Refreshed by a very nice breakfast, we drove to the postcard-picturesque town of Alberobello. If you do an internet search for Puglia most likely you'll come across photos of the unique conical-roofed structures that can be found all over, with the highest concentration making up part of Alberobello. There are many theories as to why these buildings were originally constructed. Traditionally the walls are made without mortar. Add a simple round roof and these little houses can be easily demolished. Apparently these features were a means to take advantage of tax loopholes during the sixteenth century.
Now the clusters of Trulli (plural of Trullo) are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are mostly used as tourist gift shops and guest houses. Most of the population of Alberobello live in more modern buildings however some are still private residences.
Hans and I parked on the other side of town this morning and began our walk in a lesser-known neighborhood so that we could enjoy the streets without crowds. We knew we were getting close to the main tourist center when we saw a line of parking lots and a growing stream of visitors.
When we'd had enough of Italy's version of Hobbit houses we made our way over to the very lovely hilltop village of Locorotondo. We had lunch at a wine bar with views overlooking a valley and vineyards. I had not done a lot of research on Locorotondo but I read that it was worth visiting. On our way to find a shop and tasting room for winery I Pastini we accidentally discovered that the central historic district is absolutely beautiful. We did some shop browsing here and sat in shaded park for a little bit of people watching.
While I was taking pictures of Locorotondo I kept accidentally following the two girls on the left, who were having a grand time taking pictures of each other posing with store displays and seemingly every flower pot or decorative bicycle.
Eventually they asked me to take a photo of the two of them in front of a ceramics store.
We had dinner reservations elsewhere so we went back to the masseria hotel and I enjoyed the pool for a few hours.
Sure, I'll enjoy my book while the nice man at the bar keeps bringing me Aperol spritz
When the sun began to set it was time to drive over to the "citta bianca" of Ostuni. Most of Puglia is on pretty flat land so the mountain setting of Ostuni is particularly dramatic. The surrounding countryside is full of ancient olive groves, leading nearly all of the way to the Adriatic Sea.
We first walked to a recommended viewpoint and it did not disappoint. When we got to the old town it was easy to be turned around by the very winding streets. On our stroll to the restaurant we missed the alleyway behind the cathedral at the top of the mountain and ended up walking down, down, down, nearly to the bottom of the other side. Ha! In the end it wasn't too horrible that we had to hike all of the way back up because we came across some very interesting streets. Aperitivo hour began and restaurants started to set up precarious chairs (a lot of them beanbag chairs so that you didn't have to risk furniture or patrons accidentally tipping over on the steep sidewalks). We ended up at what seemed to be a popular gathering spot for pre-dinner visitors. The weather of course was spectacular and everyone seemed to be in a jolly mood.
Our meal at Osteria Piazzetta Cattedrale was outstanding. We opted for one of their many tasting menus. Not only was the food delicious but the presentation was impressive. I think what blew me away was the fact that this restaurant has something like seven unique tasting menus to choose from and yet the execution is so solid. Our theory is that it's because the restaurant has only six tables. Our server spent half of his time turning away people who were hoping to get a table without a reservation. Non prenotazione, non tavolo.
When I asked for a wine recommendation our server didn't even show us the wine list. He asked for our price range and then presented us with a bottle that he practically gushed over and told us all about how special the grapes are. It turned out to be exactly the same wine that we'd had at our hotel the night before, also based on our server's recommendation! To be fair it was really good wine. If you can find it try Masseria Li Veli "Askos" Susumaniello.
Get ready for one of my favorite wine facts ever. Susumaniello is a very old grape variety that is grown only in Puglia and until recently had been largely abandoned by viticulturists. The origins of the species are likely Greek or Croatian. This particular grape is very productive and you could apparently pack donkeys with a lot of the fruit. The phrase "Susu lu somariello" means "run, donkey!"
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