We Trulli Love Puglia

Magical homes to stay in...

On 2 December, we returned from 6 days in Puglia. On 3 December, for the first time, I was asked if it was true that Denise and I were moving there. The wonders of the rumor mill when there are too many retired expats in one small town. You will have to wait for the answer …

Back in 2002

This was not our first trip to the “heel of the boot”. In 2002, we took a 10-day bike trip in Puglia with Ciclismo Classico. I chose that particular tour because it was a relatively small group (24 guests) and offered a relatively easy (flat) terrain. This would be our second bike trip on a tandem. Our first had been in Napa and Sonoma, a far hillier adventure.¹ I have many fond memories of our bike trip in Puglia. The food! The wine! The food! The lemoncello after dinner! The food! The oil tasting experience! The food! The quaint Italian villages! The food! The families we passed walking from their farms to church on Sunday morning! The food! The interesting people on the tour! The food. The night we slept in a trullo (the singular of trulli)! Did I mention the food?

Not Just in Alberobello

The night we slept in a trullo, we were in Alberobello. But there are many, many trulli dotting the landscape south of Alberobello. In fact, given the glut of tourists to that town and what I suspect was their impact on its magical landscape, we avoided it completely. Instead, we stayed in a small B&B in Carovigno. We chose this location because it was relatively central to two golf courses² we planned to check out in the area. (Not play … but check out in case we return.)

As you drive along, you see clusters of trulli like these.

If you have not had the privilege of sleeping in a trullo, permit me to offer this observation. It is like sleeping in a tomb. (Okay, I have never slept in a tomb … I presume it is like that.) The origin of these structures dates back a thousand years, though most of the surviving homes were built in the 14th century. They were built using local stone and without mortar, and were round. The theory is that they were constructed this way to evade the collection of taxes. When collectors approached, the ceiling could be dismantled by removing the keystone from the top, making it appear abandoned. The walls are typically whitewashed, contrasting beautifully with the gray rooftops, which are often decorated with figures of spiritual or superstitious meaning.

Most of the trulli you pass today are “squared off”. This practice began after King Ferdinand IV made Alberobello a Royal Town in 1797. The homes were made more permanent and more spacious by extending the exterior walls.

Getting There

If you wish to visit Puglia, you can choose between two airports: Bari and Brindisi. We chose Bari simply because there are convenient, direct flights between Sevilla and Bari nearly every day. Before paying for a carry-on and upgrading our seats, the tickets were only 65€ a piece. I realize many people complain about RyanAir. Yes, they start boarding by moving you from the gate area to the jetway, where you might wait for 15-20 minutes. And yes, you will most likely have to walk to the plane and climb the stairs to board. However, to date, every RyanAir flight we have taken has been on time! The days of luxury air travel are over (except in Business or First Class on Emirates), so being on time is all we ask.

Next week, I will share the towns we visited and lots and lots of photos. Till then, you can ponder the rumor that greeted us upon our return. Will the 7% tax incentive currently being offered in Italy (and the food³) be enough to make us pull up roots once again?

Até à próxima semana…

Nanc

1. Our first was with Backroads. Backroads will only rent tandems to experienced tandem riders. We lied…but did just fine. After that trip, we actually bought a tandem, which we owned for about 12 years. It was purple and made by a company called Santana. When we sold the bike to a tandem enthusiast, he asked me how many times we had ridden it. "Hundreds? Thousands?”, I replied. “But there isn’t a scratch on it! Didn’t you ever dump it?” My answer, “No.”

2. Puglia is not rich in golf courses. In fact, the only two 18-hole layouts we could find are Acaya in the south, close to Lecce, and San Domenico near Fasano. Both offer reasonably priced membership packages. San Domenico’s clubhouse, restaurant, and locker rooms are immaculate and tastefully decorated. The course was in first-rate condition and beautifully manicured.

3. I will admit, for a vegetarian, traveling to Italy during Thanksgiving was a real treat