the sea.
Finally energized by the summertime vibes, we even braved the unheated pool at the hotel and had some family laughs and good times.
Being so pleased with the grounds, facilities and staff at Cuti Mari, we extended our stay by one night, opening up an extra day in the area. So we headed up the coast a bit and spent a proper early season beach day in an early season beach town – Torre del Orso.
Even though the restaurants, bars and hotels were still dusting the cobwebs off before the summer hordes arrive, we found the town a perfect little size and pace for our flow. And to boot, the street art had no business being so interesting in such a random and faraway place.
We longingly said goodbye to Cuti Mari, petted all the cats one last time and Aleksander even got a hat and t-shirt from the owner. We hope to return as soon and often as possible.
Our circuit of Puglia was almost at an end. We returned back up the coast towards Bari and stayed in a non-descript highway hotel on our last night to make sure we could easily make our morning flight.
Never ones to let an opportunity pass, we squeezed in a short afternoon visit to postcard perfect Polignano a Mare. Dalia absolutely fell in love with this place while I found the instagram friendly crowds somewhat overwhelming.
The hilight again was Aleksander making a local friend and kicking a ball for close to an hour. Our child is definitely in the right country for a soccer obsession.
Before leaving Puglia, I really wanted to take Dalia to the Basilica of St. Nicholas in Bari. Partially because it made such an impression on me during my last visit, partially because it’s become a global pilgrimage site for Ukrainians since the invasion of their country and partially because I’m fond of the name Nicholas for our next child.
It was a great place to leave our prayers of thanks for yet another incredible trip within Italy; for our growing family; and for two wonderful years living in Rome.
Puglia can finally and joyfully be crossed off the Italian bucket list!
Dad In The World 