This week we're in Italy, specifically the region of Puglia, for a very belated birthday trip and we'll be here for just under a week. Puglia doesn't have especially large cities or overly dramatic landscapes but it has an abundance of some of the country's best beaches, a large portion Italy's total olive oil production, really special wines, and some of the warmest people we've encountered overseas.
Our trip began over 24 hours ago. We left DC on Thursday night on a bargain fare from Icelandair. The hops were IAD-RKV, RKV-FCO, FCO-BDS (Ita Airways), then a slightly harrowing 1-hour drive (yup, we rented a car) after dark to the small seaside village Santa Maria al Bagno. Below you can see why I was attracted to this lesser-visited part of an already lesser-visited region:
CDS Grand Hotel Riviera, our home base for the next few days
Today we had a really nice breakfast at the hotel and later went for a walk around town. Due to the very long day of travel we had yesterday I hadn't made any plans except to request a last-minute dinner reservation at a recommended seafood and pizza place in town. Santa Maria al Bagno is pretty small and even though our hotel isn't in the core center we're still just a 10 minute walk away from it and the very beautiful small bay with crystal clear water and fine sand.
Lunch was a quick affair of pizzetta from a grocery store. I went up to the rooftop pool for a few hours while Hans rested. As the sun began to set we walked around the town towards where we'd be eating dinner and we took photos of the gorgeous sky.
Our meal at Ristorante Pizzeria Filieri di Rico e Paolo was very cozy. We were seated at a table that overlooked the shore (though it was quickly getting dark) and proceeded to have excellent seafood. Our journey into Puglian wine also began, as our server recommended a bottle made from verdeca grapes (lightly apple/pear and nicely semi-dry).
By the time we walked back to the hotel we were pretty tired but ready for a new day tomorrow.
Sunset on the Ionian Sea
Evening in Santa Maria al Bagno
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