ONE WEEK IN THE HEEL OF ITALY
The opening twenty minutes of No Time To Die (the last of Daniel Craig’s James Bond films) made me wonder, “Where is this place!?”
Trulli Houses alone had never been quite enough to tempt me into spending time in Puglia and the heel of Italy. That was mainly because I knew very little about the area aside from the distinctive little houses.
So, when I discovered firstly that the town in the James Bond film was a place called Matera in Italy and then found out that Matera was in Puglia, I became more curious.
The outcome of that curiosity was a seven day holiday, landing at Bari and staying at the Hotel Chiusa di Chietri just outside Alberobello.
The hotel would, for some, appear a little isolated but with a full itinerary it was ideal for many with its Spa facilities, comfortable rooms, pleasant grounds and an excellent chef. Additionally, one or two towns were a short taxi ride away for those with space to fill during their stay.
We didn’t have to worry about Breakfast or the Evening Meal as both were included and varied with a wide choice.
Day One felt quite local; starting with a visit to Locorotondo before moving to Martina Franca and ending the day with an opportunity for lunch and free-time at Alberobello with it’s concentration of Trulli houses. The conical-roofed houses are actually visible before you reach Alberobello with them randomly scattered in the countryside on the route from the hotel to Locorotondo.
Locorotondo is a nice enough town and attractively located on a hill with a nice photo opportunity as you get close. Personally, I preferred Martina Franca which felt more alive. It also has a lovely pedestrian approach with modern art and history emphasised by the architecture lining the small streets and alleyways. Of course, there are plenty of cafes and restaurants too.
Late morning we were on our way to Alberobello. The Trulli houses were already familiar to us, decorating the Puglia landscape as they do but Alberobello is on another level in terms of the sheer numbers of these properties. Certain parts of the area feel a little ‘touristy’, particularly around where the restaurants are located but the side streets are cute and very photogenic. Three or four hours including lunch is plenty of time to see this World Heritage Site.
And so back to the hotel for a much-needed evening meal which more than met the standard set on our first evening yesterday. After dinner the Bar is very convenient and also very comfortable and can be a nice way to finish the day before resting for tomorrow.
Breakfast can be a bit of a process but there is plenty there of whatever you wish to have, We didn’t hang around after breakfast as the journey to Matera is around 90 minutes’ drive with some new scenery along the way.
Once off the bus it’s a ten-minute walk to the historical centre. What a place Matera is! We had a local resident American of 25 years as our guide and she gave us about an hour and a half of her time before we were let loose on this extraordinary city. The history of how it became uninhabited before slowly being brought back to life is well worth listening to or reading about.
It would take many, many days to see it all but enjoy your day and take your time. You will learn there have been many films that include Matera as a filming location but don’t bother trying to find the bridge from the opening sequence in ‘No Time To Die’; this was cut into the film having been shot in a town approximately 30 minutes away from Matera. The town is called Gravina (di Puglia).
Matera can be a bit of a Workout, especially on a hot day, but the effort and exercise is worth it. Cave Churches punctuate the city around almost every corner and the views across the valley are memorable. The other side is accessible via a flexible bridge across a wetland at the base of the valley but it’s quite a trek and I can only imagine the views back across to the Sassi are fantastic.
We continued to walk around the main historical area of Matera and its Sassi and stumbled upon the square; the scene of James Bond’s Aston Martin doing ‘Donuts’ at the start of the movie.
As with everywhere in Italy, there are plenty of Cafes and Restaurants and, if you’re lucky, you may find one with an outside terrace and views over the city.
Another World Heritage Site by the way! It can get busy; something that is more noticeable in the centre but gets easily diluted by the myriad of sides streets and lanes.
Day Three started easily with a free morning. Our destination was to be a local Masseria, not too far from the hotel. A Masseria is defined as a stone country house with a long history of serving as a fortified farmhouse, a rest stop, or a villa in southern Italy, especially in Puglia. We spent a couple of hours learning how to make pasta, enjoying lunch, wine and Limoncello before walking around the estate to view the countryside and the animals on the Masseria.
Lecce, known in Italy as the Florence of the South, was on our agenda for the fourth day of the trip. Lecce is more of a city than the other places we had seen (except for Bari). Again, we had a local guide for an hour or so which was very informative and set us up for our free time which included lunch.
It’s hard not to compare this region with other areas of Italy and being long and narrow the country is very different from top to toe. The weather can be very different with less than a perfect climate in the North at certain parts of the year while Puglia and other regions in the South of Italy benefit from a more favourable climate, maintaining warmer temperatures for longer. We visited in October and enjoyed lots of sunshine and temperatures between 23 and 27 degrees.
One of Lecce’s attractions is its Roman Amphitheatre that was excavated around 100 years ago. The majority of the architecture is Baroque and the buildings are largely constructed from a local golden sandstone. All very nice to wander around, especially in good weather.
Back to base again. The hotel has both an indoor and an outdoor swimming pool if you can find the time. There is also some lovely outside space for sitting and having a drink as an alternative to sitting in the bar area.
Late nights aren’t such a great idea as the breakfast is too good to miss and there is a need to get on the road to make the most of each day. And tomorrow we head for the first of our optional trips; this one to the coastal village of Trani followed by a stop at Castel del Monte.
Trani was a great surprise. Another sunny day, White church on the edge of the Adriatic Sea, a couple of weddings during the morning, fishing boats unloading and selling their catches, bars, cafes and restaurants around the harbour, not too many people – a real highlight of the trip. 
Castel del Monte wasn’t much more than half an hour from Trani. The golden sandstone gives it a new appearance which disguises its 13th century origins. It doesn’t take long to walk around the two floors and each room is interesting and worth the effort. The Castel is located in the middle of the countryside so some of the views are panoramic.
Our final day of sightseeing took us to Ostuni; the second of our optional trips. Perched on a hilltop, Ostuni is visible from the coastal road. Ostuni is a typical Italian White village in much the same way as Spain has its White villages.
To me, Spain and Italy are the same BUT different. They grow very similar crops but Italy, certainly in Puglia, appears to focus heavily on Olives. There are Olive groves everywhere you look (more than in Andalucia in Spain) and, more generally, there are many more trees than I was expecting.
The walk through the village of Ostuni is one not to miss. It is well looked after and feels quite prosperous. From the top you can see the ocean again and the town of Ostuni del Mare.
It was quite sad knowing that this was the final visit on our trip but Puglia and the surrounding area had been great. We felt very fortunate with the weather we had enjoyed (very different to the forecast seen just one week before!), the hotel was excellent and we met some nice people along the way. All we wanted now was for the flight the next day to be on time – and it was. Job done, and on to the next.
This featured blog entry was written by david.byne from the blog New Territory.
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