Our trip to Puglia was a family affair, being joined by Beck’s Mum & Dad, as well as Andrew, Mel & Freyja. We stay in a fabulous Airbnb in the centre of Monopoli, meaning everyone can be independent but also spend time together. We visit many of the gorgeous little towns in the area such as Polignano, Ostuni and Alberobello, as well as the bigger city of Bari and also spend time walking or runnning the coast line and dipping in the sea to cool down from time to time. The water is still nippy but the day time temperatures are hot enough to make a swim worthwhile.
A highlight of the week is a morning spent making pasta and biscuits at Sorelle Barnaba. Mary, our tutor-chef, is patient and kind and makes the experience a pleasure for all. Lunch is included in the experience as they cook the pasta made by us, but, judiciously, first, they fill us up with an array of tapas style dishes so that we aren’t dependent on the pasta (of varying qualities!) that we have made ourselves. Onesuch dish includes Orobanche, a parasitic plant, similar to asparagus in appearance but like nothing any of us have eaten before. The farmers in the local area market it as a food crop to remove it from their land and stop it from choking other produce. It’s really interesting to find out about the history and ingredients of the cuisine of the local area. We also have an olive oil tasting session and buy a couple of small bottles to take home. It’s a shame we have hand luggage only as we’d have invested in more! The experience is so good for all involved that we return a few days later just for lunch.
Alberobello is another highlight, if extremely touristy. It’s so busy already in April that we hate to think what it will be like in the height of summer. Still, the Trulli houses are really fabulous to see so it’s worth braving the crowds.
In Ostuni, Beck chooses the coldest restaurant in all of Italy, Osteria da Nonna La, but at least the welcome is warm and the food and wine plentiful!