Ostuni Seafood

Having just launched our new gourmet tour  website, we felt we should up our research and go out for lunch. We’ve long known about the stretch of restaurants ‘huts’ between Torre Canne and Savelletri that were once shacks selling ricci (sea urchins) to visiting Barese during the summer months but are now more structurally sopisticated and offer comprehensive seafood menus. You can now get chips with your fish.
But this week I read a review of one particular restaurant in the area, serving lobster and linguine, which is always a winner with us. Finally we found it, off the main road and right on the beach.

Il Principe del Mare, The Prince of the Sea, remains true to its roots with disposable cutlery and plates, and cheap cheap prices.  The service was perfect, and the fish generous and delicious. We started with carpaccio of tuna, octopus salad and preserved aubergines, and we both followed with lobster on linguine.  And somehow managed to share a tiramisu afterwards.  The bread served in a brown paper bag, the breeze coming off the sea and the sun beating on the water outside made the experience authentic and unforgettable.  The food was Puglia at its best, simple, fresh and delicious.
A genial Italian gentleman on the next table told us (repeatedly) that he first frequented the restaurant 35 years ago, when it was the only eatery in the area, and they only served ricci. When he had asked for salad, the proprieter went across the road and purchased some tomatoes from the farm, then washed them in seawater. The most delicious thing he had ever eaten…
Including a litre of local, slightly sparkling, white wine the bill was under 60 euros. I don’t think its going to hit the Gourmet Puglia itinerary, but we’ll definitely be going back.

 

Gallipoli – the beautiful city

our favourite and most recommended restaurant overlooking the clear Ionian

When we talk about visiting Gallipoli (from the Greek for beautiful city), most people initially think about the Dardanelles campaign of World War I.  But those heroic and tragic incidents were in Turkey: Gallipoli in Salento, Puglia, has happier stories to tell.  On the Ionian coast of the Salento region of Puglia, the old town of Gallipoli is in fact an island, linked to the mainland by a 16th century bridge.  For the wandering tourist it is a tiny land of fishermen and boats, seafood restaurants, picturesque alleyways and buildings, and a crazy number of churches.  Various dukes and counts over the past six centuries set out to prove their power, wealth and faith by building a bigger, better church right next door to that of their predecessor.  The island is surrounded by clear turquoise waters and there is even a sandy beach with calm waters to enjoy while you devour your post-lunch gelato.  There is something for everyone to worship.

If you can tear yourself away from the sea views, in the centre of the old town there is a museum in a well restored ancient olive mill, dug into the rock below street level.  A multi-lingual audio tape shares the history of Gallipoli’s wealth, based on a massive trade in olive oil, in the days when its primary use was as lamp oil, as well as for soap  making and for food.  The Salento oil was recognised as a superior product.  For example Russians insisted on the pale oil produced, refusing to insult the Madonna by burning inferior votives in their shrines.  The value of oil was such that by 1914, the price for a litre of oil was £1.50 (€1.80), the same as the average days labour.  In the peak of production workers would live in the mill for months on end, with the working donkeys for company.

See more photos and comments on our Facebook page.

 

Puglia’s Clean Beaches

The Blue Flag Guide for 2010 has just been published, listing the Fountation for Environmental Education’s approved beaches.  Their criteria are based around Environmental Education and Information; Water Quality; Environmental Management and Safety and Services.

We’re delighted to see that Puglia has ten beaches that have won a Blue Flag, two of them within 20 minutes of Trullo Solari.  Camerini Creta Rossa, Costa Merlata Torre Pozzelle and Lido Morelli Rosa Marina.

The water along the coast here is indeed beautiful.  The extreme turquoise and sparkle at the beach can take your breath away.  It can be frustrating out of season when the beaches themselves aren’t cleaned, and can be littered within debris from the seas.  But now things are warming up, the sand cleaners are out, preparing the shores for the beautiful Italian bodies to be stretched out in the coming months.

 

Hotting up Puglia in January

Festas are frequent in Puglia through the summer, and if you know where to look you can find them in the spring and autumn too; but until now we thought that the Italian street parties in January were limited to late presepe – the ever popular nativity representations.

This year though we discovered La Focara in Novolo, near Lecce.  Reputedly Italy’s largest bonfire party.

It was certainly a huge party, the entire town was decked with festa lights and lined with stalls selling food, goldfish, saucepans and other random articles, and the park had been turned over to a fun fair and hoards of burger vans.  And there was a huge stack of wood… I’m sure the largest in Italy… but sadly the fire was still not much more than a spark at the top while we were there.

The party goes on for three days, and I expect that the bonfire will last until the end.  Maybe next year we’ll go on day two!

 

Puglia Navigator

Driving in Puglia is something to experience. There are some strange rules of the road to learn, such as randomly giving way to the right; and some rules that are unusually optional such as one way streets and stopping at red lights. Then there are the locals that you share the road with, from the contadino in his 3 wheel Ape to the budding Grand Prix driver that is so close to you he might disappear up your exhause pipe. Having said all of this, the overriding experience of driving here is that it’s a bit of a game, but no one gets upset and people demonstrate ten times more patience than you generally experience on roads in the UK.

Your next challenge is, of course, to find where you’re going. And this is where we can now help our guests. We’ve been spending the summer programming our new TomTom with all our favourite restaurants, shops and places to go. No more trying to explain how to find the Masseria to watch your mozzerella being made, the Trullo Solari TomTom will take you right there. Looking for that little fish restaurant right on the ocean, or the trattoria in the back street of Ostuni old town? Don’t worry, it’s all programmed for you! We want our guests of enjoy Puglia as much as we do, which is why we’ve made it easier to share some of our secrets…

An Ape in Ostuni old town

 

Mozzerella doesn’t come any fresher than this

Stretching curds to make mozzerella

One of the great things about being in Puglia is that there really are minimal food miles on your plate. Local food is the norm. When we first arrived I thought that this may become tedious, but eating only what is in season and locally grown is so great that we just don’t get tired of it. The markets are bursting with fruit and veg that are grown within 20 kilometres, and of course there’s normally something to harvest from the trees on the land.
For a real treat though, how about going to the local masseria to pick up your cheese? Masseria are old farm estates, mostly specialising in olives or dairy. A couple of kilometres from Trullo Solari is Masseria Nisi where you can greet the cows on your way in, then watch your mozzerella be made, stretched and tied into knots. You can be eating it within minutes. And just to top it off, the first of the figs are ripe on the trees. Delicious.

 

Castellana Cool

The caves really are awesome - and cool!

We’ve had friends staying with us this week, which give us an excuse to rediscover some of Puglia’s highlights. And with three small children, we were conscious of the heat. So we headed to Castellana Grotte, about 40 minutes from Ceglie to join one of the guided tours. As we descended the steps into the cave we were hit, first by the beautifully cool 18 degrees, and then by the awesome size of the entrance cave. It is 100m long, 40m wide and 60m tall. There’s a large natural opening at the top of this cavern to the outside, which lets a huge shaft of sunlight enter.

Throughout the tour, the stalactites and stalagmites wow you with their elegance and strength, and then amuse as you are encouraged to determine which worldly object they represent. Everything including an owl, a ballerina’s leg and (naturally) the Madonna are to be found.

The kids (all of us) loved it, and appreciated a respite from the 35 degrees outside. We were only outside again for ten minutes before we needed another ice cream though.

 

“Human Kind Cannot bear very much reality “- T.S.Eliot

“Human Kind

Cannot bear very much reality “- T.S.Eliot

And so taking Mr. Eliot at his word we all need to find a place in which we can escape the dreaded reality that surrounds us. Trullo Solari is a good place to start! Rolling hills, ancient, gnarled and twisted olive trees, beating sun, shady corners, cooling water and most importantly when you travel in a group – a bathroom for all!! ;o)

Places to visit – Martina Franca with it’s chic feel, good food and shops. Cisternino for excellent eating (try Bella Italia). Locorotondo for a wander and lunch at Trattoria Centro Storico (otherwise known as da Giovanni). Torre Guaceto for a pretty beach. Alberobello if you really have to! You can see much prettier trulli around the above towns and you don’t have to suffer the tourist tat hell!! As you may have guessed it didn’t leave much of an impression! If you’re feeling adventurous and you want to see some seriously blue sea head south for 50 minutes to Punto Prosciutta near Porto Cesareo or to Lecce for some baroque splendour. However, there’s always the temptation to just hang out by the pool, drink cocktails, read books and practice your pizza making skills in the evening. The place is truly wonderful and the guys have done a fantastic job of renovating it in a sympathetic and very comfortable style with everything you could possibly need.

If you want to escape from your reality, eat fantastic food, laze around, get some culture, see the most fantastic light you could possibly hope to find and stay in a wonderful place then you could do much worse. We loved it. You will too.

Toby

 

History of Trulli

Just read this great article from The Independent about Alberobello and the history of trulli.  It supports my favourite theory of trulli that they were built so that they could easily be taken down when the tax inspector was due to visit, but this article has much more detail than I’ve seen before.

Also, I can’t argue with their view on the “tourist tat” in Alberobello, it really is in a class of its own.  If you want a pink sparkling model trullo, this is the place to come.  However, there are some quality retailers there.  On a recent visit with friends we found Gino Minerva who owns a wonderful shop – Tholos -  full of local specialities, beautifully packaged.  Gino also has a traditional trullo over the road which is staged as a traditional family home, as well as arranging gastro tours and tastings.  One of his tours includes a demonstration of mozzerella making.  We’re looking forward to putting some special packages together for Trullo Solari guests with him.

 

Puglia the new Ibiza?!

Puglia is often referred to as the new Tuscany, due to its increasing popularity.  It’s a term that we balk at a little as we relish the individual style of Puglia, and its diversity from the rest of Italy.  But of course we also enjoy the increased interest in this amazing area.  This recent article in The Guardian though has taken a new twist!  I can’t say that there is a big gay scene around here, but its great to see new cool bars and restaurants opening.  Can’t wait for an opportunity to head down to Gallipoli and check out some of those beach bars.