Two weeks under the Puglia sun (page 1 of 7)

After a pretty disastrous weather-wise trip to Gran Canaria, we’re hoping this time the sun will shine in Puglia. It’s not a sure thing, though—the weather’s been awful all over Europe in early May.

For those who’d like to (re)read the story without the digressions, it’s here.

Saturday, May 16: This time we’re flying out of Charleroi (Brussels South): the ticket prices, flight times, and proximity all worked for us. The airport (Ryanair) was recently renovated... but it’s still not very well organized. There are hardly any seats in the boarding areas, and... the restrooms cost money!!! The flight goes smoothly, though, and we land in Bari a little late.

We quickly pick up our rental car, a very local-looking Pandina (even more so than the Fiat 500 in this region), and hit the Italian roads... and their unique driving quirks (like the fact that the countless road signs along the streets and in towns are purely decorative 😏, and that Italian cars don’t have turn signals 😮... except for rental cars).

About an hour later, we arrive at our first accommodation, right in the middle of the countryside near Monopoli. The owner isn’t there, but they’ve left us a ton of info via messages and even turned on the space heater, which is a nice touch. We explore the property:



And the next morning before breakfast, its immediate surroundings:





Sunday, May 17: After our "seaside" experience in Gran Canaria last weekend (packed with people and locals), we decide to start inland. After a hearty breakfast,



we head toward Alberobello, a super touristy village famous for its trulli—those stone houses with conical roofs. We easily find a free parking spot on a street near the Aia Piccola district, where some trulli are still lived in year-round.





We almost immediately come across the Trullo Sovrano (the only two-story one), which you can visit (but we skip it—it’s opening time, and there’s already a line).



From there, we head down toward the Basilica of Cosma e Damiano... but we don’t go in because there’s a mass.



Now we’re on the main Piazza del Popolo, which connects the two districts of Alberobello: Rione Aia Piccola and Rione Monti, the more touristy one.

Touristy, yes, but some alleys (often not very flowery or decorated) still remain quite deserted.







On the other hand, some streets are already pretty "crowded." With the sun playing hide-and-seek behind the clouds and tourists sometimes taking up a bit too much of the scene, it’s not easy to take photos that I like 😉



So I end up mostly photographing the rooftops 🤪





... Not always managing to avoid the top of someone’s head 😏.





We reach the top of the hill, at the San Antonio church (closed), whose garden on the other side of the street offers a partial view of the city.



We head back the same way, well, not exactly, since we take different alleys than the ones we took on the way up.

thought to turn on the auxiliary heating, which is really nice.

I gather you didn’t suffer through the heatwave! [;]

Hi Agnès, The heating only got used the first two evenings 😉 (result of the weather the previous week and the fact that the accommodations are really designed to keep out the sun). Temperatures then steadily climbed until the end of the stay.

Oh, Puglia! I keep hearing about it but I don’t know it yet... I’ve had a few negative comments about overtourism. Seems like it gets really crowded! But I’ll still go one day because it looks so beautiful.

The airport (Ryanair) was recently renovated... but it’s not very well organized—there are very few seats in the departure lounges and... the toilets are pay-to-use!!!

I was there a week after you and I peed for free 😛 Weird... Anyway, it’s true there are very few seats in the departure lounges.

Hello Catherine

I was there a week after you and I peed for free 😛

To be honest, I didn’t try it in the departure lounge, but at baggage claim there was a change machine by the entrance!

I’ve heard some negative feedback about overtourism. Apparently, it’s really crowded!

Agnès, for example? 😏 For sure, in July-August it must be hellish. At the time, it was mostly groups arriving by bus—more than I expected—but not everywhere like you’ll see later. The south was much quieter.

I’ve heard some negative feedback about overtourism. Seems like it gets really crowded!

Like in Agnès, for example? 😏

Yeah, in Agnès, once there are more than two people, it’s overtourism 😏

What left a bitter taste was more the extreme heat and the Italian way of managing beaches and nature than the world itself.

At 45°C during the day, the brave soul is better off taking it easy when visiting. 😏

😉

This is one of those "must-see" spots in Alberobello... but when was the last time it wasn’t packed? 😮

I’ve never been there. It’s YOUR photo that I "reworked"

🤗🤗🤗 Yeah, that’s definitely a solution!

Piazza del Popolo is now a bit busier, and the belvedere of the Santa Lucia church offers a view of the 400 (or so they say) trulli in Rione Monti:





It’s also a chance to see how much cars have put on weight in recent years 😏





From Alberobello, we head to Locorotondo, about ten kilometers away. We manage to park about a kilometer from the historic center (important for later 😎). Locorotondo is a really pretty village with narrow, often flower-lined streets, but also a lot of tourists (which surprised us a bit since it’s not yet peak season). But since it’s around noon, they’re mostly gathered around the bars and restaurants 🙂.











Italy wouldn’t be Italy without laundry drying on windows and balconies 😎

On the outside, Via Nardelli offers a beautiful panorama of the surrounding countryside.

With a restaurant (closed?) in a unique setting:



Around the church, there’s quite a crowd too: this Sunday, the locals aren’t at the beach—they’re at communions !



I had (vaguely ) spotted two short hikes around Locorotondo on Visorando. The first one gives us a parking spot and a starting point 2.7 km away by car from where we’re parked but only 900 m on foot. Without looking further, we follow the GPS on foot and end up... right where we came from, near the square by the public garden at the entrance of the historic center! Parking there isn’t even possible anymore since it’s reserved for residents only. The hike’s starting point is nearby, at the bottom of Via Nardelli, and the path goes right past where we’re parked!!! We’ve now done this route four times in one direction or the other! Ugh! Maybe it’s time to take a closer look at this hike! We realize it makes us take quite a few busy paved roads and brings us back to the supposed parking spot (which would make us do the same route a fifth time!). All things considered, we’ll go for the second option instead : "Loop starting from Figazzona through the trulli and the Puglia aqueduct." Change of scenery: first, the sky cleared up, and second, we barely cross anyone.



In the distance, Locorotondo:

The Puglia aqueduct:



Trulli are everywhere: some very old,



Some "for sale,"



Some brand new,



And even the church roof is shaped like a trullo .

It’s more about the extreme heat and the Italian way of managing beaches and nature

As for the beaches, in May, it was (very) quiet. When it comes to cleanliness (or dirtiness, take your pick), I was rather pleasantly surprised: aside from the regularly cleared areas along the 4-lane road (SS16), which look like dumping grounds, the rest was pretty clean (except for some very local spots, but no worse than in France).

Hi Muriel,

You’ve introduced me to a region I knew absolutely nothing about, apart from the name! Thanks. While waiting for the rest, the question now is: Puglia or no Puglia…? 🤪 ...

Best regards.

Hello! For me, Puglia was a road trip in disguise from home in August 2020—let’s just say that in the middle of Covid, we weren’t bothered by tourists!

I’m happily diving in for a Muriel-style deep dive 😉

I’ve never been there. It’s YOUR photo that I "reworked"

I love it! The "magic eraser" effect 🧙‍♂️

Hi Alain

the question is now: Puglia or no-Puglia.....? 🤪

😏 Puglia of course!

Hi Bruno

Ah, traveling in 2020—what a joy! 🙂 ... well, for those who could actually go!