Puglia: A Voyage of Discovery (Part 1)

INTRODUCTION

We have just spent thirteen glorious days in Puglia.  However much you read about the history, culture and cuisine of Puglia in advance, nothing quite prepares you for the sheer wonder that pervades every corner of this region which occupies the heel of Italy and is surrounded by two seas, the Adriatic and the Ionian. I chose this photo, taken from our speeding car, because on so many of our trips there were glimpses of startling blue sea, bright green foliage, white structures, brown earth and sunny skies. Nature's palette.

Driving through the countryside, you can experience sensory overload as you view the stunning beauty of Puglia's misty blue mountains, its white beaches, jagged cliffs, green olive groves and vineyards, steep gorges and ravines dotted with caves and grottoes, golden sandstone cities and brilliant white towns.

As if all that was not enough, there is an endless array of cathedrals, castles, basilicas, churches, trulli, frescoes, mosaics and Puglia's fabled abundance of exceptional food and wines.  And talking of wines, all views of Puglia are enhanced with a glass or two of Primitivo! 

Even the place names will enchant you: Alberobello, Polignano a Mare, Otranto, Galatina, Ostuni, Santa Maria di Leuca, Martina Franca and, my favorite, Locorotondo (above).  Every day brought a new surprise, a new wonder, another staggering landscape or yet one more breathtaking cathedral or castle.

It is not possible in one blog to capture everything we saw and encountered during our time in Puglia. So, after this introduction, I will only focus on a few of the highlights of our first five days (from September 8 to 12) in Puglia. 

Sometimes the land itself is golden! 

I will describe the highlights of the rest of our trip in separate blogs. My National Geographic guide book takes 240 pages to describe Puglia, so please don't expect too much in this blog! On the principle that a photograph is worth a thousand words, I will let the photos do most of the talking. 

In the left hand column, you will also see more photos of these five days in no particular order. Here goes...

MOLA DI BARI

We were blessed to be staying in Mola di Bari with our dear friends and hosts, Vito and Maria Tanzi, and two other dear friends, Atchet and Armida San Jose. 

Vito was born and raised in Mola and we all stayed in his ancestral home on G. Mazzini Street, right in the heart of town. You only had to take a few steps to get the bakery, fruit and vegetable stand, the Piazza, restaurants, cafes and, best of all, the sea wall and the Adriatic beyond.  

Above, from L to R are Maria, Armida, Vito, Regee and Atchet, all coming home from the Saturday morning mercato which fills a street almost a kilometer long.  There was every type of merchandise in the mercato. I bought a blue jacket and straw hat there for the Festa that weekend. I was told that we had to get dressed up for Sunday night. 

Just about everything in Mola from rents, clothes and food to wines, cheeses, pastries, coffee et al, were all more than affordable.  Only the gas prices would make Americans faint! 

We very quickly fell into a morning routine which Vito and Maria observe when in Mola. Every morning starts with breakfast at Caffe L'Incontro. Breakfast was always served by Violeta who became our good friend and consisted of a cappuccino and cornetto integrale with an espresso to follow.  Then a gentle walk down to the Piazza to pick up the morning newspaper and a short stroll back home. Of all the things I will miss about Puglia, our morning coffee ritual is at the top of the list.

Vito was a tireless guide, philosopher and friend.  As a native Molese, he imparted fascinating insights everywhere we traveled; gave us the historical and social context of the many cities and towns we visited; told us stories about his family and childhood in Mola, including the donation of a school (above) to Mola by Famiglia Tanzi in October 1888; and generally made sure that we were fully informed about everything we were seeing.  

For the four of us who were new to Puglia, all this local knowledge was the greatest gift because it subtly transformed us from ordinary, gawping tourists into honorary Molese who were in the know. 

During the Festa, there are many brass bands marching around and processions winding down narrow streets. One brass band parade, which included the Mayor of Mola and local dignitaries, came down the street where we were having our breakfast at Caffe L'Incontro on Saturday morning.  The Mayor peeled off to greet Vito who is so well known in Mola that he is hugged and kissed everywhere he goes.  It is the same even in towns far away from Mola.  He's famous! 

After the mercato on Saturday morning, we were invited to lunch with two of Vito & Maria's dear friends, Annalisa and Giuseppe, who have a gorgeous apartment with a balcony overlooking the Adriatic Sea.  Annalisa is a superb cook and is renowned for her home cooking demonstrations, one of which we were also invited to a little later in the week. That huge feast will be covered in the next blog.  

 

This photo pretty much sums up our collective judgment of Annalisa's marvelous lunch.  You can see some of her dishes in the left hand column.  By the time this photo was taken, we had arrived at dessert and were just about to launch into the dolce and some heady liqueurs. Sitting on the balcony, looking out over the blue Adriatic, sipping limoncello after this extraordinary lunch and feeling a warm sea breeze on my face, it occurred to me that we should relocate to Mola.  Immediately!

Mola's annual Festa (above) took place on our first weekend.  For a small town, Mola has amazing light shows and fireworks and several large processions over the weekend and through Monday. The most important event is the presentation of the Madonna Addolorata (Our Lady of Sorrows) who was brought out of the church and paraded through the streets on several occasions. 

On Saturday night we walked down to the Piazza and had a good look around.  You can see Vito in the background talking to one of his acquaintances.

Small girls (above) are dressed in clothes which represent the Madonna.  Aren't they sweet?  On Sunday, they paraded down G. Mazzini Street, right in front of our house! Bands big and small make their way around the town all day long, with some processions in full medieval costumes. It is a true festa in every sense of the word and was an exciting introduction to what Puglia had to offer.

On Sunday evening we got all dressed up for a special dinner at the Parlapiano Restaurant which had tables set out in the Piazza. We were surrounded by all the lights and saw a huge balloon being launched into the air right next to our table. Needless to say, the dinner was excellent.

Vito and Maria at the Parlapiano Restaurant.  They absolutely made our stay the trip of a lifetime. 

GRAZIE MILLE!

CITY OF BARI

Our first trip out of town started on Monday, September 11. We drove to the nearby CITY OF BARI, the capital of the region, which sits on the Adriatic Sea.  Here is the harbor.  Bari is the largest city in the south of Italy and boasts a beautiful basilica, a cathedral, a massive castle, three opera houses, the Governor's palace, an impressive university, grand boulevards, intriguing shops and an active nightlife.  

Outside the Basilica di San Nicola which was built to house the relics of Saint Nicholas of Myra.  Legend has it that the relics were stolen from the Venetians by sailors from Bari back in 1087.  In those days relics drew many pilgrims to towns which sheltered them.  Judging by the crowds at the Basilica that day, Saint Nicholas is still attracting both pilgrims and now tourists. 

The interior of Basilica di San Nicola. Ties to the Eastern Orthodox Church are evidently still strong and Orthodox masses are held in a dedicated chapel filled with candles and incense (and Russians)!  There is a plaque outside which notes that the Basilica was visited by President Putin.  He really needs to come again because he has not understood the message of Peace on Earth!

  

Equally impressive is the Romanesque Cattedrale di San Sabino (above) where we found a wedding in progress.  Further on we passed by the mighty Castello Svevo, watched ladies in the narrow backstreets making their famous hand-crafted orechiette (below) and taralli, and walked through the park and grounds surrounding the University of Bari. 

Castello Svevo in the heart of Bari.  It was built on the ruins of a Byzantine fortress by the Norman King Roger II but then destroyed by another Norman, William the Wicked, in 1156.  Frederick II restored it and the Aragonese later reinforced the outer walls which still look impregnable.  It is truly massive.

  

We had lunch at the delightful URBAN Restaurant, where the Bari speciality is Spaghetti All'Assassina (below) with a large dollop of stracciatella cheese on top. Supposedly, it derives its name from either a time when some negligent chef burnt his pasta (thereby "killing" it); or the "killer" spices which distinguish this pasta dish. We then walked down the extremely elegant main shopping street which had one of Italy's oldest department stores. It made Macy's in New York look a little small and provincial.

TRANI

Tuesday, September 12, found us driving to TRANI which is famous for its wondrous "cathedral by the sea" which stands in Piazza Duomo. It was built on the site of pre-existing buildings from the Paleochristian period in 1099--it actually houses two churches and a chapel from the 5th to 7th centuries and you can see the original foundations. You approach the Cattedrale di San Nicola Pelligrino via the harbor (below) where fishing boats are bringing in freshly caught fish and offloading them to vendors along the harbor wall. 

Here is the harbor at Trani and the Three Marias (yes they are all named Maria!) enjoying yet another day of perfect weather. The whole thirteen days were just like this. 

Unfortunately, the front of the Cathedral was under renovation and covered with scaffolding. However, at this angle, the imposing 190 ft. tower and the flank of the cathedral against the cobalt blue sky was truly dramatic. 

In my estimation, the simplicity and pure lines of this cathedral made it one of the most impressive and beautiful cathedrals we saw--with the exception of the Basilica in Galatina which you will see in a later blog. 

It was still early in the morning. The reflected light from the sea outside, the soaring columns and ceiling arches gave you a sense of total tranquility.  

There is also a huge castle--another Castello Svevo- nearby the cathedral which was built on the orders of Frederick II in 1233. Once again, it sits right by the sea and would look even more impressive to any potential invaders approaching the city from the sea.

RUVO DI PUGLIA

Next stop, RUVO DI PUGLIA.  Every town in Puglia, however small, seems to have a beautiful Cathedral.  Ruvo di Puglia is no exception. 

A random olive tree in a small garden in Ruvo di Puglia.

We had lunch at the Michelin Restaurant UPEPIDDE.  We were shown around the exceptional wine cellar (below) maintained by this restaurant. This was the owner explaining that he had over 60 wines from all over the world and a collection of Scotch and bourbon. What a place to have your office!

The food was magnificent.  The two bottles of wine consumed were Augustale (Castel del Monte) Nero di Troia which were more than memorable.

Checking out the menu!

This was my dish--delicately marinated slices of cod--I think!

CASTEL DEL MONTE

Next and last stop, CASTEL DEL MONTE. Can you believe that we are doing all this in one day? This spectacular castle was designed and built by Frederick II in 1240.  You can see it from miles and miles away. He never lived here or even visited the castle. I found that a little strange--like the oligarchs who never visit their far flung mansions. Well, Frederick II had many battles to fight and he was also the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire so he had to be in many places at once. 

The castle sits on one of the western Murge hills at an altitude of almost 1800 feet with a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. Definitely a good strategic choice. Location, location, location. 

The castle is octagonal in shape which allegedly evokes the crown of the Holy Roman Empire. We wandered around the many different rooms, most of which are connected and look down into the central courtyard.  We also climbed up a lot of steep steps to the highest level and admired the view from the top.  The whole structure is full of balistraria (arrow slits) in the castle walls but they could not keep out the Angevins, Aragonese and the Bourbons. Ironically, Frederick's grandchildren were later imprisoned here and possibly his wife.

As this is the end of the first blog, let me belatedly introduce you to Vito, our proud and fearless driver, who took us everywhere on our various voyages of discovery. I called him Vito Magnus to distinguish him from our principal Vito who was either Bello or Professore! You will be seeing many more of the places where the two Vitos took us in later blogs. 

I have over 2,300 photos to sort through so don't expect the next blog to come very quickly.  Actually, the hardest part is to choose just one photo of a certain place.  Ah well, you can always Google these places online.  Better yet, just go to Puglia!

I will leave you with this photo of Mola early one morning.  It is a stretch of the sea wall which is lined by palm trees. Several mornings I took a walk along the sea wall and then headed back home via the Piazza to catch the early morning cappuccino and cornetto integrale. 

I was going to end this blog by saying that "I am missing Puglia so much" but then Regee called me for lunch and look what she has made--yes, Barese Focaccia, combining FOUR recipes (really?) and including mashed potatoes and semolina flour in the dough, which is the secret of this type of focaccia. I feel I am back in Puglia without having to get on a plane. A perfect ending.

Now, where did I put that bottle of Primitivo?