‘7th Maratonina del Vino Citta di Marsala 24 April 2022’ – A half marathon in the historic wine city of Marsala

February 10, 2023 by Callie Foster-Willingham

As featured in Women’s Running magazine February 2023

Have you ever considered combining a race with a holiday? It’s the perfect way to combine a challenge with exploring a new place and rewarding yourself with the local food and wine post-run! When I heard there is a half marathon in Marsala (on the west coast of Sicily) which also boasts the word wine in the title – I signed up!

To address the wine link first: there is no wine during the race (!!) however there is a delicious bottle from a local winery in the goodie bag and you can attend a cellar visit the day after. Marsala is famous for its production of sweet Marsala wine and wine production in general is still huge in this part of Sicily; you can visit many vineyards and wineries, large and small.

Anyway, back to the race: it starts just outside the old city walls, under the ‘Porta Garibaldi’ where around 700 runners congregate. The atmosphere before the start was very friendly and talkative – running clubs from all over Sicily (and the rest of Italy) were represented and there were only a few runners, like my husband and I, not in club colours and club tracksuits (this is clearly a thing in Italy!), not that this made us uncomfortable; the atmosphere was very relaxed. We also found it mindblowing that there were only four portaloos at the start and at no point was there ever a queue – simply unheard of at a race in the UK!

The course heads out of the old town, through a park area and then along the coast to a residential area where you turn around, following the sea the whole way (past sailing clubs, an archaeological museum and bars and cafes) then in towards the old town again where you run through the start/finish line and head out for two more laps. Each lap is 7km, flat and on pavement. It starts to get warm in Sicily at the end of April, with a cooling sea breeze but there were plenty of water stations (and marshals on bikes handing out water) and sunscreen is definitely needed (plus hat and glasses as the sunlight is very bright). Being flat and fast, the course is competitive and on the Sicilian ‘Gran Prix’ circuit, with the winner coming in at 1.15.10 and the first woman at 1.27.59.

There was a good amount of support on the way around and the atmosphere continued to be very supportive and fun, with plenty of marshals and monitoring. A grasp of basic Italian is useful as minimal English was spoken by organisers and runners but for me that made it a great opportunity to take part in a very local event with a friendly vibe. The goodie bag was exceptional; adding to the wine was a choc ice as soon as you were over the line (which I didn’t fancy but turned out to be a perfect post-race treat!) a fresh ham roll, fruit, cakes and juice. Arm warmers replaced a t-shirt which made a nice change and there were thoughtfully designed chunky medals.

I suppose the clue is in the name – this race has a focus on conviviality, food and wine and I would highly recommend to runners of all levels!

The race this year is on 23 April 2023. Do message me if you’d like more information on signing up to run it as it’s a little complicated. Here is the website: https://asdmarsaladoc.jimdofree.com/

P.S. There are also several Park Runs in Sicily - we really enjoyed one of the three which take place in the capital city of Palermo, this one is right on the sea front of Palermo and in the city centre!

A quick stop in Taranto

July 10, 2020 by Callie Foster-Willingham

For our next stop we headed 90 kilometres south to the other side of the heel of Italy’s boot, to the coastal city of Taranto. Taranto is an important commercial port as well as being one of Italy’s naval base ports and yes, we did see lots of sailors! I think it is worth adding a visit to Taranto, even just for a lunch stop, on your Puglia road trip. The city was founded in 706BC, the old town retains the same street layout of 967 and Greek relics remain in the centre of the city so there is lots of history to investigate, the contrasting modern side of town boasts gorgeous wide avenues and it definitely feels off the tourist trail.

As we had less than 24 hours to explore Taranto, we rose early and decided to run from our Airbnb to the Castello Aragonese and onto and around the tiny island of the ‘Città Vecchia’, the old town which, at first thing in the morning, was pretty deserted and quite imposing in places, with its dark brooding backstreets and neglected palazzos looming over us. It really was quite a unique experience and place; it is pretty run-down and I’m not sure I’d want to wander around at night alone but there is a unique atmosphere. There is also some cool street art which was created by two Neapolitan street artists to decorate some of the derelict buildings.

We headed back over the bridge to the mainland, past the Castello Aragonese, which dates back to the 1400s, and into the more modern centre of town which feels quite glamorous. We stopped for a café and pastry in a splendid palm tree-filled piazza, joining many business people enjoying their morning coffee.

The highlight of our trip to Taranto however was our evening there. Firstly, as we arrived, the taxi driver told us there was a free music concert happening in the centre of the city - the night before Liam Gallagher had played and the evening we were there you could hear Patti Smith singing all around the town and it felt like the whole place was out on the streets to enjoy the music and the summer night. To top that off, we enjoyed an excellent seafood meal at Ristorante a Tutto Mare (Via Ciro Giovinazzi), right around the corner from Patti’s stage, where the hospitality was excellent, the wine superb (we had to go for a bottle from our friends at San Marzano Vini where we had visited on a previous trip) and the food was outstanding. There appeared to be plenty of other good restaurants and bars in Taranto but we didn’t have time to try any others! We were at Ristorante a Tutto Mare for hours seated at a table on the pavement watching the excitement of the concertgoers, talking with the waiters and really soaking up the atmosphere of one of those magical evenings – a night we will never forget! Cin cin!!

Why you need to visit the city of Bari, not just the airport!

July 01, 2020 by Callie Foster-Willingham

We arrived into Bari‘s train station late on a warm Saturday evening in early June last year and after dropping our bags at our Airbnb, we headed straight to the ‘centro storico’ (historic city centre), walking through the modern part of town to get there - it’s really quite smart with lots of nice shops and cafés and it seemed the whole of Bari was out in the streets, like in most seaside Italian towns during the summer months.

I had reserved a table for dinner after having been told that restaurants at the weekend get booked up well in advance however in reality we could’ve taken our pick of one of the many restaurants dotted around Piazza Mercantile – it was busy with locals out enjoying their Saturday night with friends and family but there were plenty of options. We enjoyed a meal of traditional Puglian cuisine and then spent a few hours meandering through the old town watching families from the oldest to the very youngest still out enjoying the balmy early summer evening well towards midnight. Walking along the old city walls we came upon an alfresco nightclub that was just getting started with music pumping and lots of young people dressed up for their Saturday night out. If we were ten years younger and not ready for bed we were very tempted to join them to party under the moon and stars! Instead we headed back to our cosy Airbnb for a great night’s sleep and to make the most of our day in Bari the following day.

Of course we have travelled in and out of Bari airport many times on our journeys to Puglia but this was our first time venturing into the centre of Bari. We have also driven around the industrial outskirts of the city on most trips, which don’t look particularly appealing but any seasoned traveller knows that looks can be deceiving! We were delighted with our 24 hours in the attractive heart of the city, wish we had stayed longer (next time!) and believe Bari can easily compete with many other cities for a prospective weekend city break. Here’s why:

The beach

If you love a packed, noisy, vivacious Italian beach as much as I do, easy access to such a beach could be a key reason for making Bari your next city break! In just a 20 minute walk south of the city, you can reach Spiaggia Pane e Pomodoro which is a free for all, golden, sandy beach and another 10 mins on is Torre Quetta which is a pebble beach but more organised. We stopped at the first option and were delighted to find large groups of friends and family gathered together enjoying their Sunday afternoons. We grabbed a couple of chilled beers from the plentiful vendors and joined everyone else, happily people watching for a couple of hours. Truthfully this was one of my highlights from this break in Puglia as we don’t have enough beach time normally when we are in Italy; to have the opportunity of some beach time so close to the city is a real pull for us to return again and again.

Atmospheric centro storico

You can spend a good few hours wandering through the maze of old streets and piazzas watching normal life unfold. The city walls, which amazingly date back to the 4th century BC, are still in place and you can take a stroll along them admiring the view of the sea which surrounds the small peninsular where the old town is situated. Basilica San Nicola is the city’s cathedral which was built between 1087 and 1197, reportedly to house some of the relics of Saint Nicholas (AKA Father Christmas!) from the saint’s original shrine in Myra, in what is now Turkey. The cathedral is therefore an important pilgrimage destination both for Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians from Eastern Europe.

Another impressive building is Castello Normanno-Svevo, a Norman castle which is worth a visit, although there are no viewing opportunities from the fortifications which is a shame. We walked to and from the station and our accommodation through the more modern parts of Bari where we found residential streets which were highly attractive, smart and clean; shopping streets with sparkling marble walkways, beautiful cafes and business fronts. The city feels clean, safe, not overrun with tourists and very welcoming.

The pasta making ladies in Arco Basso

Opposite the castello, is a small piazza, Arco Alta and leading from there is Strada Arco Basso where you can see one of the most popular sights in Bari: ladies making traditional Puglian pasta called orecchiette. It was great to see these highly skilled ladies at work but to be honest (probably because any TV chef who visits Puglia goes to see the ‘pasta grannies’ in Bari) we found the area too busy with tourists so we didn’t linger long however you should definitely try orecchiette while you are in Bari.

The food

This brings me on to another huge draw, of course of all of Puglia … the food, but what is special in Bari?

You have to try the focaccia – there are lots of ‘bread oven’ shops where you can buy this cheap and tasty snack but we got ours from Panificio Fiore on Strada Palazzo di Città and it was amazing (it went down so quickly I forgot to take a photo!). You can also find other street food such as sgagliozze which is fried polenta and popizze, fried pizza dough.

While we were in Bari the theatre, Museo Teatro Margherita, looking out over the marina, was showing an international photo-journalism competition which was absolutely fascinating and the shelter provided a respite from the midday heat. I’ve since learnt that outside the back of the building, next to the fish market, is the best place to eat fresh seafood every lunchtime, which explains the huge groups of families enjoying their Sunday lunch alfresco!

Crudo (raw seafood) is one of our favourite indulgences and Bari is not short of places to indulge! Some ambitious venues are trying out new ways of serving crudo (think poke bowls and seafood/fish panini) and we loved our stop at Pescobar on Lungomare Araldo di Crollalanza for a blast of fresh, zingy seafood!

Bari is the gateway to Puglia

So hopefully I have convinced you to consider Bari for your next city break or at least to stay a night or two before exploring the rest of Puglia. Getting there from the airport is super easy – there is a train station right next to the airport, literally 10 steps from the arrivals lounge, the journey takes 17 mins, the ticket is €5 per person and trains come every 20-30 mins – simple! The train station is 15 mins walk to the centro storico, and any accommodation is likely to be closer. We hopped on a train back to the airport to pick up a hire car before continuing our holiday and this superb train service makes that an ideal plan. From the airport you are straight onto the SS16 road if you’re heading on to Ostuni and the north coast of Puglia or onto the E843 if you’re heading down to Taranto and the south coast of Puglia. In fact, a day trip to Taranto would be a fab option to add to your stay in Bari – it’s just over an hour by train and you can read my next blog post to hear about the delights of Taranto!

Please message me directly if you’d like any tips on travelling to and around Bari or Puglia - I’d be more than happy to help!

Magical Matera

March 18, 2018 by Callie Foster-Willingham

It is a beautiful drive on quiet roads across varied countryside from the Valle D’Itria, leaving Puglia through olive groves and trulli, fields with hay bales, orchards of fruit trees and forests, to the wide open fields of Basilicata. Your first view of the city of Matera is from a distance, and coming from the south, you can only see the new town; the famous ancient sassi and the ravine the town is built along are hidden. Parking in the new town, the pleasant enough sixties and seventies architecture leads to the stunning baroque piazzas of Vittorio Veneto and San Francesco with the obligatory cafes, grand palazzo buildings and wide avenues leading out from them.

It is then you see the first vista of the sassi below; the slum like dwellings piled on top of one another and built into the caves of the valley. Nothing really prepares you for the sight, it is a man-made wonder and does not seem real; it is hard to believe that it was once a thriving and busy settlement. Matera is one of the longest continuously inhabited settlements on earth; originally used as housing for farmers and land workers who took advantage of the easily defensible hilltop location with good access to expansive land and well-flowing rivers. The population steadily increased, welcoming pilgrims and migrants during the 12-1300s when the cathedral was built, crowning the now prosperous city. In the middle ages, skilled artisans and professional people flocked to Matera and the city came to hold much power and wealth with a hierarchy which also looked after the poorer members of the community. At this time, the sassi were used for storage, animals, olive presses etc, not as dwellings, as many of the medieval and baroque buildings we can still see today were built for people to live in, often attached to the existing ancient architecture.

It is therefore heart-breaking to think that around 200 years ago, Matera’s star lost its shine, as well as its power, and the middle classes went away. The nobility had little interest in helping the poor and as farming decreased and the people were not skilled to work as anything else, they had no choice but to retreat to the sassi.

*Inside an individual dwelling; they are open to just wander in to.*

In 1945, Carlo Levi’s book ‘Christ Stopped at Eboli’ made Matera famous once more, but for all the wrong reasons. The 16,000 people living there were enduring unacceptable poverty, with child mortality at 50%, living amongst their animals in darkness, filth and disease. They had been forgotten and what their lives and living conditions had become were described at the time as the shame of Italy. The typewriter entrepreneur Adriano Olivetti became involved, with many others, in building new housing developments close by to Matera, with the intention of abandoning the uninhabitable sassi forever. However, the relocated tenants struggled to adjust to their new surroundings, which did not turn out to be the solution the government had hoped for.

In the 1980’s, intrepid locals started renovating and then moving back to the sassi, seeing their architectural and cultural importance to the region and to the world, which was recognised by Matera being made a UNESCO world heritage site in 1993. Since then, Matera has gone from strength to strength with many hotels, museums and galleries opening to attract tourists and with the honour of European City of Culture coming in 2019, Matera is no longer forgotten.

The poverty and harsh conditions experienced by the people of Matera was not isolated to that city, most of the South of Italy, including Puglia, endured similar hardships through history. Most of the rural land of southern Italy in the 19th century was owned by either the church or wealthy landlords from the north. The landowners benefitted from the farming of their land, not the local people who mainly worked as sharecroppers; depending on the side and quality of their harvests to make meagre ends meet. Many people in southern Italy lived in poverty until recent times, under the often punitive rule of the rich landowners, surviving on a diet of grains and vegetables and little meat. As I mentioned in my last post, this is the history of the ‘cucina povera’ that Puglia has now become famous for.

Matera is a great day trip from northern Puglia (or even as a weekend break); it is easy to get to, there are some great places to stay, some fabulous, innovative restaurants and I really haven’t been to another place like it – it is a truly unique experience which shouldn’t be missed. It is a city you can certainly visit in a day and it is easy to walk around; there is a tourist information office on Piazza Vittorio Veneto where you can pick up a map and ask questions. Many of the sassi are open for you to explore and there are several museums and galleries. We very much enjoyed the short experience at Casa Noha (https://www.fondoambiente.it/casa-noha-eng/) an interactive storytelling of the history of Matera – definitely worth a stop, perhaps at the beginning of your day, to get a clear perspective before delving into the city itself.

The food of Puglia – ‘cucina povera’

October 07, 2017 by Callie Foster-Willingham

Wherever I am in the world, including at home, I always try to eat seasonally and locally. It just makes sense to me to eat food that is fresh, which hasn’t added to global warming by travelling thousands of miles to reach a supermarket and to give my money to someone who is working hard to produce good food, locally to where I’m eating it. Most importantly, it normally tastes better too!

Of course the Italians have always eaten this way, this is one of the many reasons I love them and their food. Puglian cuisine is as unique to the region as in most other parts of Italy, but perhaps not quite so well known. Southern Italians endured centuries of hardship and poverty which led them to be super creative with vegetables and wheat, as well as olive oil. Often referred to as Cucina Povera (literally ‘poor kitchen’), indicating the resourcefulness of the local’s approach to food, it actually means that Puglians have always used the local bounty of what the land and sea produces for them. Puglia is therefore a great destination for non-meat eaters and, never being far from the ocean, fresh fish and seafood is always on offer. Puglians are very proud of their cooking and traditions and I am so pleased that the food of the region is becoming a big draw for visitors from all over the globe, as it really is world class cooking.

Here are some highlights, examples and favourites of mine…

*Pure di fave with cime di rapa at Bell’Italia*

On our latest trip to Puglia, I was desperate to try fava (broad) bean puree (pure di fave), as I had never tried it before and it is a very traditional Puglian (and much of Southern Italy) dish. We had it a few nights into our trip, at Ristorante Bell'Italia in Cisternino, and I was not disappointed! It looks a bit bland but the flavour is so smooth, rich and interesting; this was just a starter and disappeared in minutes!! Broad beans are native to Puglia and have been grown there for thousands of years.

The greens in the photo are cime di rapa, the unofficial vegetable of Puglia, which is in the broccoli family and tastes a little bitter but is absolutely delicious! This vegetable is very common and usually served with pure di fave. Another one of the most famous dishes of Puglia is orecchiette con cime di rapa where the tenderest shoots of the plant are combined with anchovies and plenty of olive oil and added to the orrechiette pasta; another icon of Puglia.

*A pasta dish made using orrechiette (photo by Italian Food Forever)*

The word orrechiette translates as ‘little ears’, which indeed the circular pasta shapes look like, as well as the conical roofs of the Trulli houses of the region! The shape is great at soaking up all the juices of a sauce and as the pasta is part made with semolina, they have a more unusual texture.

*Two sizes of taralli plus bread and olives*

A firm favourite savoury item that normally comes out with drinks at most bars in Puglia are taralli; circular crackers made from durum wheat flour, white wine, fennel seeds, salt and extra virgin olive oil and completely addictive! Too many of these before dinner and you definitely won’t be managing the Italian four courses of antipasti, primi, secondi and dolce! They last for ages as they are boiled before being baked which makes them a great take home or holiday gift from Puglia.

I have already covered how Puglians use a lot of vegetables in their cooking however there is also a huge abundance of sweet, delicious fruit! On this trip, we were in the height of the cherry season and it was wonderful to see the ruby red jewels growing on many trees and to be able to buy them so cheaply in markets everywhere for a healthy sugar boost!

On our day trip to Matera, (an incredible place, not actually in Puglia but in neighbouring Basilicata, which I will write about in a future post), I was very excited to try for the first time lampascioni, which are the bulbs of the grape hyacinth. They are a delicacy over much of Italy but very common in Puglia as they are more plentiful where there are lots of grapevines. They can be eaten in many ways (but must be cooked) and we had them fried as part of an antipasti selection and really loved their pungent, slightly bitter taste.

Seafood, ah seafood! Puglia is surrounded by the sea and therefore ultra-fresh seafood is plenteous; it is so fresh that you can often find lots of it raw. Gamberi rossi, our favourite, plump, juicy, creamy absolutely delicious raw scarlet prawns, can be found all over Puglia (and much of Sicily as we found on our first trip there last year) and you cannot beat a plate of them for a super-healthy starter! You will also find raw tuna, swordfish, squid, bream, bass - please do not be squeamish, get stuck in and enjoy fish and seafood at its freshest (even better accompanied by a crisp glass of vino bianco or frizzante (semi-sparkling wine)!

Of course not limited to Puglia is the excellent gelato which you can find all over Italy! We recently discovered mandorla (almond) flavour, which has that frangipane, almost perfumed flavour, so moreish and quite often flecked with pieces of the precious nuts which grow all over Puglia. We frequently skip dolce in restaurants and move to a bar where we order café al banco and one scoop of gelato or sorbetto and take in the conversations and activities of the other people in the bar.

At the bottom of the picture above, you can spy some pasticciotto – traditional pastry/cakes from the Salento region of Puglia which are perfect for breakfast. They are made from a light shortcrust pastry and filled with either custard (quite often lemon flavoured) or ricotta – yum!!

Another favourite tradition of ours is to stop for ultra-strong espressos at service stations when driving around; they are busy social meeting hubs, like the pubs of Italy, and there is often a huddle of interesting looking local people and you can always get an excellent, strong and cheap coffee to keep you going!

Some other favourite dishes and foods of ours are burrata, which has understandably become quite popular in the UK as it is a more creamy and decadent than the more widespread mozzarella. It has a mozzarella casing but as you cut in a light, creamy cheese oozes out which actually has a curiously cleansing and faintly acidic taste which is delightful. Burrata was created relatively recently, in the 1920s, in the northern Puglia province of Andria by Lorenzo Bianchino Chieppa – remember that name next time you are bursting a burrata open in your local Italian restaurant!

We are also completely obsessed with carciofi (artichokes) which are grown throughout southern Italy, producing 50% of the world’s artichoke crop! During their harvest season, through autumn into winter, they are everywhere and become a key ingredient in many dishes in Puglia, rather than just a token component of antipasti.

I hope this has given you a brief snapshot of why we love the food of Puglia so much and what to look out for when you travel there. As always in Italy, you can’t beat a fresh plate of spaghetti alle vongole, with a glass of vino bianco for a beachside lunch – a photo of another happy memory to finish with!

Please do get in touch if you have any questions about Puglian food or if you would like some restaurant recommendations for your trip to Puglia. Happy eating!

Our perfect Puglian wedding

August 29, 2017 by Callie Foster-Willingham

I have been meaning to write a short post about our Puglian wedding and as it is our three year anniversary today, I thought it would be a good opportunity! From the moment James proposed in Venice, we knew we wanted to be married in Italy – our first holiday together was in Rome and we had travelled many times to our favourite country both together and separately. While researching possible venues, all over Italy, it wasn’t until we were in Puglia and asking around that we heard about Masseria Salamina and went to visit before catching our flight home. The moment we met Filippo and Chiara and explored the Masseria in the early October sunshine, we were completely enchanted and to seal the deal, we found a picture outside the bridal suite of the exact location in Venice where we became engaged. We realised it was definitely meant to be!

*Painting of our special place in Venice*

Getting legally married in Italy can be difficult – yes there is a lot of paperwork and things take time but if you find a good wedding planner who is used to dealing with the process, and you are organised, it’s a breeze! We didn’t want a very complex or traditional wedding so were happy to go with the fabulous suggestions that our friends at the Masseria made. The area we took most interest in was food and wine and we enjoyed a wonderful evening trying lots of delicious Puglian food and wines to agree our feast! We were also lucky to have on board Lesley Lau, who not only found our wonderful photographers, Brushfire Photography, who came all the way from the US to work with her, she also created the simple but very evocative flowers and decorations to fit in with the landscape and feel of the Masseria. Their work was published on Once Wed shortly after our return to the UK: https://www.oncewed.com/real-weddings/organic-outdoor-wedding-in-italy/). We also decided to have a classic Italian car to transport us from the Masseria to Ostuni and back, which we hadn’t originally planned but was actually a lovely touch and she was a hit parked outside the town hall while we were getting hitched!

*Our wedding car in the centre of Ostuni*

We had a simple service which was conducted in Italian by the Mayor of Ostuni, and translated by our wedding planner with a town hall official standing by. It was really special, if a little comical due to our lack of italian and knowledge of the customs, and it was so sweet when the Mayor wanted his photo with us and our wedding certificate afterwards! I think our guests enjoyed the opportunity to spend a few hours in the centre of Ostuni, enjoying drinks and gelato in the piazza, before heading back to the Masseria where we were all staying for three nights in total.

*Just married with Ostuni cathedral in the distance*

Since our wedding, the one piece of advice I have given to anyone I know who is planning their day – make sure you have some time, even only ten minutes, just to yourselves to really take in the day, realise that this has actually happened and enjoy sharing your love and joy together without any interruptions. We had some time back at the Masseria to do this, after some photos, and that short time is one of my favourite memories of the day

Our wonderful friend Hannah (#whilstjudesleeps) created our table plan and place settings, as well as other stationary and we were so delighted with how magical the central courtyard looked set up for our wedding breakfast. The Masseria is completely stunning in its own right, there was no need for anything more fancy than some flowers and olive branches picked in the fields and candlelight - just what we wanted!

After some stunning harp music over antipasti and drinks, our super, talented friends Jane and Darren performed ‘Summertime’ which brought the house down and made many of us rather teary!

We then headed for some hard core eating which didn’t finish until gone 11pm, in the Italian style, with everyone needing to loosen their belts/change into something more comfortable before proceeding to the outdoor pool area for more drinks and of course dancing. We finally fell into bed at 5am the next morning (another perk of getting married abroad!), exhausted but delighted after such a wonderful day, in the perfect location in our favourite place in the whole world!

I am NOT a wedding planner but I have plenty of contacts and am happy to chat about getting married in Italy – please do drop me an email if I can help! If you are thinking about getting married in Italy, or anywhere abroad for that matter, I know one of the biggest concerns about doing so can be the logistics of getting your guests there and asking them to travel so far. This was the same for us but as long as you give everyone a lot of notice and provide clear instructions and help along the way, we found most people made a holiday out of the opportunity to travel to the sunshine and - we hope - they all very much enjoyed and will remember for ever our special day!

All photos by Brushfire Photography http://brushfirephotography.com/

The Wonderful Wines of Puglia

August 09, 2017 by Callie Foster-Willingham

I am sure you already have your favourite Italian wine … maybe a deep, velvety Barolo for special occasions; a chewy Chianti for accompanying steak, a light Soave as an aperitif and of course a glass or two of prosecco to celebrate a big occasion or the end of the working week! You may also already know that Prosecco has overtaken Champagne as the fizz of choice in the UK. However you might not know that Italian wines in general have surpassed French wine sales to make Italy the world’s largest wine producer. Our familiarity with the wines I have listed above from the more northern regions of Italy, belies the fact that Puglia is actually Italy’s largest wine producing region yet there are no familiar, big-hitting names to be seen! The good news is this is already starting to change. While much of Puglia’s wine has generally not left Italy until recently, as the rest of Europe looks to find a wider variety of wines and to find bottles of something they may have enjoyed on their travels, we can expect to find more and more Puglian wines in shops and restaurants in the UK.

On my recent trip to my treasured Puglia, I wanted to learn more about what we have been missing out on and why we should all be seeking out the seriously good wines of the region.

Cantine Carpentiere – passionate and progressive

*The vines and cantine of Cantine Carpentiere, with Castel del Monte in the background*

Meeting Luigi Carpentiere at his cantine in the heart of the Alta Murgia National Park, under the gaze of the Castel del Monte, was a real breath of fresh air. His small, family run, operation, producing around 60,000-70,000 bottles per year, is all about producing unique, quality wines using traditional Puglian grapes and making the most of the vineyards’ position 500m above sea level, within sight of the coastline. Buying up surrounding vines, nearly centuries old, which had been worked literally by one man and his dog, and growing grapes alongside the most beautiful roses and cherries (so many gorgeous jewel-like cherries like I’ve never seen before!), Luigi and his brother Enzo rely on the natural terroir to produce organic wines full of character and life.

The creative and distinctive bottle labels are even designed by an old school friend of Luigi’s and the history of the land on which the vineyard sits is fascinating. It was once an ancient ‘jazzo’ – a technically brilliant summer hotel for sheep when, through history, they were brought south to avoid the winter’s snow in the north of Italy and to avoid paying taxes during the reign of Emperor Frederick II in the 13th century. So much thought seems to go into everything at Cantine Carpentiere – the jazzo and its ancient dwellings have been lovingly restored and are an important part of any visitor’s tour of the place. The grounds are beautifully kept; Luigi is clearly very proud of his Puglian heritage and of living in the Alta Murgia with all its nature and history. This passion is transferred to his wines and the cantine – he won’t sell to supermarkets (or host weddings!), he wants to purely focus on the wine and he takes such delight in sharing the traditions and history of the region.

We had had the pleasure of enjoying Cantine Carpentiere’s most unique wine, Come d’Incanto, a few times before – it’s a white wine made from the Nero di Troia (RED!) grapes. There is nothing I like more than drinking a wine which tastes unlike anything else I’ve ever tasted – a complete surprise of textured citrusy richness but still with a mineral freshness. And with my favourite wine label ever!

We really enjoyed drinking more rose on this trip to Puglia and the Bombino Nero DOCG, produced from these traditional Puglian grapes from vines which are over 70 years old, is deliciously light with hints of cherry. Though with only 4,000 bottles produced per year, you would be lucky to find a bottle outside of Puglia! If you love your reds fruity and fresh, look out for wines made from the Nero di Troia grape. Cantine Carpentiere produces two excellent varieties; Colle dei Grillai DOC, named after the local birds of prey which have watched over the hills of the Alta Murgia since ancient times, blended with Merlot grapes to produce a wine which tastes like a summer pudding and the Pietra dei Lupi, an aged pure Nero di Troia wine, the grapes harvested at the end of October ensuring perfect ripeness to produce a wonderfully elegant wine with aroma and taste of roses, which I loved! Again, the name of the wine is tied to the location of the vines –referring to the stones (pietra) which kept the wolves (lupi) from entering the aforementioned jazzo and attacking the sheep.

*All the wines and their imaginative labels!*

It was such a pleasure to spend several hours with Luigi in the Puglian sunshine and a great introduction to Puglian grape varieties. You can read and view more about Cantine Carpentiere on their website here: http://www.cantinecarpentiere.it/

Cantine I Pàstini – tradition and modernity

*Looking from Locorotondo towards Martina Franca - Cantine I Pàstini is there somewhere!*

Our next stop was in the heart of the Valle d’Itria, slap bang between the stunning cities of Martina Franca and Locorotondo (blog post to come on these two beauties!), where we met Gianni Carparelli, owner of Cantine I Pàstini. History and tradition is also rooted in this family run winery, with even the name taken from the Latin word Pastinum for hoe which of course was a vital tool for planting vines in times gone by. There is also a trulli farm house complex dating back to the 16th century which is a very charming part of the vineyard tour, crossing the local railway line to do so which is fun!

Gianni studied viticulture in Florence for five years before returning to his home town to use modern wine making techniques to produce wines from ancient vines, with first production in 2003. He has converted an old store room into a gorgeous wine tasting ‘chapel’, shading visitors from the Puglian sunshine and providing a small stage for him to show off his delicious wines. It was a delight to try a Puglian sparkling wine, a Spumante Classico made from Verdeca grapes, which was fresh and floral and very drinkable! Verdeca is a grape which is native to Puglia, although probably imported from Greece (like many things in the region) hundreds of years ago. It is a popular grape for making white wines in Puglia and I Pàstini also produces a Verdeca white wine called Faraone which is very dry, again with floral notes and would be great with fresh seafood. The limestone soil in the local area is great for growing white grapes. Similarly to Cantine Carpentiere, the height of the land here too (resulting in more windy conditions) means there are very few insects therefore the vines do not require any nasty chemicals which is always good to hear. Gianni also continues to grow fava beans (a Puglian staple, more to follow on this in a post about local food) amongst his vines as they act as a natural fertilizer, putting helpful nutrients back into the soil. As in earlier times, they hand pick their grapes at harvest time at I Pàstini which ensures the selection of only the best, most ripe grapes – a long process considering they produce around 100,000 bottles per year!

*Gianni in his tasting room with a ‘pastinum’*

Gianni is proud that I Pàstini was the first vineyard to produce a wine with the ancient Minutolo grape, which grows only in the Valle d’Itria region and at one point was almost completely extinct. Rampone is a delicious white wine with a lychee/peach aroma and quite an imposing, acidic taste – really quite unusual and if in these parts you see a bottle of Minutolo on a wine list – try it! Another unusual grape variety, used to make the wine Verso Sud (Sud indicating the more southerly vineyards where this grape is grown) is the Susumaniello. These vines originally came from Dalmatia, where they were given the Italian name for donkey because the young vines produce a lot of fruit and are heavily laden, like a donkey! I thought this red wine was really quite unusual; almost a smoky/tobacco taste (probably due to 6 months aging in an oak barrel) and with a dark fruit aroma.

I Pàstini is another vineyard run by a passionate family and steeped in tradition and history – using ancient vines and techniques combined with modern ideas and motivation. You can arrange your own guided tour and tasting and learn more about the vineyard at their website: http://www.ipastini.it/

Cantine San Marzano – innovative, important and impressive

*Grape pickers in 1936 (Photo from Cantine San Marzano)*

Having travelled further south into the Salento region of Puglia, we could hardly believe we were at the right place when we approached Cantine San Marzano – huge wine vats and thousands of bottles towered about us and, after visiting the previous two wineries, where the settings were picturesque and very different, I have to admit we were a little disappointed. HOWEVER, once inside and talking with Luca Maruffa, San Marzano’s Communication Manager, we learnt (not for the first time, especially in Italy), not to judge a book by its cover! San Marzano was set up in 1962 as a cooperative whereby 19 local wine growing familiesclubbed together to jointly produce wine from their grapes, thus saving time, effort and meaning they could actually make money from their vines. This continues today and well over 1,000 of the very best vine growers in the D.O.P. area of Primitivo di Manduria send their grapes for processing at Cantine San Marzano, combining to produce around 11million bottles per year; around 20% of the wine produced in the D.O.P of Manduria, which are sent all around the world. This has enabled San Marzano to really open new markets for the small wine producers of this region and they have played a huge part in slowly starting to put Puglian wines on the international map. Yes, they have a team of internationally experienced scientists who work to produce the best wines possible, yes they have a huge processing area and barrels larger than I have ever seen and yes their tasting room was more like a chemistry lab but at its heart, this is a young and dynamic operation which is working for the good of the local community, to promote the best of Puglian wine on a world stage.

And wow, the wines are amazing! We had been lucky enough to actually have one of their signature bottles, F, served as the red wine at our wedding three years ago, so we knew the standard on offer! The F is a real walloper of a red wine – jammy, rich, full of tannins – they call it a meditation wine, which it certainly is! It is made from the Negroamaro grape and if you like your red wines deep and strong, do look out for wines made from this grape – they are slowly creeping into shops and restaurants in the UK. We tried a rose wine called Tramari, made from Primitivo grapes, which was absolutely delicious – light, strawberry aroma, elegant and just perfect as an aperitif in the sun. It is not traditional to make ‘rosato’ from Primitivo grapes but they have created a high quality wine which is so drinkable and we actually preferred it to the Primitivo reds.

The Primitivo red is certainly the Puglian grape most well established in the UK market, which San Marzano has definitely played its part in achieving, being from the heart of the Primitivo producing region. Primitivi are normally lighter, fruity, easier drinking red wines and which this area of Puglia is renowned. The vines pictured above are over 60 years old and were used to make the Sessantanni, (sixty years in Italian if you didn’t know!) a Primitivo di Manduria DOP, created for San Marzano’s sixtieth birthday. You can see how red the earth is; this is characteristic of this DOP region due to the iron oxides present, creating a wine which is clean, fruity and elegant.

Finally, we tasted a very unusual wine called Edda (the Salentino word for Lei or She), which had the most beautiful label and was created in 2015 to high acclaim. It is a new style of Puglian wine, a mixture of traditionally Puglian and well known grapes, created using a popular method and the mix of grapes changes each year to create a unique balance; the bottles for 2016 have 60% Chardonnay, 15% Moscatello Selvatico, 15% Minutolo and 10% Passulara, a very unusual Italian grape variety. It is like a clean chardonnay; floral and even herby with an elegant and mineral taste.

*The Edda bottle – striking and feminine*

Visiting Cantine San Marzano was fascinating and taught me a lot. They really care about the wines of Puglia and about creating excellent, world-standard wines, the sale of which in turn will help to raise the profile of all wines from the region. You can read more about Cantine San Marzano and its wines here: http://www.cantinesanmarzano.com/

I hope you have gained a flavour of the wonderful wines of Puglia and have a sense of the passion and pride all of these winemakers have for the history and traditions of this region of Italy. They very much want to make the world take notice of their world-class wines; whether they are centuries old recipes, old vines used to made imaginative and unique wines or something new altogether. I hope you will be inspired to seek out Puglian wines in the future and do let me know what you think!

Perfect Long Term Rent in Nardò, Puglia

September 05, 2016 by Callie Foster-Willingham

If you are interested in staying in a beautifully designed apartment in the heart of Nardò, in the Salento region of Puglia, between Lecce and Gallipoli, please visit http://www.urlaubsarchitektur.de/en/il-cubo/.

Ideal for a couple looking for somewhere quiet to work or to spend the winter months exploring the south of Italy and enjoying a slower pace of life. Please contact Alison at alisonspare1@outlook.com for more information.

Puglia Travellers – Emma and Colin

May 27, 2016 by Callie Foster-Willingham

I very much enjoyed helping Emma and Colin (pictured above at their hotel in Otranto) to plan their first trip to Puglia last summer. They managed to fit in a long list of wonderful cities in the two week itinerary: Ostuni, Monopoli, Lecce, Otranto, with day trips to Polignano al Mare, Gallipoli and Alberobello. I am pleased to share some of the highlights of their trip and I would be delighted to help you arrange a similar holiday if you fancy visiting this beautiful part of Italy.

Their first stop was Ostuni, staying at the beautiful Masseria Cervarolo, a 10 minute drive from the hill top city of Ostuni. This place is just gorgeous – they adored the vast swimming pool and their characterful room.

Colin: We couldn’t believe it when we arrived at Masseria Cervarolo, coming up the drive to be met by a tiny collection of Trulli houses and the most stunning pool area I have ever seen. The weather was perfect while we were there so we certainly made use of the outside area, enjoying the complete peace and tranquillity, as well as enjoying meals in the in-house restaurant which offers typical Puglian dishes, of top quality in a magical atmosphere.

*The beautiful pool area at Masseria Cervarolo*

Emma: And it was a great base to explore the local area– we enjoyed a wonderful afternoon and evening in Ostuni, which is very cosmopolitan and lively and we also visited Alberobello to see the famous Trulli houses which was magical. We felt the Masseria was a good mix of rural setting and architecture but with a very high end, boutique feel. We see they won ‘best budget boutique hotel’ Smith Hotel awards last year and I am not surprised!

We then moved to stay at the Hotel Relais Valle dell'Idro in the buzzy town of Otranto, on the East coast of Puglia. We loved Otranto as it was the perfect combination of old and new – trendy with lots of young people and modern hotels yet also lots of history, cobbled streets and a typical fishing harbour lined with lovely restaurants.

Colin: We chose the hotel as it is in central Otranto and it really was perfect – we loved the rooftop terrace for the hot tub and enjoying early evening drinks overlooking the city and the sea. We would definitely return to Otranto; we really loved the vibe there, everyone was so relaxed and friendly – we didn’t want to leave!

Emma: However, our next stop was Lecce which was actually very similar, just with more history and no sea views as the city is in the centre of Puglia. Lecce is often referred to as ‘the Florence of the South’, stunning Baroque architecture and is probably one of the more popular cities in Puglia for tourists. However, we found it to be not remotely touristy and it was our favourite place on our trip. There was so much to see and do; lots of churches, Roman ruins and the wonderful amphitheatre in the centre of the town where, one evening, we were lucky enough to enjoy a free classical music concert.

*Classical concert in the Roman amphitheatre in the centre of Lecce*

Colin: Our accommodation was perfect too – we had an apartment with Apollo Suites which was situated in the centre of the city, had several spacious rooms and was spotlessly clean. Not that we spent much time there, we were out and about exploring and taking in Lecce. From here, we drove 30 minutes over to Gallipoli, on the west coast of Puglia. This was the one place we probably wouldn’t return to as it was a lot smaller than we expected and there didn’t seem so much to do. While the name Gallipoli is taken from the Greek for ‘beautiful town’, it certainly felt much more like a working fishing harbour and we didn’t find it particularly beautiful unfortunately!

*Cafe action in Piazza Garibaldi, Monopoli*

Emma: The final stop on our mini tour was the lovely harbour town of Monopoli, where we stayed at the Palazzo Indelli, a comfortable modern hotel with a very Italian feel overlooking the bustling Piazza Garibaldi and just a short walk from the sea. We loved Monopoli too; it was small enough to navigate easily and was a great mix of historic harbour, castle and alleyways but with lots of modern and trendy design and great restaurants. It is a lot quieter than Lecce and Otranto but is certainly less touristy and we enjoying mingling with local people, young and old, for the two nights we were there.

Colin: From Monopoli we visited the next town along the coast, Polignano a Mare which was quite different from the other towns we had visited as it is built along the rugged cliffs of this part of the coastline, were you can stand on logge (balconies) and watch the waves crash below you. There is a delightful centro storico here too and it was a good half day excursion from Monopoli.

*Breath-taking Polignano a Mare (Photo: Brushfire Photography)*

Emma: Monopoli is just a 45 minute drive back to Bari airport and we were very sad to leave when we had to, though as we had seen so many places it felt like we had been away for longer than we had! Our trip to Puglia has inspired us to visit other parts of Italy, as well as one day returning to Otranto and Lecce. With a car, the Puglia region is so easy to explore, the people were so friendly and we loved the simple but fresh and very tasty food. It is also, we feel, much better value than other parts of Italy, perhaps because there are fewer tourists, but we certainly spend less than we had expected to! We would recommend a holiday in Puglia to anyone, of any age, as there is so much variety to please everyone. We will be back!

*Alberobello - the home of the Trulli (Photo: Brushfire Photography)*

Trulli – Truly iconic architecture unique to Puglia

March 13, 2016 by Callie Foster-Willingham

One of the first things you will notice, once you exit the industrial environs of Bari airport and its immediate surroundings, are small, circular structures with conical roofs which dot the Itria Valley in Puglia. They are the famous trulli houses which date back to the 14th century when they were built as store buildings and houses for farming families. These modest properties were a stark comparison to the Masserie lived in by the richer merchants and mobility in the 15th and 16th centuries.

*A beautiful untouched trullo (Photo: Brushfire Photography)*

A trullo has a dry stone construction with a double layered, limestone, conical roof. They were practical in many ways, including being built over their own cisterns in order to provide a water supply to each dwelling (the rocks cleverly being removed to form the walls) and were easily deconstructed allowing the structures to be quickly hidden from the tax man! There were however often no windows, just a door, making a trullo quite dark and they were also very cold in the winter.

The most famous location to see trulli, in their hundreds, is at Alberobello, a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1996. Here, a whole town is made up of districts of trulli, rising over steep hills, creating an almost magical landscape which is best explored in the early morning or late evening to avoid the tourist crowds who swarm through the place in the middle of the day. Some trulli date back to the 16th century and have barely been touched, whereas whole streets in other parts have been completely renovated and are now functioning as shops, restaurants, cafes and galleries for visitors. My favourite building is the ‘Trullo Church’ which is not as old as many of the other structures but was built in keeping with the style of the trulli in 1927 and is completely unique.

I love to see trulli now being re-invigorated in Puglia as accommodation options and also as features at Masserie such as bars and lounge rooms, providing shade for visitors in the hotel grounds. A fantastic example of a trullo being put to perfect use can be found at Rustic Puglia near the town of Ceglie Messapica.

PUGLIA PEOPLE: Claire and Andy James at Rustic Puglia

Deciding to quit the ‘rat race’ and their jobs in London just under ten years ago, Claire and Andy moved to Puglia where they have restored their own trullo which they live in themselves and also provide beautiful accommodation to visitors throughout the year. With their young children, they live pretty much self-sufficiently, just like many other Puglians, and even produce their own delicious olive oil which is bursting with flavour and sunshine (which you can buy here: Rustic Puglia Olive Oil).

Here is their story:

Passage to Puglia: When did you move to Puglia and why?

Rustic Puglia: After a dismal English summer I harked back to my childhood where I was brought up in Portugal, Italy and Morocco with all the sunshine and blue sky that went with it. TV programmes like ‘No Going Back’ inspired us to seek out a climate and lifestyle that would give us an alternative way of life to the one we had in London. We considered Spain but were put off by the number of British expats already there, and even went to investigate Panama. A keen scuba diver, Andy flew to Bari in April 2004 with a friend who had heard there was excellent cave diving along the southern Adriatic. The minute he spotted a trullo the decision to choose Puglia was made!

*Guest accommodation at Rustic Puglia (Photo: Rustic Puglia)*

P2P: How did you find the trullo you then converted?

RP: We did some internet research, made appointments with various estate agents and came out for a long weekend to view properties. We knew we needed somewhere big enough to have a part for us to rent out in order to earn an income, and a part for us to live in. On our last day we were shown an old smallholding – there was the traditional trullo, perfect for holiday rentals, and separate farm buildings that we could renovate as a home for ourselves. We made an offer straight away and were shaking when it was accepted – what kind of madness were we embarking on?!

P2P: What are your key objectives for Rustic Puglia?

RP: It is lovely to share our little slice of Puglia with the people who come to stay and we hope that our philosophy of living seasonally, farming organically and being harmonious with nature is inspiring to our guests. We try to keep connected with everyone who has been in touch with us; we have a lively Facebook page and send out a monthly(ish) newsletter, and returning guests receive a discount on subsequent stays. Our guestbook is bursting with enthusiastic comments from visitors who feel regenerated after staying here – slowing down, hearing the sounds of the countryside, spending time with their family, eating good food. That’s the ultimate objective for our business.

*Beautiful blue sky and pool at Rustic Puglia (Photo: Rustic Puglia)*

P2P: How much olive oil do you normally produce in a year?

RP: It depends on two things – first the growing conditions of each year affects how many olives grow on the trees, and second the yield of the olives (how much oil they produce) depends on both the growing conditions and the weather before picking. For instance, if it’s been pouring with rain in the days before harvest the olives will be saturated with water so the yield of oil will be less compared to their weight. The rule of thumb is a yield of 9-15% which translates as somewhere around 50 litres of oil from 300kg of olives.

P2P: How much time and effort does the process involve for you and your family?

RP: We have about 60 olive trees and each year we have two volunteers come and help us though a brilliant site called workaway.info. The olives are harvested in November by handheld shakers – the olives fall into nets that we lay on the ground under the tree. You get tired arms from shaking the olives off the branches all day! From the nets they’re gathered up and poured into crates and then we have a sort of sieve which removes all the leaves and other bits of debris from the olives. The rule of thumb is 300kg of olives for a single press, which is roughly 13 crates of olives. As soon as we’ve filled enough crates we take them straight to the ‘frantoio’ to be pressed – this is all in the same day because the quicker the olives go from picked to pressed the lower the acidity level of the oil. Ours has an acidity level of 0.2% which is excellent – the range for extra virgin olive oil is a maximum acidity of 0.8%. The oil is cold pressed and we store each pressing in a separate container with the date on it so we know exactly when it was harvested and how much oil it produced. In this way it is a limited edition – when we go out the following day to harvest it will be from different trees on a slightly different area of our land and thus the oil can have a subtly different flavour.

*Olive harvesting is a family affair! (Photo: Rustic Puglia)*

P2P: What other produce do you grow on your land, aside from olives?

RP: We have lots of almond trees from which harvest and sell – this is in August. We also have pomegranate, apple, pear, quince and cherry trees, and wild asparagus and chicory grow on the land. In the kitchen garden we grow tomatoes (of course), lettuce, beetroot, potatoes, garlic, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, courgettes, aubergine, spinach, peppers and artichoke to name a few, as well as rosemary, basil, coriander, thyme, oregano and parsley. Our free range hens provide us with eggs every day too.

P2P: What are the best aspects of living and working in Puglia? And what’s not so great?

RP: We feel much more aligned with the seasons and with nature than we did in London, and we feel more aware of our consumption. For instance, the rainwater feeds our cistern for free but when it’s empty we have to buy water – it reinforces us to be ‘waterwise’. Our house is heated by the wood we prune from our trees, so our land management includes ensuring we look after our trees so that in turn they keep us warm. These aren’t exclusive to Puglia, but they’re our experience of Puglia. We get some very impressive thunderstorms here that sometimes cause power cuts - it wears a bit thin if the electricity doesn’t come back on for hours.

*Perfect use for a trullo at Rustic Puglia (Photo: Rustic Puglia)*

P2P: What do you think are the best things the Puglia region can offer visitors?

RP: It retains its authenticity – wander around the towns out of season and you’ll be hard pushed to see other tourists, you’ll see life as it’s been lived forever. The food is amazing and you can get a cappuccino and a pastry for under €2! Puglia boasts two coasts (the Adriatic and the Ionian), beautiful architecture (Lecce is known as the Florence of the south) and there are more and more marked footpaths appearing to encourage walking through the beautiful countryside.

James and I are super excited to be helping Claire and Andy with their olive harvest this year – a week of labour in the beautiful Puglian countryside, justifying the pasta and wine to be consumed in the evenings sounds perfect!! Do check out Rustic Puglia’s website and Facebook page if you are considering a break in Puglia or please do get in touch with me for other ideas or how you can sample a slice of the Puglian lifestyle!

Puglia Travellers - Jenna & Darren

February 14, 2016 by Callie Foster-Willingham

Jenna, a geography lecturer and Darren, a city worker, travelled to Puglia in September 2014 for their summer holiday, which I helped them to plan. They spent five sunny days in Peschici in the coastal north of the region, two stylish nights in Ostuni, the hill top ‘Citta Bianca’ and three nights just south of Otranto, staying in a Masseria. Having previously visited the essential but busy tourist cities of Venice and Rome, they were ready to sample a more authentic Italy with some sunshine and beaches thrown in too!

Jenna: We were instantly attracted to Peschici after hearing that this was a town very popular with holidaying Italians and indeed, we seemed to be the only non-Italian speaking people in the whole place! This felt a little intimidating at first but we easily got by as the people were so friendly and helpful. The owner of our delightful apartment (Casa Michelle), Vincenzo, was a fantastic host, taking us out on our first morning to explore the local market where we bought cheese, bread, tomatoes and the local savoury snack, tarelli and he kindly treated us to delicious coffee in the local tabana!

*Market stall holder & Vincenzo selling Puglian produce to Darren!*

We enjoyed many simple lunches on our gorgeous balcony, looking out over the clear blue sea, venturing down to the beautiful beach each afternoon to join the Italian families and indulge in a gelato or two! We were pleased that beach sunloungers came with the apartment, something I understand is rather a novelty in Italy, where Italians flock from the cities to the beaches in August and September, booking their spaces in the sun years in advance!

Darren: The atmosphere in the town of an evening was electric – there was a small bar at the end of our street and an excellent pizza place, both open very late and it seemed the whole town enjoyed late nights of delicious food and wine, coffee, gelato; everyone was enjoying the warmth of the summer evenings. We felt it only right to get into the Italian swing of things and certainly had sore heads a couple of mornings we were there but we felt we had experienced an Italian summer holiday and would definitely go back!

Jenna: Our next stop was Ostuni, where we stayed at the stunning La Sommita which, as you might guess by its name, is at the very top of the old part of the city. You can see Ostuni from miles around as its gleaming white buildings rise 200 metres above the flat land, mainly given over to olive groves, surrounding it. We enjoyed exploring the narrow, winding vicoli of the old town, stumbling upon small restaurants and shops selling local leather and produce. The hotel was a wonderful place to escape from the sun in the late afternoons; lots of shaded terraces to relax and incredible views out to sea, only 8km away.

Darren: Yes, I remember it being very hot but there were always shady places to escape to! There are lots of trendy bars and restaurants in Ostuni and we also enjoyed a fantastic meal at Cielo, the Michelin starred restaurant at La Sommita.

The highlight for me was, by chance, catching La Cavalcata di Sant'Oronzo, the annual festival celebrating Ostuni’s patron saint. We witnessed the saint’s statue being paraded through the streets in the late afternoon, accompanied by elaborately dressed ‘knights’ on horseback - you could tell that this tradition has remained unchanged for hundreds of years. In the evening, huge crowds gathered in the central piazza, where the buildings were adorned with thousands of lights and the statue was again shared with the people. It seemed the whole city was out for the evening so we joined them in their celebrations, which culminated in a massive and very loud firework display, gone midnight, where whole families were parked up anywhere and standing in the roads – it felt like the whole of Puglia was there!

Jenna: It certainly was a night to remember! The day after, we moved on, following the coast road south to stay at Masseria Panareo situated south of Otranto and just 1.5km from the sea. As we journeyed further south, we could see the land becoming much more rural and the pace of life in the very south of Italy is certainly slower and quieter. We were stuck behind many a tractor and hardly heard another non-Italian accent. In fact, not many people in the rural parts of Puglia speak much English and while this can make for some longer conversations, we always managed to work out what each participant was wanting to convey - the Puglian people try very hard to make you feel welcome and understand you, they are very charming!

Darren: We enjoyed a very relaxing time at Masseria Panareo, which had a lovely pool and sweeping views down to the coast. We didn’t manage to visit many of the surrounding towns, such as Otranto and Lecce but we would certainly like to visit the region again to do this and enjoy some more excellent Puglian hospitality. It was wonderful to spend our holiday surrounded by Italians and their families, enjoying the sun, their food and la dolce vita!

Masseria Panareo (Photo: Masseria Panareo) — *Masseria Panareo* *(Photo: Masseria Panareo)*

(Photo: Brushfire Photography) — (*Photo: Brushfire Photography*)

Agriturismi – Fantastic Puglia Accommodation Options

January 16, 2016 by Callie Foster-Willingham

One of my favourite ways of enjoying Italy, and especially Puglia, is by staying in an ‘agriturismo’, essentially a farm stay. The agriturismi (agricultural tourism) movement was started in the 1980s as a way of helping farmers to make a little extra money by offering accommodation to tourists in spare rooms or converted buildings. They could do this as long as most of their income was still generated from farming, to ensure the farmland continued to be worked on and preserved. There are now over 20,000 agriturismi in Italy and they have become very popular with tourists; helping farmers and their families flourish in the modern world.

The type of accommodation you might experience varies hugely from basic, rustic lodgings, to luxuriously furnished rooms with all the mod cons and a guest pool and spa. Wherever you choose to stay, you can normally expect excellent value for money B&B accommodation, quite often with the option to dine in the evening. What I enjoy most about staying in an agriturismo is the opportunity to wake up each morning surrounded by countryside and tranquillity, especially welcome after a hard day of sightseeing! They also offer the perfect opportunity to sample food and produce straight from the land around you – what could be better! Staying in an agriturismo is the perfect way to sample the traditions of rural Italy and to meet people who work the land; to really immerse yourself in wonderful Italian culture.

In Puglia, agriturismi are generally called Masserie, (ancient fortified farms or country houses) and were mainly built between the 14th and 18th centuries to protect against invaders. Large structures with courtyards and surrounding walls, Masserie were mini-cities, housing small farming communities. Sometimes the isolated locations of agriturismi in other parts of Italy can result in difficult journeys trying to find your way. In Puglia however, the roads are very quiet and generally spacious, meaning you can stay in a rural idyll with a pleasurable drive to the more touristy parts of the region.

The land surrounding a Masseria usually includes olive groves as the Puglia region produces the most olive oil in Italy; the second largest olive oil producing country in the world! So at any Masseria in Puglia, you can normally sample delicious local and fresh olive oil, along with many other fruits, vegetables, milk, cheese, wine and meat, probably grown organically, if not at the Masseria but within a couple of miles. Considering the current trend of eating seasonally and locally, in my opinion, there are few other places on the planet where you can do this as deliciously and as effortlessly as in Puglia!

PUGLIA PEOPLE: Filippo & Chiara at Masseria Salamina

I would like to introduce you to Filippo and Chiara, brother and sister who own the wonderful Masseria Salamina. Their Masseria is in central Puglia, close to the towns of Cisternino and Ostuni, 10mins drive from the coast and slap bang between the airports of Bari and Brindisi. They aim to show their guests authentic Italian hospitality and to provide a rural experience, demonstrating original agricultural processes and the importance of tradition, organic production and biodiversity.

Here is their story:

Passage to Puglia: How long have you lived at Masseria Salamina?

Filippo & Chiara: From the early 1900’s Masseria Salamina was abandoned until our parents bought the property from a relative, Contessa Giuseppina Cenci, in 1986 to use as a summer house. We moved in permanently from 1989 and the Masseria was our family home. The buildings were slowly renovated and as our parents realised there were too many rooms and outbuildings to be used by just our family, they decided to convert these spaces into bedrooms and apartments for guests.

P2P: What do you grow on your land and what do you do with this produce?

F&C: Our family has owned land in Puglia and produced olive oil since the 1300s and now we yield 150,000kg of extra virgin olive oil each year. In addition we produce cereals, which we sell to a pasta maker in our local town to make fresh organic pasta; tomatoes from which we make tomato sauce to use and sell at the Masseria; vegetables that we use in our restaurant and almonds. We also produce some fruit (mandarins, oranges, lemons, apples, peach, apricot, prune) from which we make marmalades and jams. However, our first and most important production is our extra virgin olive oil.

Vegetables growing beneath an olive tree at Masseria Salamina (Photo: Brushfire Photography) — Vegetables growing beneath an olive tree at Masseria Salamina (*Photo: Brushfire Photography*)

P2P: What other activities can you offer your guests and fellow Puglians?

F&C: We are a certified ‘Masseria Didattica’ which means that we work with schools to teach children about traditional agriculture and healthy food. In the Masseria, we also organise cooking lessons; classes about traditional processes (like harvesting olives, making pasta, focaccia, taralli, tomato sauce etc); team building sessions with agricultural activities; wine tasting; and olive oil tasting.

P2P: You have made a very successful business – would it be fair to say that you love what you do?

F&F: It is a busy life and Italian bureaucracy is always frustrating but we enjoy having direct contact with nature and people. We enjoy growing our produce, explaining processes to our guests and encouraging them to taste what we have grown. We can therefore not only sell a product but give an experience and a little bit of happiness - all from agriculture; it is in our DNA, in our past and we hope also in our future.

Chiara and Filippo end by saying that the best thing about Puglia People is ‘our passion for land, food, wine and hospitality … we love to produce, eat, drink and share with happiness and passion’ – I certainly couldn’t agree more!

The beautiful and majestic Masseria Salamina (Photo: Brushfire Photography) — The beautiful and majestic Masseria Salamina (*Photo: Brushfire Photography*)

(Photo: Masseria Salamina) — (*Photo: Masseria Salamina*)

http://www.masseriasalamina.it/eng

If this post has sparked your curiosity for Puglia and its wonderful Masserie, please get in touch - I’d be delighted to have a chat and share some of my suggestions!

Numero uno!

December 06, 2015 by Callie Foster-Willingham

I have always loved travelling - studying maps, planning journeys, discovering new places, learning the local 'lingo' so as to be polite, trying different food and meeting interesting people. As a child, I kept a diary of every holiday we ever went on, collating car park and restaurant receipts, guide books and other mementos of experiences I shared with my family, writing a little synopsis at the end of each day. This way I always remembered the names of every town we visited and all the new things I saw. I still find it difficult to not save the same mementos every time I travel!

We didn’t venture too far when I was young; several holidays in Cornwall in the UK, Spain and the Balearics, as well as day trips to France. However we were lucky enough to spend four summers in the eighties in Italy, on the Adriatic Riviera, where my younger sister and I revelled in the bambino friendly atmosphere, the hotel pool, the large and busy beaches and the numerous bars where we would be treated to granita and gelato, the majority of which would end up down our fronts rather than in our mouths! I have vivid memories of sitting in the hotel dining room in just my underwear, stuffing mussels or spaghetti or watermelon in my mouth and making a huge mess at the same time! I loved it and, if it would not be frowned upon, would still do it now!

So, I fell in love with Italy at a very young age and have felt myself drawn to return many times as an adult. I have been lucky enough to visit Rome several times, Frascati, Venice, Bologna, Florence and Tuscany, the Isola di Ischia, Lake Garda and the Amalfi Coast. When my husband proposed by the Grand Canal in Venice one happy evening and we wandered the deserted night-time streets afterwards, the one thing we were certain of was that we wanted to get married in Italy!

The search was on to pick somewhere in the country we love so much, which offered an authentic Italian experience for our guests, somewhere easy for them to travel to and which was off the well-beaten Italian wedding trail. Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast and the large cities were ruled out - where else could we look? It was then we started reading about and visiting the not so well travelled and undeservedly overlooked at the time, south of Italy; specifically the 'region' of Puglia. We fell in love with how rural and untouched life is there: the olive groves, the beautiful beaches, the rustic and seasonal food, the great wine, the hospitable and friendly locals, the trulli houses scattered across the land, popping up to surprise you on random corners, the white washed hilltop towns still with so much heritage and vitality. Since finding this wonderful corner of this fantastic country, we have visited time and again and can't believe how lucky we are!

Avid travel readers will have noticed an increase in articles on Puglia in the last year or so and as the region is further promoted, the amount of flights to Bari and Brindisi from the UK are rising (accommodated by a soon to be expanded airport in Bari) and luxury resorts are opening at a fast pace, Puglia is swiftly becoming the new go-to destination in Italy. Away from the busy tourist towns of the north and west coast and with a climate to match neighbouring Greece, the ankle of Italy's boot is a great year round travel destination. I am keen to share my knowledge and secrets of this wonderful area of Italy so have created my blog for just that purpose. I will write about authentic places to stay, off the beaten track activities and towns and introduce you to other people who love Puglia as much as I do; both residents and tourists.