Puglia: Dreamy, rustic beauty

Want to feel like you’re living in a vintage foreign film? Then I suggest a visit to Italy’s ‘heel of the boot.’ Puglia is littered with old towns in varying ratios of upkeep:decay. And between the villages are fields of artichokes, groves of olive trees, random rubble and ruins, rocky beaches and crystal clear waters. Instead of the rolling green hills of Tuscany the landscape is the muted tones of sand, sage and wildflowers. It’s near impossible not to day dream the hours away in the picturesque landscape.

I arrived in Brindisi after a long haul from Cape Verde through Portugal, Spain and then Rome. I landed in Brindisi, picked up a rental car, and drove to Nardo — my home for three weeks.

I choose Nardo for three reasons:

The location was within easy access to a number of sites and areas I wanted to see
Il Cubo - a beautifully renovated home - that features beautiful medieval arches that I was dreaming of falling asleep under
It’s a smaller town where I could get a better sense of life in Puglia away from the touristy centres like Lecce or Alberobello

Visiting Alberobello with its famous Trulli homes is an easy and scenic drive from Nardo.

After weeks on a tiny African island with limited veggie options and some tough cultural differences, I felt my shoulders relax as I walked Nardo’s streets. Though parallel parking on the narrow, crowded streets provided a dose of stress from time to time.

Besides the obvious history, the architecture and landscape I also loved:

Driving. It was great fun to cruise around Italy. Folks drive very fast and I got into it! It helps that people know how to zipper merge and traffic flows smoothly. I felt very Italian as I zipped around it my little compact with a double espresso in hand and singing to my heart’s content.
Vegetables. In Puglia, growing season was well underway in April/May and stopping at small stalls and visiting vendors to pick up tomatoes, asparagus, mushrooms, artichokes, and basically anything else I could get my hands on was delightful. They were the freshest, most flavourful veggies I’ve had in ages. Not all veggies are created equal.
People watching. Hanging out in Nardo’s historic center was something out of a movie. Nonnas wearing aprons visiting on doorsteps, Nonnis meandering the streets on ancient bicycles greeting everyone with a nod, children kicking soccer balls in the city square. And me … walking around with a stupid grin on my face taking in the bucolic scene.
The lack of English. Sure, it makes it a little harder to get your point across, but getting outside of your comfort zone is what travel is all about! And as much as I hate the word authentic in relation to travel it definitely lends that impression.

Know before you go:

Coperto. Restaurants include an additional 1-3 euros on the bill. This isn’t a gratuity so you still should need tip, but it covers the cost for bread, oil, salt, etc.
Vegan pasta is everywhere. In Puglia, the pasta is made without eggs so it’s always very easy to find a filling hearty meal of delicious noodles, tomato sauces with herbs and veg.
Be aware of the toll roads. So toll roads aren’t really a thing in Canada and the few I’ve driven in the US were relatively cheap. Not so in Italy — I paid over 20 euros on one particular road. That said — the road was in great shape and there was barely any traffic so it was an easy drive.
Towns shut down for lunch. And I mean a three hour lunch from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Everything shuts down so that people can enjoy a three hour lunch at home with their families. Nice, right? Just be sure to plan your days accordingly!

xx Rachel