Two weeks under the Puglia sun (page 2 of 7)

😏

Puglia, a region of Italy I don’t know yet. So I’m excited to head there! 🙂

just so you know, the countless road signs along the highways and in towns are purely decorative—how sneaky

Unfortunately, that’s par for the course in Italy. Two weeks ago, we found the bypass around Genoa particularly rough.

Hi Carmen, Here’s the next part:

Monday, May 18: After the inland, the coast! Today’s plan: Polignano a Mare and then Monopoli. The sky is completely blue, there are fewer people around—it’s instantly better! Polignano a Mare is mostly famous for its beach, Lama Monachile, which, I must admit, is super photogenic whether seen from the bridge: I was going to continue, but...

Oops! An error occurred: You tried to download an attached file, but this feature has been disabled.

A new bug? Or does anyone have a solution? ... I’ll try again later ...

Here we go again! 🙂 The beach at Lama Monachile and its turquoise waters seen from the bridge:

or from the edge of the cliff:







But Polignano isn’t just about that—it also has a lovely (small) historic center. Enter through a 17th-century gate:

And then, you just wander from one façade to the next, from one alley to the next...









And always laundry hanging out to dry 😉

And not just laundry—the bikes are also super popular!



The beach is actually prettier from above than from below:





You can’t leave Polignano without paying a visit to Domenico Modugno. Who’s that? Oh, come on! ....



Volare (oh oh)



From Polignano, we take a little detour north to the abbey of San Vito (which isn’t open to visitors but is set in a pretty photogenic spot).





Next, we head south toward Monopoli. Monopoli’s historic center is more spread out than Polignano’s and a bit more austere, with lots of monuments and churches. It’s tricky to photograph them because the streets are so narrow. Since we arrive around noon, everything’s either closed or about to close (between 12 PM and 3 or 4 PM, depending on the monument).

Monopoli, continued...







We leave the historic center’s walls



and head south along the coastal path, which leads here and there to tiny beaches.



A little dip?





We return the same way. But before leaving Monopoli, we *have* to try Bella Blu, the best gelato in Puglia—or so they say. A quick detour first to Charles V’s castle (closed for renovations this time) and the port.



As for the famous gelato, while the classic flavors (chocolate, lemon, mango) seemed really good to me, I was much less convinced by the lemon tart ice cream or the passion fruit cookie crumble one.

A little dip?

So, the story doesn’t say? Is it warm enough for a little dip, or still too cold for the season? 😉

As far as I'm concerned, the water was way too cold! 😏 But some brave souls still took the plunge...

I’m planning to follow this trip too, hoping that VF won’t forget about me. I just realized I haven’t received any messages for 2 months, even though I’m subscribed to lots of countries and all the travel journals 😠

Hi Noëlle

Unfortunately, these bugs are a recurring issue: random notifications, links that don’t take you to the right message... Enjoy your reading anyway 😉

Wednesday, May 19: When I was planning this trip, I wondered if we’d spend a few days in northern Puglia, around Gargano Park… but no, it’ll be a relaxed vacation—we’ll take our time and rest. Well, we’ve been here for two days and we’ve walked nearly 20 km each time… it’s high time for a chill day! 😎 Besides, the sky’s a bit changeable this morning—why not visit the archaeological site of Egnazia? Apparently, it’s not bad, especially the seaside part. To be honest, the site itself is far from extraordinary: you can’t wander inside the ruins (of which, by the way, not much remains), and what’s more, access to the baths and especially the ancient port (the seaside part) is closed. The whole thing’s a bit disappointing.





On the other hand, the museum is well done, with an amazing basement that makes you feel like you’re immersed underwater, just like an underwater archaeologist.





And for the rest of the afternoon, it’ll be poolside relaxation 🙂 (no, not in the pool—the water’s too cold too 😕).



Thursday, May 20:

This morning, we’re heading to Ostuni, the "white city." Well, it’s a lot less "white" than the Cycladic villages, that’s for sure, but from a distance, it really is… The large Piazza della Libertà connects the historic center with the modern town:

The cathedral and the museum, Ostuni’s highlights, are closed for renovations (again!)

A lot of the streets aren’t pedestrian-only, which makes the visit less enjoyable, but it’s still a pleasure to wander randomly through all these little alleys.









Not all the streets are this empty, far from it ;)

Ostuni, continued...













After Ostuni, we headed to Cisternino—a historic center that’s smaller but just as cute as the other towns, and so much quieter! Pure bliss 😎

We continue our wanderings through the quiet streets of Cisternino:









Tonight, to wrap up our stay in the Monopoli area, we’re enjoying a plate of pasta that’s typically Puglian—pouillote, pouillien, or pouilleux? Anyway, it’s delicious and ridiculously cheap: orecchiette al ragù 🙂



(Parmesan to add as you like 😉)

Thursday 21/05 Today, we're leaving the Monopoli area for Lecce, further south. We only have 140 km to cover, but Matteo (our future host) told us we could arrive around noon. The roads seem more run-down in the south (though that doesn’t slow down the local drivers at all 😏). We discover our new accommodation, near Melendugno, and since it’s still early, we head off to explore the nearest coast north of San Foca. Matteo mentioned that not many people visit these beaches—I don’t know about summer, but right now, there’s literally no one here!

Besides, even in tourist spots, there are noticeably fewer people in the deep south than where we came from.







After a brisk walk (the wind!!!) we hit the road again for the Grotta della Poesia, south of Roca Vecchia. We park in a deserted Roca Vecchia (this eerie feeling—like we’ll have in all the coastal villages during the day—there’s no one around, as if we’ve arrived after a nuclear winter!). From San Foca to Santa Maria di Leuca at the very southern tip, an orange-marked trail (Il Cammino del Salento) runs along the entire coast. Before reaching the Grotta della Poesia, we take the path that circles the archaeological site… but when we get to the end, the trail is blocked by a padlocked gate… nothing left to do but turn back! No regrets, though—this (short) trail still offers beautiful views along the way.







The crystal-clear blue waters of the Grotta della Poesia still attracted a few tourists.

Friday 22/05 We decided to explore part of the coast today, all the way to Otranto. Since the sky’s a bit overcast this morning (but should clear up), we head straight to Otranto and come back along the seaside. In Otranto, it’s not tourists who’ve taken over the streets today—it’s high schoolers, groups everywhere! Classic entrance to the historic center:

And this time, the cathedral is open! We notice its beautiful coffered ceiling and a huge floor mosaic depicting the tree of life.



The crypt in the basement is also open to visitors.

Our steps then lead us to the Aragonese castle





Which overlooks both the old town

and the ramparts

Time to head back to the car and drive a few kilometers to an abandoned bauxite quarry that you can walk around. Unfortunately, the site has been privatized—it’s surrounded everywhere by barriers and signs saying “Forbidden! Private property.” 🏴‍☠️ Well, some people ignore the rules, but we respected them and settled for the only viewpoint that’s legally accessible.



(with the "real" colors) (with the super-saturated colors from my friend’s smartphone)

We then head north at a leisurely pace to the “faraglioni di Sant’Andrea,” meaning the cliffs. These cliffs give the coast a bit of an Algarve vibe, though not as dramatic. Still, it’s really pretty.

From there, we opted for a little walk in the pine grove of Sant’Andrea, just to change the scenery. We passed by a submerged rock nicknamed "the Sphinx."



As for the pine grove, it was entirely forgettable...

A few kilometers by car to reach Torre dell’Orso and its "due sorelle." Following Maps.me from Torre dell’Orso, we didn’t take the easiest route since we walked (and climbed) quite a bit in the sand... all for a result that was, in the end, rather disappointing: the faraglioni landscape seemed more spectacular to us.



Saturday, May 23: One day by the sea, one day in the historic center... today, it’s THE southern city, Lecce. We parked next to the cemetery, thinking we’d visit it on the way back (apparently, it’s worth it with its Baroque tombs). Lecce, nicknamed "the Florence of the South." Those who know Florence tend to say, "Pfft, no comparison!" But we don’t know Florence (not yet!) and we loved Lecce. We bought a combined ticket online (11 €) that lets you visit the main monuments. Entry through the Naples Gate.



First, we headed to Piazza del Duomo with the cathedral and the Museum of Sacred Art (MUSA), wandering through some beautiful streets with stunning façades and balconies:









Along the way, a first little church (but since it was open, we went in—smart move!)



And we arrived at Piazza del Duomo.



You can go up to the top of the bell tower, but only by a paid elevator (limited to 15 people, I think, which is probably a way to regulate access in this narrow building).

Let’s start with a visit to the cathedral...



Then the crypt:





and its bones:

A quick stroll through the cloister (pretty ordinary):



And finally, the Museum of Sacred Arts, where you can see a copy of... D’Alembert’s Encyclopedia in French 😮 (but published in Italy).



Then we headed to the churches of Santa Chiara and San Matteo—not by taking the shortest route, but by following the streets that inspired us.

Santa Chiara Church:

And San Matteo Church:

Its uniqueness: a convex façade for the lower half and concave above.

We then head (still taking the scenic route) toward Piazza Sant’Oronzo and the remains of its Roman amphitheater.









We’re not far from the Basilica of Santa Croce. It’s open, and there aren’t any communions going on—but a wedding! Well, it’s wrapping up, and people are starting to leave.

While waiting for the church to empty, we decide to try the local specialty: the pasticciotto, a pastry with a crispy shortcrust shell filled with custard (personally, it reminded me of my mother-in-law’s Basque cake).

The bakery is at the corner of the Villa Comunale (public garden), a quiet spot perfect for a few minutes of rest.



We head back toward the basilica, crossing the courtyard of the Palazzo dei Celestini, which adjoins it.

Hi Muriel, I’m jumping in a bit late—this is a region I don’t know at all, but it sure looks tempting… maybe off-season? 😊