You may already know about the marquee attractions of Italy, such as the Coliseum, Florence, and the Amalfi coast. But did you know...?
> You can enjoy most of what visitors love about Italy without the crowds and tourist traps - in the Italian region of Puglia (pronounced Pool-ya, English name Apulia). As you can see in the map above, Puglia is the "heel of the boot." Joan had the unforgettable experience of touring the region on a See Italy (tour company) educational trip for travel agents. Now it is one of her favorite places on the planet. Puglia has stunning Mediterranean views, gorgeous sunny beaches, picturesque hilltop towns, whitewashed villages, medieval town squares, magnificent art and baroque architecture such as in the city of Lecce (the "Florence of the South"), archaeological sites such as a large Roman amphitheater you may encounter just by strolling through town, and aromatic Italian food.
> Puglia has unique attractions you won't find elsewhere in Italy, such as the cone-shaped "trulli" peasant houses with beehive roofs (see photo above) in the Unesco World Heritage town of Alberobello. These homes were designed to be easily knocked down (and later reassembled), as was done in the 18th century to avoid high dwelling taxes. Now these homes have been modernized and are owned by affluent households or rented to tourists.
>Another unique experience is the incredible "cave city" of Matera (another Unesco Site), which is close to Puglia in the Basilicata region. People used to live in, and shepherds worked out of, the caves. (Actually, with modern amenities now available, some folks are moving back into cave homes.) Joan stayed at a "cave hotel" there, Sextantio Grotte della Civita, which overlooks a breathtaking view. Each room is in its own cave -- spacious, luxurious, mostly candle-lit, and very romantic. She even ate at fine-dining and casual restaurants built in caves. Matera was the Jerusalem-like setting for Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ.
>You can taste Puglian olive oils and other specialties as well as wines. Puglia, one of the worlds oldest agricultural areas, is a very fertile region, producing 40% of Italy's olive oil. And, it is one of the two leading wine-producing regions. Enjoy amply poured, delicious, yet affordable Puglian red wines such as Primitivo and Negroamaro. You can tour an ancient olive farm, Antica Masseria Brancati, where, besides picking olives and sampling fresh-pressed olive oil, you can see the 3,000-year-old "grandfather tree," one of the oldest living things on earth. Other southern Italian Italian specialties to savor include burrata (a soft, cream-filled version of fresh mozzarella), focaccia, and taralli crackers, which are a tasty street food that is also served at the start of a restaurant meal. Taralli are like a cross between a bagel and a crispy pretzel, with a hint of olive oil. Joan now orders Puglian taralli for home delivery.
>You can be treated like family, as guests are in Italy. At the olive farm owned by the same family for generations, Joan and her travel colleagues had a family-style lunch outside at a long table under the Puglian sun, with fresh farm-to-table delicacies. At a dairy where Joan had a close encounter with cows, the mom and other relatives served a "light lunch" at a large table in the family dining room, again with food that you know is farm fresh from the taste - and because you are at the farm! Um, in Italy, a "light lunch" evidently means the table still overflows with a wide variety of luscious foods, but you don't eat for as long as you do at dinner. Of course, these meals are accompanied by generously poured local wines. This is an example of what we mean by the "authentic" Italian experience.
>In hands-on lessons, you can learn to make Italian pasta, sauce, bread, and mozzarella. In one class, taught by an Italian mamma, you make your own "little ears" -- orecchiette, the signature Apulian pasta, along with tomato sauce and focaccia, . (As you stroll through Bari, the lovely capital city of Puglia, you see women sitting at tables making orecchiette.) Needless to say, the students then dine on their homemade delicacies, washed down with "bottomless" glasses of wine. At a bread-baking lesson in the city of Altamura, the reward is holding a rustic loaf fresh out of the oven. At the dairy, Joan made mozzarella. Again, this is the "real Italy."
>Puglia may be the best place for your second trip to Italy - if not your first! On your first trip, you may want to see some of the best-known Italian attractions -- the antiquities of Rome, the canals of Venice, etc. Then you may be ready for a second visit, to Puglia. But actually, you may consider Puglia for your first trip to Italy -- in order to make the most of your time there. Without the tourist crowds of the widely known attractions, you are free of the hassles and wasted time of waiting lines and blocked views. You can relax and enjoy authentic Italy.
>Puglia is perhaps Italy's best-kept secret, but not to Italians - it is where they go on vacation. So, visit Puglia before the word gets out and the tourist crowds arrive! As an example of one of the many feasts for your eyes, here is (below) the medieval "white city" of Ostuni, which can be included on a custom See Italy tour. If you are interested in a See Italy vacation, contact us.
> You can enjoy most of what visitors love about Italy without the crowds and tourist traps - in the Italian region of Puglia (pronounced Pool-ya, English name Apulia). As you can see in the map above, Puglia is the "heel of the boot." Joan had the unforgettable experience of touring the region on a See Italy (tour company) educational trip for travel agents. Now it is one of her favorite places on the planet. Puglia has stunning Mediterranean views, gorgeous sunny beaches, picturesque hilltop towns, whitewashed villages, medieval town squares, magnificent art and baroque architecture such as in the city of Lecce (the "Florence of the South"), archaeological sites such as a large Roman amphitheater you may encounter just by strolling through town, and aromatic Italian food.
> Puglia has unique attractions you won't find elsewhere in Italy, such as the cone-shaped "trulli" peasant houses with beehive roofs (see photo above) in the Unesco World Heritage town of Alberobello. These homes were designed to be easily knocked down (and later reassembled), as was done in the 18th century to avoid high dwelling taxes. Now these homes have been modernized and are owned by affluent households or rented to tourists.
>Another unique experience is the incredible "cave city" of Matera (another Unesco Site), which is close to Puglia in the Basilicata region. People used to live in, and shepherds worked out of, the caves. (Actually, with modern amenities now available, some folks are moving back into cave homes.) Joan stayed at a "cave hotel" there, Sextantio Grotte della Civita, which overlooks a breathtaking view. Each room is in its own cave -- spacious, luxurious, mostly candle-lit, and very romantic. She even ate at fine-dining and casual restaurants built in caves. Matera was the Jerusalem-like setting for Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ.
>You can taste Puglian olive oils and other specialties as well as wines. Puglia, one of the worlds oldest agricultural areas, is a very fertile region, producing 40% of Italy's olive oil. And, it is one of the two leading wine-producing regions. Enjoy amply poured, delicious, yet affordable Puglian red wines such as Primitivo and Negroamaro. You can tour an ancient olive farm, Antica Masseria Brancati, where, besides picking olives and sampling fresh-pressed olive oil, you can see the 3,000-year-old "grandfather tree," one of the oldest living things on earth. Other southern Italian Italian specialties to savor include burrata (a soft, cream-filled version of fresh mozzarella), focaccia, and taralli crackers, which are a tasty street food that is also served at the start of a restaurant meal. Taralli are like a cross between a bagel and a crispy pretzel, with a hint of olive oil. Joan now orders Puglian taralli for home delivery.
>You can be treated like family, as guests are in Italy. At the olive farm owned by the same family for generations, Joan and her travel colleagues had a family-style lunch outside at a long table under the Puglian sun, with fresh farm-to-table delicacies. At a dairy where Joan had a close encounter with cows, the mom and other relatives served a "light lunch" at a large table in the family dining room, again with food that you know is farm fresh from the taste - and because you are at the farm! Um, in Italy, a "light lunch" evidently means the table still overflows with a wide variety of luscious foods, but you don't eat for as long as you do at dinner. Of course, these meals are accompanied by generously poured local wines. This is an example of what we mean by the "authentic" Italian experience.
>In hands-on lessons, you can learn to make Italian pasta, sauce, bread, and mozzarella. In one class, taught by an Italian mamma, you make your own "little ears" -- orecchiette, the signature Apulian pasta, along with tomato sauce and focaccia, . (As you stroll through Bari, the lovely capital city of Puglia, you see women sitting at tables making orecchiette.) Needless to say, the students then dine on their homemade delicacies, washed down with "bottomless" glasses of wine. At a bread-baking lesson in the city of Altamura, the reward is holding a rustic loaf fresh out of the oven. At the dairy, Joan made mozzarella. Again, this is the "real Italy."
>Puglia may be the best place for your second trip to Italy - if not your first! On your first trip, you may want to see some of the best-known Italian attractions -- the antiquities of Rome, the canals of Venice, etc. Then you may be ready for a second visit, to Puglia. But actually, you may consider Puglia for your first trip to Italy -- in order to make the most of your time there. Without the tourist crowds of the widely known attractions, you are free of the hassles and wasted time of waiting lines and blocked views. You can relax and enjoy authentic Italy.
>Puglia is perhaps Italy's best-kept secret, but not to Italians - it is where they go on vacation. So, visit Puglia before the word gets out and the tourist crowds arrive! As an example of one of the many feasts for your eyes, here is (below) the medieval "white city" of Ostuni, which can be included on a custom See Italy tour. If you are interested in a See Italy vacation, contact us.
